Over the last few decades, the TV industry has put out dozens of television episodes that feature a cast of characters celebrating Thanksgiving. In the process, the TV industry has covered almost every possible type of Thanksgiving a person could have, from the Thanksgiving where the mom gets overstressed cooking and freaks out to the Thanksgiving that is a table made up of people who are unable to make it to their own homes for the holidays. Of these holiday episodes, a few special versions stand out from the rest.

The version one might be most familiar with is the “Annoying Family Thanksgiving,” which is best portrayed in the sitcom “Friends” in the episode “The One Where Underdog Gets Away.” While not all of the characters are related to each other, the episode accurately portrays this version of Thanksgiving. Joey, Monica, Chandler, Ross, Rachel and Phoebe all get locked out of the apartment when Rachel forgets her keys. The tension rises, and they soon being fighting as they make their way back into the apartment. In a similar way family disputes might arise on the occasion when everyone gets together, or at the very least when  relatives become irritated with each other like in “Friends.” After fighting they eventually come to terms with each other and realize how thankful they are to be with each other, despite differences. The episode ends with characters toasting to “A lousy Christmas and a crappy New Year.” Sophomore Brianna Griffin experienced this version as well. She said,  “So my cousin is a boy, and I only have girls in my family, and he spilt juice on his lap and had to wear a skirt for the rest of dinner.”

Another common version is the “Orphan Thanksgiving” when a group  of people who are unable to go home for the holidays come together to celebrate. The “Cheers” episode “Thanksgiving Orphans” has the name in the title. Sam, Diane, Cliff, Norm, Woody, Carla and Frasier all join together on Thanksgiving because they have no better place to go. While that might not be a common version of Thanksgiving in a teenager’s life now, it could be in a few years if one moves far away or is otherwise unable to go home for the holidays. The characters are all thankful for each other and make the best of the holiday despite the fact they are not with their family or loved ones.

The “Overcrowded Thanksgiving” is depicted in “The Cosby Show” episode “Thanksgiving with the Huxtables,” also known as “Cliff’s Wet Adventure.” In this episode the Huxtable family has over 15 people attend their Thanksgiving, and it gets a little overwhelming. Cliff, Bill Cosby’s character, keeps going out in the rain to buy items from the store for all the different dishes people want for their Thanksgiving.  By his third trip he gets frustrated and a little stressed by all the people. Aside from the minor complications, the dinner is a success, and they all join together to eat. In a similar way, Thanksgiving might be overcrowded and stressful, but will ultimately work out in the end. Sophomore Abby Leedy had this version. She said, “Someone came over to our house one year and set food down. We have a big family so we always have a lot of people. They realized halfway through Thanksgiving that they were at the wrong house. We had already eaten their food.”

The “Funny Thanksgiving” is the most commonly depicted version among TV shows, like  “How I Met Your Mother” or “Everybody Loves Raymond” or in movies, such as “Planes, Trains and Automobiles.” This version of Thanksgiving is most common among students as well. Sophomore Abby Giordano also experienced this scenario. She said, “So we always say the Catholic prayer before dinner, but my cousin accidentally started to sing it.”