What to watch on TV on Thanksgiving: Parade, football, movies and more

November 26, 2020

Thanksgiving might look different in 2020 — but TV remains the same.

The coronavirus pandemic will impact holiday staples such as the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Purina Dog show, which are both proceeding on NBC with COVID-protocol adjustments.

But whether you’re celebrating solo, or connecting virtually with family and friends, there’s plenty of small-screen entertainment to keep you occupied during your feast — from marathons to movies.

Here’s the essential viewing line-up on the major networks and streaming platforms for today’s Big Day.

“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”

MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE
NBC

9 a.m. to noon, NBC

The show goes on — albeit with many changes. This year’s parade, hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, and Hoda Kotb, will be “virtual” with no crowd participation and many floats pulled by vehicles to reduce the number of people involved — and special guests including coronavirus cure funder Dolly Parton.

“12 Dates of Christmas”

"12 Dates of Christmas."
“12 Dates of Christmas.”HBO Max

HBO Max

If you’re in the mood to relax with an escapist dating show, look no further. This new series, from the showrunner of Netflix hit “Love is Blind,” follows three twentysomethings (Faith, Chad and Garrett) looking for love — in an Austrian castle.

“The National Dog Show presented by Purina”

The National Dog Show
The National Dog ShowGetty Images

Noon on NBC

Dogs compete to be named “Best in Show” in the annual favorite, hosted by John O’Hurley and David Frei with commentary from Mary Carillo. This year’s adjustments for COVID precautions includes no spectators or vendors and a 70% decrease in the number of participating dogs (down to 600 from the normal 2,000 canine participants).

“Texas 6”

"Texas 6"
“Texas 6”CBS

CBS All Access

This new eight-episode docuseries follows the Greyhounds, a six-man high school football team in the small town of Strawn, Texas.

“The Christmas Chronicles Part 2”

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in the upcoming Netflix movie "The Christmas Chronicles 2."
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in the upcoming Netflix movie “The Christmas Chronicles 2.”Joe Lederer / fotojo

Netflix

Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn return as Santa and Mrs. Claus in this follow-up to the 2018 film “The Christmas Chronicles.” Cynical teen Kate Pierce (Darby Camp) reunites with Santa (Russell) when Christmas is threatened.

“Dead Poets Society”

“Dead Poets Society”
“Dead Poets Society”Courtesy Everett Collection

Amazon

O captain my captain. The 1989 classic stars Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke as a teacher and his boundary-pushing student at an elite prep school.

“The Godfather” marathon

“The Godfather”
“The Godfather”Everett Collection

11:30 a.m. to midnight, BBC America

All three of Francis Ford Coppola’s “Godfather” movies will air back-to-back over nearly 12 hours (with commercials thrown into the mix).

“The Office” marathon

Steve Carell as Michael Scott on "The Office"
Steve Carell as Michael Scott on “The Office”Chris Haston

9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Comedy Central

Michael Scott (Steve Carell), Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and the Dunder Mifflin team are taking over Comedy Central with a marathon including fan-favorite episodes “The Dinner Party,” “Fun Run” and both parts of “Goodbye, Toby.”

“Friends” marathon

"Friends"
“Friends”©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett

1 to 6 p.m., TBS, TBS

So no one told you life was going to be this way. Join Ross (David Schwimmer), Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), and the gang for some of the classic Thanksgiving-themed episodes, including “The One with the Rumor,” featuring guest star Brad Pitt.

“Home Alone”

Macaulay Culkin in 1990's "Home Alone."
Macaulay Culkin in 1990’s “Home Alone.”©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett

6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Freeform

Nostalgia alert! Fun for the whole family watching young kid Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) defending his home from burglars — alone — in this 1990 big-screen classic. It will be immediately followed by the 1992 sequel, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York” airing at 8:30 p.m.

“Wonder Woman”

"Wonder Woman"
“Wonder Woman”©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett

5 p.m. to 8 p.m., TNT

Thanks to the recent announcement that the “Wonder Woman” sequel will premiere on HBO Max Dec. 25, there’s no better time to catch up on the first movie. Whether you’ve seen it five times already or somehow missed it when it hit theaters in 2017. Revel in the adventures of Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) — aka Wonder Woman.

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