Thanksgiving is almost here. The national holiday devoted to giving thanks
-- which goes back to 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts -- is now just as famously
remembered, perhaps, as “Turkey Day.”
It is a time for family togetherness, counting
one’s blessings, and -- yes -- bad movies and Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Thanksgiving has also featured prominently in
many television programs across the decades.
Two classic “Thanksgiving” episodes first aired
in the year 1978.
On Happy Days, the episode “The First
Thanksgiving” concerned an historical flashback to an early Thanksgiving in
Milwaukee, with the Fonz (Henry Winkler) and other characters playing roles.
And on WKRP in Cincinnati, the infamous “Turkeys
Away” episode featured a radio station promotion for the holiday gone horribly
wrong. The promotion involved turkeys, a
helicopter, and reporter-on-the-street, Les Nessman…
In more genre-oriented programming, Dexter Morgan
has broken bread with another serial killer – played by John Lithgow -- for
Thanksgiving on Dexter, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s fourth
season featured an episode called “Pangs.”
That episode saw the vampire Spike (James Marsters) sharing the holiday
dinner with the Scooby Gang, and was gleefully incorrect in terms of its
politics, as the holiday devolved into modern day Californians fighting ghosts
of wronged Native Americans.
From 1991 through 1995, Mystery Science Theater 3000
celebrated “Turkey Day” with marathons of bad movies.
In particular though, I remember the host
segments of 1995, wherein Jack Perkins, Mr. B. Natural, Pitch (A devil…) and
the Kitten with a Whip showed up to celebrate Thanksgiving with Dr. Forrester (Trace
Beaulieu) and his mother, Pearl (Mary Jo Pehl).
John I hope that your family and you have a happy Thanksgiving. Being a resident of Plymouth, Massachusetts it is a big deal here. The Cult TV Theme Watch today brings back nice memories of viewing many of these episodes. MST3K will be having an internet marathon at MST3KTurkeyDay.com this Thursday.
ReplyDeleteSGB
Hi SGB: Thank you for the holiday wishes, my friend, and to you as well. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving in Plymouth! I didn't realize you were there, at the home of our first Turkey Day! Thank you as well for the heads up about MST3K's revival of a great tradition.
DeleteAll my best,
John
Turkey day is a tradition around my house. We spend most of this week gearing up with MST3K episodes. I've also been covering some of my favorite episodes this month on my blog. It's been a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteHope you and yours have a great holiday!
Hi Roman,
DeleteI love that you have incorporated MST3K into your Thanksgiving routine. I also love that show, and have fond memories of the marathons in the 1990s. Enjoy the show and the holiday, my friend. I may just have to celebrate with a viewing of "Time of the Apes!"