9 Monster Sci-Fi TV Episodes to Devour for Thanksgiving

FlashbackTV
Written By Chris Well

Celebrating Turkey Day with The Incredible Hulk, The Munsters, Mr. Spock, Ghostbusters, and more

“This is the first Thanksgiving that I’ve ever had any reason to celebrate.” (from The Incredible Hulk episode “Homecoming”)

Now that it’s time again for the turkey trot, the Thanksgiving season means food and festivity. (And, of course, preparing to shop on Black Friday.) As you and yours are planning that big dinner, this is your chance to gouge on some fun genre TV mixing together fantasy with Thanksgiving…

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#1 The Munsters | "Low-Cal Munster" | S1.E6

(Oct 29, 1964)

The wonderful monster family show The Munsters, which originally ran in the 1960s, was a sitcom that features family members who resemble the Frankenstein’s monster, Count Dracula, and more.

In this particular episode, Herman Munster’s old army outfit is getting ready for a reunion—and Herman discovers that he no longer fits into his old uniform. Deciding to go on a traumatic diet to prep for the event, turns out his diet conflicts with Thanksgiving. Which does not go well for him…

“This classic The Munsters episode proves that if even Herman Munster is vulnerable enough to fret over his holiday weight,” says Yahoo! Entertainment, “we mere mortals should give ourselves a break.”

The Munsters is one of my favorite shows of all time. And this episode is great—especially when we watch Herman meet with the neighbors for the holiday and… well, if you don’t know what happened, I’m not going to spoil it for you.  

By the way, we talked more about The Munsters and Thanksgiving over here: The Munsters on Thanksgiving in 1964.

Find more of The Munsters online:

Thanksgiving Diet | The Munsters | COZI SEENZ

“Here's a sound piece of advice: Never start a diet before Thanksgiving! Especially if you're strong enough to rip off leather belt restraints!”

#2 The Underdog Show | “Simon Says, No Thanksgiving”

(Part 1 aired Nov 25, 1965)

One of the first Saturday morning cartoons, 1960s series The Underdog Show starred canine superhero Underdog and girlfriend Sweet Polly Purebred. Bad guys on the show included Riff Raff, Batty-Man, The Magnet Men, and more.

In real life, the giant balloon representing superhero Underdog flew by more than a dozen times in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, starting in 1965. Which makes it all the more appropriate that there was a Thanksgiving adventure on his own TV show.

What I find particular hilarious was the plot: Villainous scientist Simon Bar Sinister is in the middle of a robbery plot but he can’t cross the street—because it’s blocked by the Thanksgiving Day parade. His answer? Travel back in time and change history so that there’s NO Thanksgiving...

So, Underdog must go back and save the original Thanksgiving!

Find more of Underdog online:

Underdog Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Promo (1965)

#3 Star Trek | “Charlie X” | S1.E2

(Sep 15, 1966)

Also launching in the 1960s, the legendary science fiction series Star Trek followed the crew of the starship U.S.S. Enterprise on its various space missions in the 23rd century. The original series built such an audience that it went on the inspire several more series that explored various aspects of the Federation and its scientists, explorers, and workers.

For this holiday episode: Blink and you’ll miss it, this very early episode of the original Star Trek TV show takes place on Thanksgiving. (Which is why Captain Kirk asks the Enterprise chef to make the meatloaf look like turkey.)   

Fans of the show are more likely to remember the actual story about how a powerful teen wreaks havoc aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise: Captain Kirk must face off with a 17-year-old boy with the brain powers to destroy anyone.

“Unfortunately, it also featured Charlie slapping Rand on the butt,” noted SYFY. “We’re thankful that Charlie never appeared on the show again. Star Trek must have called off Thanksgiving because of him.”

Here’s one of our related articles: Star Trek: What are the scariest episodes?

Find more of Star Trek online:

Star Trek - Charlie X’s Anger Issues

“Young Charlie X exposes his darker side to Kirk.”

#4 The Incredible Hulk | “Homecoming” | S3.E8

(Nov 30, 1979)  

This 1970s show The Incredible Hulk was a serious drama based on Marvel Comics characters. The two main characters include scientist David Banner—who is damaged by a radioactive experiment—and the monster he becomes when he loses his temper.

In this episode, three years have passed since he was pronounced dead. David Banner feels the need to go back home to reunite with his family—who don’t even know that he’s still alive. Traveling to his family’s farm in Colorado for Thanksgiving, he manages to reconnect with his shocked dad and sister.

While dealing with the trauma of his return—and reviving the complicated relationship with his father—David also has to save the family’s farm from a threatening land developer…

(I have to admit, of all the entries on this list, this is the one special episode that makes me cry every time.)

“One memorable scene sees a hulked-out David being angrily asked to leave by his unwitting father,” shares CBR, “which boasts some of Lou Ferrigno’s best acting work as the green guy.”

Find more of The Incredible Hulk online:

The Incredible Hulk | “Homecoming” | D.W. catches up with Hulk

“D.W. catches up with the Hulk and tries to communicate with him.”

#5 Real Ghostbusters | “The Revenge of Murray the Mantis”

(Nov 2, 1987)

The popularity of the 1984 movie Ghostbusters led to lots of stuff—including the animated spin-off TV show The Real Ghostbusters. Launched in 1986, Real Ghostbusters brilliantly expanded on the workplace comedy as the team offers pest control for supernatural infestations.

For the show’s Thanksgiving episode, a huge balloon in New York’s Thanksgiving Day Parade becomes a horrible creature resembling a popular cartoon character. How to stop it? The Ghostbusters release the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man…

There’s a behind-the-scenes book that talks with the folks who made The Real Ghostbusters. We interview the book’s authors here: Talking about ‘Real Ghostbusters’—including the show’s history and impact

Find more of The Real Ghostbsters online:

The Real Ghostbusters Clip - “Marshmallow Vs Mantis” (1986)

#6 ALF | “Turkey in the Straw” | S3.E7 + S3.E8

(Nov 14, 15 1988)

The 1980s TV sitcom ALF starred an “Alien Life Form” stuck on Earth after crash-landing in the garage of the suburban California middle-class Tanner family. In this two-part special, extraterrestrial TV star Gordon Shumway tries to help the homeless—which leads to a threat from the Alien Task Force.  

Gordon—who is generally called by the nickname “ALF”—causes a major Thanksgiving problem by eating the Thanksgiving turkey ahead of dinner. (And, well, raw.)  Now that ALF’s live-in family have to cancel their normal plans for Thanksgiving, they’re invited over to the neighbors.

Meanwhile, when ALF reaches out to help a homeless person, he gets reported to the Alien Task Force. Now ALF must deal with the homeless man--as well as the military team headed their way to take ALF dead or alive.

“It’s only appropriate that a cheesy but fondly remembered sitcom would have a Thanksgiving episode," says Inverse, “if only because it was supposed to be a sci-fi send-up of TV sitcom tropes in the first place.”

Find more of ALF online:

ALF Brings a Mysterious Man to Thanksgiving 🦃 | S3 Ep7 Clip

“ALF brings a stranger over for Thanksgiving, but is he more than he seems?”

#7 Quantum Leap | “The Leap Home" | S3.E1 + S3.E2

(Sep 28, 1990 / Oct 5, 1990)

Quantum Leap features physicist Dr. Sam Beckett who—inventing a form of time travel—“leaps” into spacetime and finds his consciousness transferred into other people from his timeline. In this two-part holiday story, lost time traveler Beckett leaps back in time into the body of a 16-year-old boy—who turns out to be himself.

Sam leaps into himself as a 16-year-old boy to help his high school basketball team win the championship. He also tries to help the other members of his family including his father who died from smoking, his brother who was killed in Vietnam and his sister who married an abusive alcoholic.

Talking about the two-part episode, Inverse complimented Quantum Leap as “a pretty innovative sci-fi show,” and remarks that the Thanksgiving special is “a big, personally heartbreaking deal.”

Despite the time travel affecting his memories, Sam soon realizes that he’s back home to relive his high school days—around Thanksgiving in 1970. Which will be his last Thanksgiving dinner with his family before his father dies from a heart attack, and his brother dies as a soldier in Vietnam.

The twist at the end of part one—when Sam is pulled again into the time stream—is that his next stop is Vietnam. At the site of his brother’s impending death…

Find more of Quantum Leap online:

Quantum Leap | “To have one more meal with the whole family, I would do anything”

#8 Buffy the Vampire Slayer | “Pangs” | S4.E8

(Nov 23, 1999)

Kicking off in the 1990s with the original movie, the supernatural action drama TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer featured Buffy Summers, fated to battle the forces of darkness. The series also made note of her circle of friends who helped her.

For Thanksgiving, Buffy encounters the spirit of a Native American warrior whose people were wiped out by settlers. As quoted by Inverse, episode writer Jane Espenson said that the core of the episode was to touch on how Thanksgiving is also celebrating the ugly conquest of Native Americans.

SYFY says that this special is also contentious. “Any Thanksgiving story that brings in undead Native Americans is obviously going to be,” they remark. “Is the entire holiday a sham? According to Buffy, it is. ‘But it’s a sham with yams,’ she says. ‘It’s a yam sham.’”

Find more of Buffy the Vampire Slayer online:

Spike Explains Conquering Nations

“Spike Explains Conquering Nations to Buffy and the Gang from Season 4 Episode 8 ‘Pangs’”

#9 SNL | “Vincent Price’s Thanksgiving Special” | Season 31, 2005

Bill Hader was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2005-2013. During that time, more than once he parodied the idea of Vincent Price holiday TV specials.

Hollywood legend Price is most remembered for his old horror movies—so these specials attempted to celebrate each holiday with that vibe, and welcoming Hollywood guests from the old days. These sketches included holiday specials for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and St. Patrick’s Day.

For “Vincent Price’s Thanksgiving Special 1958,” the host is annoyed by his celebrity guests Alfred Hitchcock (played by Horatio Sanz), Judy Garland (Kristen Wiig), Lucille Ball (Eva Longoria), Ricky Ricardo (Fred Armisen), and Clark Gable (Darrell Hammond).

Find more of SNL online

Vincent Price’s Thanksgiving Special - SNL

“In his Thanksgiving Special, Vincent Price (Bill Hader) is bemused by celebrity guests Alfred Hitchcock (Horatio Sanz), Judy Garland (Kristen Wiig), Ricky Ricardo (Fred Armisen), Lucille Ball (Eva Longoria) and more. [Season 31, 2005]”

More Thanksgiving genre episodes

There were also Thanksgiving episodes on shows like Amazing Stories, Arrow, The Flash, Sliders, Smallville, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Tales from the Darkside, The Vampire Diaries, and more. You can find Thanksgiving episodes listed on such pages as these:

More from Monster Complex

Chris Well

Chris Well been a writer pretty much his entire life. (Well, since his childhood.) Over the years, he has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio, and books. He now is the chief of the website Monster Complex, celebrating monster stories in lit and pop culture. He also writes horror comedy fiction that embraces Universal Monsters, 1960s sitcoms, 1980s action movies, and the X-Files.

https://chriswell.substack.com/
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