I Love You , You Hate Me (2022)

Released on Peacock as a two-part mini series, instant streaming 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/TV

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

Selena y Los Dinos (2025)

Released on Netflix, 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 led the punk rock 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!"