I Love You , You Hate Me (2022)

Released on Peacock instant streaming as a two-part mini series, October 12th in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

The story: Sheryl Lyna Stamps was a school teacher for 7 years before she accepted a job at the Developmental Learning Materials Company (DLM).

DLM was a family-run company, and it was there that Sheryl met the father of their only son, Patrick, later to become her husband Jim Leach.

In 1986, Sheryl wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, taking care of her son Patrick.

Patrick, an extremely active 2-year-old, kept Sheryl overly busy.

She went to the video store looking for a video that would keep her high-energy sons' attention, and there she found the show 'Wee Sing Together'.

Patrick adored the show, playing it over and over again.

Sheryl now wanted to create a tailor-made show for Patrick, incorporating aspects that worked from 'Wee Sing Together', while also being educational and developmentally appropriate for his age.
She did just that.

Her father-in-law owned a production studio, so she pitched her idea to him, which he loved.

He quickly gathered a group of people to work together alongside Sheryl to create her show, and that group of people created what we know today as Barney the purple dinosaur.

Barney's success did not happen overnight, but by late 1990, the show was a giant success.

As soon as two years later, parents began having many love/hate issues with the big purple dinosaur.

From that point on, no matter how much children loved Barney, he gained that many more haters.

Stars Bob Singleton, Burt Dubrow , Kim Goad , Charles Mittelstadt , Larry Rifkin , Steve Gomer , Lauren Mayeux , Pia Hamilton , Sean Breen , Rickey Carter , David Joyner , Dean Wendt , Andrew Olsen , Bob West , Shelley Aubrey , Lori Wendt , Pat Reeder , Bill Nye , Steve Burns , David Voss , Hope Cervantes , Stephen White , Leah Montes , Sloan Coleman , Ted Giannoulas

Directed by Tommy Avallone

Rated TV14

DOCUMENTARY/HISTORY/BIOGRAPHY/SERIES/TV

"Hopefully, the world will be a better place someday because of Barney."

Selena y Los Dinos (2025)

Released on Netflix instant streaming, November 17th in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

The story: Selena Quintanilla, born in April of 1971, got her musical start really early.

Singing since she was little, along with her older sister and brother, the Quintanillas were fueled by their father's love for Tejano music.

Their father had also been a singer, who was in the band 'y Los Dinos', so when he got married and had children of his own, he decided that marketing his kids in his Tejano musical vision was the right way for them.

After many years of hard work, that work paid off for the Quintanilla kids.

They worked hard at their craft and worked all the time until they knew they had finally broken out of the musical independence world and into the mainstream.

Soon, everyone wanted to see Selena.

The family was signed and made the money they knew they could.

But the ultimate dream was to go mainstream in American music.

Things were on the up for the Quintanillas, but it was Selena with the star power, and every dream she dreamed was beginning to come true.

Just before the release of her first American album in 1995, things took a tragic turn for the worse, changing the Quintanilla family's lives forever.

Here, we get to see many early home videos, performances, photographs, and never-before-seen interviews of an amazing, shining star who faded too soon.

Directed by Isabel Castro

Stars Abraham Quintanilla , Suzette Quintanilla , AB Jr Quintanilla , Chris Perez , Marcella Samora 

Rated PG
DOCUMENTARY/BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY/MUSIC

The Drew Carey Show : Mimi's Day Parade (1996)

Released on ABC, airing November 27th in the US.

Season 2. Episode 9.

The story: This year, Drew has got all his holiday hiring done and over with, so he is looking forward to a stress-free Thanksgiving.

Mr. Wick has come up with a business idea that he believes is brilliant: a Winfred-Louder Thanksgiving Day parade, and he wants Drew to organize it.

Drew thinks its a great idea because Cleveland hasn't had a Thanksgiving Day parade in years, plus it's an opportunity to help from firing people.

He sits down to get right to work for next year, but quickly learns Mr. Wick means this year.

Drew has only two weeks to get things organized, meaning the pressure is on.

When Oswald and Kate try to help by making a Buzz Beer float, they wish they had at least had a flatbed truck.

Just when Drew believes he's in big trouble, Mimi shows up.

She has heard things with the parade aren't going so well, and she's come by with claims to be able to get flatbed trucks and permits.

But there's just one thing she wants in return for her help. She wants to be the Snow Queen at the head of the parade.

Stars Drew Carey , Kathy Kinney , Lisa Darr  , Craig Ferguson , Christa Miller , Diedrich Bader , Ryan Stiles , David L Lander , Ian Gomez , Tom Bosley , Tammy Faye Bakker , Lynn Wanlass , Don Perry

Directed by Gerry Cohen

Rated TVPG
COMEDY/THANKSGIVING/SERIES/TV

"Gotta keep my spirits up. Gotta stay positive. I hope. I hope. I hope...this is death."

Flo : A Castleberry Thanksgiving parts 1 & 2 (1980)

 

Released on CBS, airing November 24th in the US.

Season 2. Episode 4.

The story: Mama, Flo, and Fran are all up way too early preparing Thanksgiving dinner.

Flo is really excited because she has invited the whole family home for dinner, and it's been 25 years since they've all been together.

The one thing no one knows about yet, though, is that Flo invited Daddy, who the family hasn't seen since he walked out on everyone over 25 years ago.

Flo's way of thinking about it is that everyone is getting old, and it's been a long time, so everyone should just be together and happy.

But even before Daddy arrives, feelings about him around the room aren't very happy ones.

Stars Polly Holliday , Sudie Bond , Lucy Lee Flippin , Joyce Bulifant , Jim Baker , Robert Ayers , Geoffrey Lewis , Leo Burmester , GW Bailey , Burton Gilliam , Jerry Hardin , David Hollander , Sharon Spelman , Kaela Dobkin , Kristy Dobkin , Forrest Tucker 

Directed by Dick Martin 

Rated TV G
COMEDY/FAMILY/THANKSGIVING/SERIES/TV

Poly Styrene : I Am a Cliche' (2021)

 

Released February 22, 2022, in the US.

Filmed in England.

The story: After her untimely death in early April of 2011, her daughter, Celeste Bell, was in charge of going through all of the things that flowed through her mother's life.

Marianne Joan Elliott Said, better known to the world as Poly Styrene, the trailblazing young Scottish/Irish/Somali woman from Britain who wrote songs for and fronted the punk rock band X Ray Spex,  was a force to be reckoned with.

Quite the sensitive soul, Poly was a fashion victim with her own sense of style who, at a young age, wrote songs that had much meaning for her.

Celeste, Poly's only child, was not ready to be the caretaker of her mother's extremely large legacy, mostly because it was too painful to look back at without her mother here.

So, 5 years after her passing, Celeste finally brought herself to explore all the things that were her mother's life.

Through journal entries, photographs, videos, interviews, art, poetry, and performances, as well as words from many people who knew and loved Poly, Celeste takes us along with her through her mother's profound journey.

Stars Celeste Bell , (voice) Ruth Negga , (voice) Hazel Emmons , (voice) Rina Vergano , (voice) Don Letts , (voice) Rhoda Dakar , (voice) Ifrah Ahmed , (voice) Pauline Black , (voice) Bruno Wizard , (voice) Vivienne Westwood , (voice) Lora Logic , (voice) Youth , (voice) Helen McCookerybook , (voice) Paul Dean , (voice) Jonathan Ross , (voice) Thurston Moore , (voice) Neneh Cherry , (voice) Gina Birch , (voice) Kathleen Hanna , (voice) Adrian Bell , (voice) Ana De Silva , (voice) Yashoda 

Directed by Celeste Bell & Paul Sng

Not Rated

BIOGRAPHY/DOCUMENTARY/HISTORY/MUSIC

"She was a woman of color working within an industry full of white middle-class men that had it all their own way. It's really important that people get that."

A Different World : If You Like Pilgrim Coladas (1988)

Released on NBC, airing November 24th in the US.

Season 2. Episode 6.

The story: Everyone is going home or at least to someone's home this Thanksgiving, except for Whitley and Kim.

Whitley is used to it, but Kim gets upset after getting off the telephone with her mother.

Kim would much rather be home for Thanksgiving.

Whitley tries to cheer her up, but Kim decides they need to go out somewhere and have some fun.

Kim breaks out her fake ID, and the two decide to go to a local bar where there is a band playing.

After they have a couple Pilgrim Coladas, the girls are ready to party.

Just when things are going great, Kim sees a professor from their school and tries to get Whitley to leave before he recognizes them.

Stars Lou Myers , Sinbad , Dawnn Lewis , Kadeem Hardison , Cree Summer , Jasmine Guy , Charnele Brown , Ryan Phillippe , Carlos Lacamara , Lewis Dix Jr , Michael DeLorenzo , Darryl M Bell , Vincent Craid Dupree

Directed by Debbie Allen

Rated TVPG
COMEDY/THANKSGIVING/SERIES/TV

The Bernie Mac Show : Thanksgiving (2004)

Released on Fox, airing June 29th in the US...
Season 3. Episode 22.
The story: Bernie has been pressuring Vanessa to study hard for her English test, so when she brings home an A, he is more than proud, and it's just in time for parent/teacher conference.

When Bernie and Wanda meet Vanessa's teacher, Mr. Diggs, he explains how well she's been doing and says he's looking forward to her next paper.

A biographical essay on someone each student is thankful for.

Bernie assumes that Vanessa will write about him, and is bummed when he learns, Vanessa has decided she is now a vegetarian after learning about Mr. Diggs' childhood, that she will be writing about Mr. Diggs.

When Bernie gives her a hard time about eating meat, she asks Mr. Diggs if she can have Thanksgiving dinner at his house.

Mr. Diggs then invites all the Macs to his house for a vegetarian dinner.

Stars Kellita Smith, Bernie Mac, Camille Winbush, Jeremy Suarez, Dee Dee Davis, Don Franklin, Tembi Locke, Ryan Napier, Steve Abbott

Directed by Reginald Hudlin

Not Rated

COMEDY/THANKSGIVING/SERIES/TV

"What about Thanksgiving? Everything on the table will have meat in it.
The stuffing is gonna have meat in it. The sweet potato...? This year I've been thinking about meat potato....
I'll put meat in the water! ...Meat!"

Fresh (2022)

Released on Hulu instant streaming, March 4th in the US.
Filmed entirely in Canada.
The story: Dating apps are usually hit or miss for most people.
But not Noa, she finds it all completely depressing and has just about given up.
While at the grocery store one evening, she happens to meet charming Steve, who asks for her number.
Soon, the two get together and quickly hit it off.
Noa finds Steve fascinatingly down to earth and believes they have a lot in common.
So when Steve asks Noa to go away for the weekend with him, she totally agrees.
When she tells her best friend about the situation, she warns her not to go.
Noa goes along with the plan anyway, and the night before the said weekend, things take a turn for the worse.
Stars Daisy Edgar Jones , Brett Dier , Sunghee Lapell , Jojo T Gibbs , Arghavan Jenati , Sebastian Stan , Dayo Okeniyi , Andrea Bang , Lachlan Quarmby , Frances Leigh , Charlotte Le Bon
Directed by Mimi Cave
Rated R

MYSTERY/HORROR/THRILLER

Wish Upon (2017)

Released July 14th in the US.

Filmed in Canada.

The story: Clair is a teenager who has a hard time.

She lost her mom at a young age, and her dad embarrasses her by picking trash and being a hoarder.

One day, while her father is looking through trash at an old house, he finds a music box with ancient Chinese wording on it that he believes Claire will appreciate.

Claire finds the box interesting but has no idea about it or what the writing says, although some of her studies involve Chinese.

After being completely bullied at school, Claire, innocently enough, makes a wish that the girl who does the bullying would just rot...

The very next day, her bully nemesis does just that, and this gets Claire really thinking.

But after each wish, someone close to Claire dies.

Once she starts understanding this, she begins trying to save the people she loves from the wrath of the wishing box.

Stars Raegan Revord , Elisabeth Rohm , Joey King , Ryan Phillippe , Kevin Hanchard , Victor Sutton , Sherilyn Fenn , Ki Hong Lee , Sydney Park , Shannon Purser , Josephine Langford , Mitchell Slaggert , Alexander Nunz , Daniela Barbosa , Alice Lee , Albert Chung , Ryan Taerk , Jerry O'Connell

Directed by John R Leonetti

Rated PG13

MYSTERY/THRILLER/HORROR

Mama's Family : An Ill Wind (1986)

Released on NBC, airing November 22nd in the US.

Season 3. Episode 9.

The story: It's Thanksgiving morning, and Mama has been busy in the kitchen since daybreak.

She wakes Vinton and Naomi because he has to pick up Aunt Effie.

When Naomi finally makes her way up to the kitchen, Mama sets her to work, drying dishes.

While doing so, she and Iola notice how dark it is outside, but Mama insists it's always sunny in Raytown on Thanksgiving.

After Aunt Effie and Vinton arrive, it begins raining.

Soon, a wild storm rolls in, sending a tree through the dining room window and cutting the power off.

They all take cover in the basement, trapped there with only chips and rum balls to eat.

Stars Vicki Lawrence, Ken Berry, Dorothy Lyman, Beverly Archer, Allan Kayser, Dorothy Van

Directed by Dave Powers

Rated TVPG

COMEDY/THANKSGIVING/SERIES/TV

Perfect Strangers : Wild Turkey (1991)

 

Released on  ABC, airing November 22nd in the US.

Season 7. Episode 9.

The story: Jennifer, Mary Ann, and Balki have all bought turkeys this year.

Jennifer's plan was to cook because it is the first Thanksgiving she and Larry are a married couple.

Balki wants to cook because he has been cooking Thanksgiving dinner since he came to the United States, and Mary Ann wants to cook to show Balki that she is wife material, only he won't notice anyway.

When Larry arrives home, his surprise is the biggest.

He had gotten a great deal on 58 wild turkeys, which he intends to resell.

Thanksgiving day, Jennifer and Mary Ann are in the kitchen when there's a knock at the door.

Mary Ann opens it to find three turkeys, which make their way into the kitchen.

Closely behind them are Larry and Balki, scurrying to get the turkeys back outside.

When Larry and Balki make their way back inside the house, Jennifer explains that she cannot find her diamond...

She always takes it off and puts it on the counter next to the salt and pepper, but it's not there, and the only ones who were in the room were the turkeys.

After checking all the turkeys with a metal detector, Larry learns that there is just one left that they did not check.

The one that Balki sold to the Johnsons next door.

Stars Melanie Wilson , Rebecca Arthur , Bronson Pinchot , Mark Linn Baker , Julie Payne , James Staley , Glen Vernon , Adam Hendershott , Brandi Chrisman

Directed by Judy Pioli

Rated TVPG
COMEDY/THANKSGIVING/SERIES/TV

Brooke Shields : Pretty Baby (2023)

Released on Hulu instant streaming as a two-part mini series, April 3rd in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

The story: Brooke Shields has been in the public eye most of her life.

From the very beginning, Brooke had been accompanied by her devoted parents, notably her manager mother.

Her mother made some very risque decisions when it came to helping her only daughter make it big, and she never looked back.

But for Brooke, it wasn't all glamour.

Sexism played a big role in getting her seen and heard, and it wasn't until she grew up that she realized what was really fueling the machine.

Here, Brooke spills the beans on everything that went on in her life up until this point.

We see glimpses of all the things she's done, gone through, and then some , all while Brooke explains the situations.

Stars Brooke Shields, Scaaachi Koul , Isobel Coleman , Meenakshi Durham , Gavin de Becker , Gregory Butler , Jean Kilbourne , Deborah Tolman , Lyda Ely , Laura Linney , Alexandra Wentworth , Jeffery Alexander , Lionel Richie , Diana Cunningham , Drew Barrymore, Judd Nelson 

Directed by Lana Wilson

Rated TVMA

DOCUMENTARY/BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY

The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

Released August 1st in the US.

Filmed entirely in California...

The story: Leon is a New York photographer who is trying to make it big with his photos of the city that he loves.

A friend introduces him to an arts gallery owner who thinks he has potential but needs to work harder for his work to be seen in one of her shows.

Leon begins going out shooting late night and returns to the art dealer with the results.

She tells him that his current efforts are what she is looking for. So if he brings her two more efforts in the same vein, she will display them.

While Leon is out the second time late night, he sees the same man he happened to see the first time around, only he didn't realize it then.

Leon is now fascinated and decides to follow the man, who seems quite mysterious and equally dangerous.

Leon doesn't know it yet, but he is absolutely correct about the man he is now obsessed with following.

But when the man catches on to Leon following him, he not only puts himself in danger, but he also threatens the safety of his girlfriend.

Stars Bradley Cooper , Leslie Bibb , Roger Bart , Brooke Shields , Vinnie Jones , Barbara Eve Harris , Peter Jacobson , Stephanie Mace , Ted Raimi , Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson , Tony Curran

Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura

Rated R
HORROR/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Married...with Children : A Bundy Thanksgiving (1996)

Released on Fox, airing November 24th in the US.

Season 11. Episode 6.
The story: This year, all Al wants for Thanksgiving is an original Aunt Maddie's sweet potato pie.

It is the one tradition from his childhood that is very important to him.

While he is out with his friend Griff to get a pie, Kelly shows up at home with a turkey, which she claims followed her home.

She befriends the turkey, even naming it, while Peg, Bud, and Jefferson try to convince her to cook it.

Stars Katey Sagal  , Ed O'Neill, David Faustino , Amanda Bearse , Harold Sylvester , Ted McGinley , Christina Applegate , Nick LaTour , Beau Billingslea , Ann Weldon , Patricia Belcher 

Directed by Amanda Bearse

Rated TVPG

COMEDY/THANKSGIVING/SERIES/TV

"Do you mind!? I'm overwhelmed with grief!"

"Well, how'd you like to be overwhelmed by Griff?"

Kevin Can Wait : Cooking Up a Storm (2017)

Released on CBS, airing November 20th in the US.

Season 2. Episode 9.
The story: This year, Kevin insists he will cook Thanksgiving dinner for everyone, although he has never done it before.

Kendra wants him to just go out to dinner because it will be much easier, and she's so busy with school work, she cannot help.

Vanessa also offers to help, but Kevin resists all offers.

When Kevin's neighbor Wendy, who has the hots for him, drops off a pie while Kevin is trying to tackle the turkey and sees he is having a hard time, she offers to help.

Kevin explains how his whole family expects him to cook because he insisted, so he has to cook.

Wendy comes up with a plan that she will prepare the dinner and drop it off before anyone notices it wasn't him cooking, and he agrees.

The day of Thanksgiving, and there's a blizzard going on.

Vanessa catches Wendy coming by, and before she realizes that Wendy cooked dinner,  Vanessa sends her back home.

Stars Kevin James , Leah Remini , Florencia Lozano , Taylor Spreitler , Mary Charles Jones , James DiGiacomo , Ryan Cartwright , Gary Valentine

Directed by Andy Fickman

PGTV

COMEDY/DRAMA/THANKSGIVING/SERIES/TV

Bewitched : Samantha's Thanksgiving to Remember (1967)

Released on ABC, airing November 23rd in the US.

Season 4. Episode 12.
The story: It's Thanksgiving day, and Samantha is busy in the kitchen tending to the turkey when she hears a commotion in the living room.

She finds Aunt Claire has arrived unexpectedly, but just in time for dinner.

Darrin is upset because he was looking forward to a peaceful dinner with just the three members of the Stevens family.

Aunt Claire begins reminiscing over the very first Thanksgiving, and while doing so, feels homesick for Plymouth.

As she begins explaining, she would like to go back and visit her friends at that very first Thanksgiving and not stay with them as expected for dinner, she accidentally takes Samantha, Darrin, and Tabitha, along with their neighbor Gladys Kravitz, with her to the 17th Century, where they don't take kindly to witches.

Stars Elizabeth Montgomery , Marion Lorne , Dick York , Erin Murphy , Diane Murphy , Sandra Gould , Richard Bull , Jacques Aubuchon , Peter Canon , Laurie Main , Norman Stevans , Herbert Winters

Directed by Richard Kinon

Rated TVG

COMEDY/FAMILY/FANTASY/THANKSGIVING/SERIES/TV

"I didn't know you spoke pilgrim..."

Can You Feel the Beat : The Lisa Lisa Story (2025)

 

Released on Lifetime, airing February 1st in the US.

Filming location(s) unknown.

Based on truths.

The story: 1982, Hell's Kitchen.

Lisa Velez is a 15-year-old living with her mother, abusive father, and older brother.
A year later, leaving the abuse behind forever, the small family moves to a different part of New York without their father.

But it's now a much larger financial struggle for their mother.

Lisa is an ambitious and talented singer who wants to help her mother.

At work, she talks a friend into helping her meet famous DJ Jellybean, to see if she can get some sort of paying music gig.

Lisa and her friends attend a teen night at a local club where Jellybean is performing.

She makes her way to meet him, and he allows her to audition.

Jellybean believes she has talent, so he takes her number. But before she leaves, she is approached by Mike Hughes, who heard her audition.

He explains has a band and is looking for a singer and gives Lisa his number.

Quickly, with the help of Mike and his connections, Lisa becomes the lyrical part of the three-person  Latin pop group, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam.

Lisa convinces her mother to sign a recording contract for her, and things take off fast for them all.

But after some years on the rise, personal struggles, health, and contract issues threaten to stop the group for good.

Stars Jearnest Corchado , Alijah Kai , Bryan Arion , Bre-Z , Terence Willias , Donny Carrington , Matt Borlenghi , Giovanni Cristoff , Ian Lyons , Angie Martinez , Maurice P Kerry , Lisa Lisa

Directed by Tailiah Breon

Rated TV14

BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY/MUSIC