Thanksgiving is a fantastic holiday. Food at the table, and family gathered around it. It truly is a day to be thankful for all that we have...and still, like all holidays and so much else planned in our lives, things can go wrong, and sometimes do.
We all have memories of those Thanksgivings when the turkey was undercooked; the potatoes were runny, the stuffing wasn't from Stovetop, and, even worse, we had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving.
This idea of plans being ruined for Thanksgiving and those who wouldn't be gathered together typically wind up getting together for the holiday has been fodder for several Thanksgiving-themed sitcom episodes.
And so, as we look ahead to the holiday and hope that our plans go as planned; here are three episodes from three classic sitcoms where Thanksgiving went terribly wrong:
"Over the River and Through the Woods," The Bob Newhart Show, originally aired on November 22, 1975
In this very funny episode of this understated and hysterical show, Psychologist Dr. Bob Hartley (Bob Newhart) decides to stay home in Chicago for Thanksgiving when his wife, Emily (Suzanne Pleshette), travels home to visit her family for the holiday.
Bob says he can't leave his patients, but truth be known, he doesn't want to travel to see his in-laws, so he stays home. And karma has its own plans.
Emily leaves, and Bob has no one else to spend Thanksgiving with except Jerry (Peter Bonerz), the sarcastic dentist he shares an office wife, Howard (Bill Daily), the clueless airline pilot who lives next door, and Elliot (Jack Riley) his offbeat patient.
The four spend the holiday in Bob's oh-so-70s Chicago apartment, and as they continually get depressed over how bad their Thanksgiving turned out, they begin drinking and drinking and drinking.
The result is a disastrous holiday for all of them and laughs for all of us, as "Over the River and Through the Woods" features these pros, with perfect comic timing, in their "drunken" state. Especially funny is when they attempt to cook the tiny turkey Bob had in his freezer.
Emily comes home to find that they are not just a mess, but they've ordered a lot of Chinese food. It's the perfect end to a humorous Thanksgiving episode and a perfect example of why Bob Newhart and The Bob Newhart Show are both brilliant.
"Thanksgiving Orphans," Cheers, Originally aired on November 27, 1986
The gang at Boston's funniest bar, Cheers, all have their Thanksgiving plans, and they all fall apart, leaving the gang to gather at Carla's (Rhea Perlman) house for football and turkey. And things go from bad to horrible.
Norm (George Wendt) brings the turkey but can't get it to cook; Diane (Shelley Long) shows up from another dinner dressed as a pilgrim, and frustrations grow.
It all comes to a hilarious climax, as their anger with each other results in a food fight...and one of the most all-out, no-holds-barred food fights you've ever seen!
This episode takes the theme of "Thanksgiving gone wrong" to the next level, and like The Bob Newhart Show, there is an great ending gag involving Norm's wife, Vera, that won't be revealed here.
"The One Where Underdog Gets Away," Friends, Originally aired on November 17, 1994
This one is from the first season of Friends, where the sitcom's Thanksgiving episodes become favorite traditions among fans.
As expected, everyone's big plans for the holiday fall apart, and Monica (Courteney Cox) agrees to cook Thanksgiving dinner for the gang. They learn that the Underdog balloon has broken loose from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and they all run to the roof, locking themselves out of the apartment.
Dinner, of course, is ruined, and they settle for Chandler’s “anti-Thanksgiving dinner” of grilled cheese but find themselves happy that they’re still all together.
The sharp writing and comic timing that was a hallmark of Friends are on full display here:
Chandler (Matthew Perry): "Oh my god! Underdog has broken loose and is flying over the city!
Joey (Matt LeBlanc): "The balloon?"
Chandler: "No, no...The actual cartoon character."
Watching this well-crafted episode through the years, it's easy to see why Thanksgiving, or "Friendsgiving," became such a tradition.
So, if your Thanksgiving takes a turn for the worse, consider viewing one or all of these with your undercooked turkey, and know that you are in good (and funny) company.
Looking for more Thanksgiving themed articles and podcasts? Head over to: Words From Lyons !
And, want to be thankful for finding a Christmas gift for the movie, or Disney fan, on your list? My book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance, is now available on Amazon, or you can purchase signed and personalized copies at: Words From Lyons !
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