The Best Thanksgiving Binge-Watches: Six Shows To Watch Over The Holiday

One of the greatest joys in life is the feeling of being completely full (and, if we’re being honest, a little bit buzzed) on Thanksgiving night. Another of the greatest joys in life? Binge-watching half-hour shows! It’s true. We’re all familiar with the feeling of accomplishment that watches over you when you finish a season of a show; it’s the dragon we all chase. Which is why taking in a show like Red Oaks, where the average episode lasts about 25 minutes, is such a rush. Not only is the program itself equal parts hilarious and touching, but it will only take you 4 hours and 8 minutes to binge the entire first season of the show. That’s basically the length of one NFL football game and, better yet, nary a single person involved will suffer a concussion. (If you want to finish the recently released Season 2, you’ll only need another 4 hours and 26 minutes.)
— Mark Graham

[Watch Red Oaks on Prime Video]

Escape from your own family this Thanksgiving and hang out with the Cole family in Hulu’s Casual. The dark comedy checks all the boxes you’d expect — and not expect — including divorce, teen cancer, and of course, creepy eyebrows. But underneath what can appear to be depressing stories, are lingering layers of hopefulness. Oh, and also the theme that we’re all super messed up in our own ways. Casual is humorous in a way that makes you think, not that necessarily makes you LOL. The acting and the storytelling is so superb that sometimes it seems like a crime to spread the word, because the Hulu half-hour feels like my own wonderful secret. But this show is just too good not to push on everyone, so say hello to your new favorite dysfunctional family. — Lea Palmieri

[Watch Casual on Hulu]

I wouldn’t typically advise you to spend your holiday with a convicted murderer, but I’ll make an exception for SundanceTV’s outstanding series Rectify. Premiering in 2013, Ray McKinnon’s cinematic drama tells the story of Daniel Holden, a man who’s been on Death Row for 19 years after being convicted for the rape and murder of his 16-year-old girlfriend.

Pass the turkey!

After DNA evidence calls Holden’s guilt into question, he’s released from prison and returns to his hometown of Paulie, Georgia. Holden’s struggle to acclimate to his new life and the turmoil his homecoming precipitates begins a slow-simmering, captivating journey that you don’t want to miss. 

Beautiful cinematography and exceptional performances from the cast makes this three season/22-episode binge (the fourth and final season is now airing on SundanceTV) a welcome addition to your holiday weekend. — Josh Sorokach

[Watch the first three seasons of Rectify on Netflix]

The last thing I want to do on my vacations is to put effort into anything! And that includes following complicated plots or marveling at well-crafted punchlines. No, just give me a gallon of wine and send me on my way! That’s why I think The Wine Show is the most delectable thing you could tune into this long weekend.

British heartthrobs Matthew Rhys and Matthew Goode host this engaging docuseries about the wide world of wine. The two are frequently joined by sommelier Joe Fattorini, who has engaged them on a mission: to travel all of Italy in search of the nation’s most “Italian” wines. The show also features gadgets, interviews with chefs, and tours of vineyards and wine vaults all over the world.

Pro-tip: I’ve put random episodes of The Wine Show on in the background the last two times I had houseguests and it makes for beautiful, crowd-pleasing entertainment. — Meghan O’Keefe

[Watch The Wine Show on Hulu]

Thanksgiving is about family and food, yes, but it’s also about one very important thing: obligation. Catching up with family is beneficial and soul-nourishing, but it’s also probably something you’ve been putting off all year. Which is why it’s perfectly appropriate to use the holiday weekend to finally catch up on the shows that have been hanging out in your queues all year. I’ve been meaning to watch the Australian gay comedy Please Like Me forever, and suddenly, faced with a long weekend of avoiding political discussions with the family, its time has come.

Please Like Me begins when 20something Josh gets dumped by his girlfriend, who tells him he’s almost certainly gay anyway. And so he is! This doesn’t purport to be your usual introspective coming-out story, though, as creator and star Josh Thomas (who writes or co-writes every episode) keeps a balance between sincerity and sarcasm.

With three season’s worth of episodes (36 half-hours in total), it’s the perfect length for a long-weekend binge, and just from the first couple episodes I’ve already started, it’s got an ideal combination of characters whose lives you want to follow and comedy that offers a rather delightful escape. — Joe Reid

[Watch Please Like Me on Hulu]

Spending time with your family is great, but sometimes you need a few minutes to decompress alone. That’s where this Cartoon Network miniseries can help you out. Created by Patrick McHale (Adventure Time), Over the Garden Wall follows the bizarre adventures of two brothers, Writ (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean). Clocking in at 12 minutes an episode, this Emmy-winning and gorgeously animated fairy tale masterfully blends a sweet adventure story with edges of darkness and anxiety, all with a Fall theme. Nothing is as it appears over the garden wall, but this well constructed series will add some peace and closure to this hectic holiday season. — Kayla Cobb

[Watch Over the Garden Wall on Hulu]