From dinner debacles and party fouls to funny flashbacks and epic food-fights, the world of television has given audiences so many memorable Thanksgiving moments over the years. Have a laugh as you wait for the pies to bake with these 20 standout episodes you can stream this Thanksgiving.
MODERN FAMILY, “Punkin Chunkin”
Another sitcom with a plethora of Thanksgiving episodes to pick from, “Modern Family” first cooked up a turkey day special with episode nine of season three, “Punkin Chunkin.” The Dunphy and Pritchett-Delgado homes get into all sorts of familial drama, with two factions arising made up of “dreamers” versus “realists.” They squash their differences in the end, though, as the “dreamers” of the family join Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) to help prove his story of launching a pumpkin across a football field using a catapult. Available on Hulu and Peacock
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BIG MOUTH, “Thanksgiving”
Netflix’s foul-mouthed animated comedy got in on the holiday fun with episode five of season five, appropriately titled “Thanksgiving.” Andrew, voiced by John Mulaney, comes to blows with his father, Marty, voiced by Richard Kind, after refusing to eat his dad’s infamous Thanksgiving turkey. Meanwhile at the Foreman-Greenwald household, Ayo Edebiri’s Missy gets into hijinks before the family meal by smoking a joint with her cousins. Available on Netflix
2 BROKE GIRLS, “And the Very Christmas Thanksgiving”
Christmas comes early in this holiday mash-up episode from season one of “2 Broke Girls.” In episode 10, “And the Very Christmas Thanksgiving,” Kat Dennings’ Max and Beth Behrs’ Caroline look to cash in on the holiday shopping season by picking up shifts in a department store Santaland. While Max is having fun playing Mrs. Claus, things go awry as Caroline, dressed as an elf, ruins the holiday magic for all the kids. Available on Roku
RICK & MORTY, “Thanksploitation Spectacular”
The popular Adult Swim animated comedy went all out for Thanksgiving in its sixth episode from season five. Mad scientist Rick (voiced by Justin Roiland) turns himself into a turkey for the holiday, which ends up ruffling the feathers of the president. The commander in chief (voiced by Keith David) decides to enlist a group of soldiers, who are also transformed into turkeys, in order to hunt Rick down. Available on Hulu and Max
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VEEP, “Thanksgiving”
HBO’s political comedy takes a stab at the turkey-eating holiday in episode five from season five, complete with presidential pardons for the beloved birds. In the episode, President Selina Meyer, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, decides to skip out on family dinner to get plastic surgery. However, the procedures leaves her with raccoon eyes, making her unable to make public statements as major events pop up, like CDC reports of a salmonella outbreak among turkeys. While people are worried by her public absence, President Meyer comes up with an ingenious explanation, and returns to the spotlight in style. Available on Max
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, “Ava”
The turkey-eating festivities are always a big deal on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” but episode eight from season three was a particularly hilarious entry. The episode’s cold open marks the introduction of Tommy Gobbler, the Thanksgiving persona of Joe Lo Truglio’s Charles Boyle, who annoys the precinct with his gobbles and holiday-themed puns. The turkey-clad character returns in the season five episode, “Two Turkeys.” Available on Peacock
WILL & GRACE, “Moveable Feast”
Among the show’s many holiday moments, the two-part episode “Moveable Feast” from season four was a Thanksgiving standout. Will (Eric McCormack), Grace (Debra Messing), Jack (Sean Hayes), and Karen (Megan Mullally) convene for dinner at their apartment, but must first visit their respective families. While the family reunions lead to bad blood, Rosario (Shelley Morrison) convinces the gang to go back to their loved ones and make amends. Available on Hulu and Peacock
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NEW GIRL, “Parents”
The Zooey Deschanel-starring sitcom “New Girl” featured several hilarious Thanksgiving moments during its seven season run on Fox, but one of its more memorable was episode eight from season two, “Parents.” The episode features guest appearances by Jamie Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner as Joan and Bob, the divorced parents of Deschanel’s Jess, whom she tries to reunite in a “Parent Trap”-inspired scheme at Thanksgiving. Former “Daily Show” correspondent Rob Riggle also guest stars as the cousin of Max Greenfield’s Schmidt. Available on Hulu and Peacock
FRASIER, “A Lilith Thanksgiving”
Long before the reboot series, the Crane crew shipped up to Boston for an impromptu holiday in the Hub. In this classic episode from season four, Frasier and his icy ex-wife Lilith meet with the headmaster of a prestigious school on behalf of their son, Frederick. Meanwhile, grandpa Martin and uncle Niles are left to babysit and cook the feast. Of course, things go awry for everyone involved. Frederick gets a black eye, Niles loses the turkey, and Frasier and Lilith turn into unwanted house guests of a Boston Brahmin family. Available on Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Paramount+
BOB’S BURGERS, “Turkey in a Can”
Food is, obviously, a big deal on “Bob’s Burgers,” created by Medford’s own Loren Hal Bouchard. So it’s no surprise that the hit animated series goes all-out with its Thanksgiving episodes each season. While there are a ton of great moments to choose from, episode five from season four is a clear fan-favorite as Bob (voiced by Worcester’s H. Jon Benjamin) slowly descends into madness while trying to track down the culprit who keeps putting his beloved turkey in the toilet. All of this fowl play makes for a hilarious Turkey Day caper. Available on Hulu
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THE SIMPSONS, “Bart vs. Thanksgiving”
Halloween specials may be the long-running, animated sitcom’s bread and butter, but the show also knows how to crack a Thanksgiving joke or two. In “Bart vs. Thanksgiving,” episode seven from season two, Bart runs away from home after being punished for causing quite the scene at the dinner table. But after a run-in with Mr. Burns’s hounds and sharing a meal at a soup kitchen, the rambunctious rugrat learns the true meaning of the holiday and gains a new appreciation for his family. Available on Disney+ and Hulu
CHEERS, “Thanksgiving Orphans”
As travelers head back to places where everybody knows their names, why not spend some time with Sam, Norm, and the rest of the “Cheers” crew. In the ninth episode of season five, the Boston bar patrons find themselves alone for the holiday and decide to have a Friendsgiving-style potluck at Carla’s house. Things slowly go awry though, as tensions rise while they wait for the turkey to finish cooking, culminating in an epic and extremely messy food fight at the dinner table. Available on Hulu and Paramount+
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COMMUNITY, “Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations”
Thanksgiving dinner becomes a grueling punishment for Abed, Troy, and most of the study group in the fifth episode from season four of the beloved NBC comedy. Parodying “The Shawshank Redemption,” the “Community” pals try to evade Shirley’s watchful eye and escape an awkward get-together with her in-laws. Meanwhile, Jeff has his own family problems as he meets his dad and half-brother, played by guest stars James Brolin and Adam Devine. Available on Hulu and Netflix
FRESH OFF THE BOAT, “Huangsgiving”
Turkey Day takes a hilarious and hectic turn for Jessica and her family in “Huangsgiving,” the eighth episode from season two of the hit ABC sitcom. Finally getting a chance to host Thanksgiving, Jessica goes all out to put on the perfect dinner in hopes of out-doing her sister, who usually runs the show each year. However, a football-fueled injury and a raw bird in the oven force the Huangs to scramble in order to save their holiday meal. Available on Hulu
THE OFFICE, “WUPHF.com”
In honor of Thanksgiving (and to live out his repressed childhood dreams), Dwight throws a massive hay festival for families to enjoy in the Dunder Mifflin parking lot in “WUPHF.com,” the ninth episode from season seven. While the assistant to the regional manager is outside playing Hay King, Michael is inside fending off Pam, Andy, and others who want out of their bad investment into Ryan’s business scheme, which is only days away from running out of funds. Available on Peacock
FRIENDS, “The One With All the Thanksgivings”
The long-running sitcom and its forgotten spin-off “Joey” have nearly a dozen Thanksgiving episodes between them, but the franchise’s most memorable entry is likely “The One With All the Thanksgivings,” episode eight from season five. “Friends” fans will remember this one for its ‘80s flashbacks to dinners past at the Geller household, Chandler (played by the late Matthew Perry) losing a toe, Phoebe recounting her past life as a war nurse, and of course, Monica wearing a turkey on her head with giant sunglasses. Available on Max
GILMORE GIRLS, “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving”
Attending one Thanksgiving dinner can be pretty stressful, but four in one day? Lorelai and Rory attempt to do just that as they race around their sleepy New England town in the ninth episode from season three of the fan-favorite comedy-drama. From tofurkey with Lane to a fry fest with Sookie and Jackson, it’s a packed holiday for the mother-daughter duo. Things get even more complicated as Rory reveals her application to a certain Ivy League institution. Available on Netflix
IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, “The Gang Squashes Their Beefs”
Charlie, Dennis, and the rest of “The Gang” have made a lot of enemies over the years, but when the maniacal misfits realize that some of these feuds are hampering their Thanksgiving celebration of hoagies and movies, they decide to finally make peace. In the 10th episode from season nine, “The Gang Squashes Their Beefs,” the colorful characters from the City of Brotherly Love invite their foes over for a Thanksgiving meal in hopes of forgiveness. Spoiler alert: things don’t go quite as planned. Available on Hulu
REBA, “Thanksgiving”
Playing a fiery and funny single mom, country icon Reba McEntire stars in this eponymous sitcom, which featured a big, blended Texas family. In the ninth episode from season four, Reba once again butts heads with Barbara Jean, her ex-husband’s new wife, as they fight over holiday hosting duties. While the episode features the typical tête-à-tête laughs between Reba and Barbara Jean, they also share a heartfelt and humorous moment as they talk about their growing families. Available on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu
SEINFELD, “The Mom & Pop Store”
This unforgettable episode from the fan-favorite series features a ton of classic moments, as well as a few major guest stars. In “The Mom & Pop Store,” episode eight from season six, actor Jon Voight appears as the possible previous owner of George’s new car, while Bryan Cranston returns as Jerry’s eccentric dentist Tim Whatley. However, everyone except Jerry gets invited to Whatley’s “Thanksgiving Eve” party, which he decides to crash anyway and ends up ruining by accidentally pushing a statue out a window that pops a balloon in the Thanksgiving Parade. Available on Netflix
Matt Juul can be reached at matt.juul@globe.com.