Thanksgiving lands on Thursday, November 26, and several of animation's longest-running shows have built entire episodes around the holiday. Bob's Burgers alone has made at least 10 of them, starting with Bob's Season 3 attempt at the perfect Thanksgiving, and the show's official YouTube channel has posted clips from those episodes. Check out the official clip down below:
Every episode below is listed with its season and episode number from the official streaming service that carries it in the US, in order of original air date. The Peanuts special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving streams on Apple TV, which is offering it free on November 14 and 15, as covered in Where To Stream Every Peanuts Holiday Special In 2026, Including The Free Apple TV Days.
The Simpsons: Bart Vs. Thanksgiving
The Simpsons aired "Bart vs. Thanksgiving," Season 2, Episode 7, on Fox on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 1990. Bart accidentally destroys the centerpiece Lisa made for the dinner table, runs away from home rather than apologize and ends up at a soup kitchen in downtown Springfield. George Meyer wrote the episode, David Silverman directed it, and it includes references to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the poets Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac.
Where to stream: Disney+, which lists it as Season 2, Episode 7.
South Park: Starvin' Marvin
South Park's Season 1, Episode 8 aired on Comedy Central on November 19, 1997. Paramount+'s description has the boys watching the Terrance and Phillip Thanksgiving Special at Cartman's house when a Sally Struthers charity ad offers a free sports watch for a $5 donation, and Stan calls in with his mother's credit card. Instead of a watch, the boys are sent an Ethiopian child they name Starvin' Marvin, while genetically engineered turkeys attack the town in a second storyline.
The show returned to the holiday in Season 15, Episode 13, "A History Channel Thanksgiving," which aired November 9, 2011, and has the boys convinced aliens attended the first Thanksgiving feast after watching a History Channel special.
Where to stream: Paramount+.
Rugrats: The Turkey Who Came To Dinner
In Rugrats' Thanksgiving episode, Grandpa Lou wins a turkey in a contest, and it turns out to be alive. Paramount+'s description has the babies befriending the bird and serving a Thanksgiving dinner of Reptar cereal. The episode aired on Nickelodeon on November 10, 1998, after first being released on the A Rugrats Thanksgiving VHS on October 21, 1997.
Where to stream: Paramount+, which lists it as Season 4, Episode 9.
Hey Arnold!: Arnold's Thanksgiving
Hey Arnold! aired "Arnold's Thanksgiving," Season 3, Episode 16, on November 18, 1998. Paramount+'s description has Arnold fed up with the bickering among the boarders at his grandparents' boarding house, setting out to find the true meaning of the holiday. Helga also walks out on her own family's dinner, and the 2 of them end up at the Thanksgiving table of their teacher, Mr. Simmons, whose friend Peter is also there.
Here is the official clip from Paramount+:
Where to stream: Paramount+.
King Of The Hill: Happy Hank's Giving
King of the Hill's "Happy Hank's Giving," Season 4, Episode 7, aired on Fox on November 21, 1999. FX's episode guide has Hank trying to sneak a cooked turkey and a tank of propane onto a plane as the Hills head to Montana to spend Thanksgiving with Peggy's mother, and Hulu's guide adds that bad weather shuts down the airport and strands the family for the holiday.
Season 5, Episode 4, "Spin the Choice," followed on November 19, 2000, with John Redcorn showing up uninvited to Peggy's Thanksgiving dinner and Bobby sent to his room for his anti-Thanksgiving speeches.
Where to stream: Hulu, which carries all 15 seasons and 279 episodes, including the revival seasons.
American Dad!: There Will Be Bad Blood
American Dad!'s Season 6, Episode 6 aired on November 28, 2010. Hulu's description has the Smiths preparing for the arrival of Stan's half-brother's family for Thanksgiving.
Where to stream: Hulu, which features it in its American Dad! holiday collection.
Family Guy: Thanksgiving And Shanksgiving
Family Guy's "Thanksgiving," Season 10, Episode 6, aired on Fox on November 20, 2011. The Griffins and their neighbors sit down for dinner when Kevin Swanson, Joe and Bonnie's son, returns from Iraq. Patrick Meighan wrote it and Jerry Langford directed it. The show came back to the holiday with "Shanksgiving," Season 18, Episode 8, on November 24, 2019, which Hulu sums up as Peter trying to avoid Thanksgiving.
Where to stream: Hulu, which lists both in its Family Guy holiday collection.
Bob's Burgers: The Thanksgiving Episodes
Hulu's description of "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal" calls Thanksgiving Bob's favorite holiday of all time, and the service's Bob's Burgers holiday hub lists these Thanksgiving episodes:
- Season 3, Episode 5: "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal"
- Season 4, Episode 5: "Turkey in a Can"
- Season 5, Episode 4: "Dawn of the Peck"
- Season 6, Episode 4: "Gayle Makin' Bob Sled"
- Season 7, Episode 6: "The Quirk-Ducers"
- Season 8, Episode 5: "Thanks-Hoarding"
- Season 9, Episode 7: "I Bob Your Pardon"
- Season 10, Episode 8: "Now We're Not Cooking With Gas"
- Season 12, Episode 8: "Stuck in the Kitchen with You"
- Season 13, Episode 8: "Putts-giving"
In "Turkey in a Can," someone sabotages the turkey Bob carefully prepared by dumping it in the toilet. "Dawn of the Peck" sends wild turkeys after the town at Mr. Fischoeder's First Annual Turk-tacular Turkey Town Festival, and "Thanks-Hoarding" has the Belchers pitching in when Teddy's family announces it is coming for the holiday. "I Bob Your Pardon" follows the family's attempt to save a turkey from the slaughterhouse, and "Stuck in the Kitchen with You" has Bob cooking Thanksgiving dinner for a retirement home, with Stephanie Beatriz as a guest voice.
Here is another official clip, from "Stuck in the Kitchen with You":
Where to stream: Hulu. A recent Bob's Burgers clip was covered in Bob's Burgers New Clip Has Linda Offer Her Condo Savings To Open The Restaurant.
Which Thanksgiving cartoon episode is a yearly tradition in your house: Bart's runaway night in Springfield, Hank's propane turkey or one of Bob Belcher's turkey disasters?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.