by May Monten

Created on: November 16, 2010   Last Updated: November 21, 2010

Thanksgiving is a time to get together with family and friends, gather round the table, eat lots of delicious food ... and plop down on the couch, veg out, and watch TV. Thanksgiving television specials have become as much of a tradition as turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing.  Like all traditions, they comfort us by reappearing year after year.

* The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Start off your day by joining the 50 million other people watching the New York Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television. The parade features spectacular floats, marching bands, Broadway performers, famous stars, and the crowd favorite - the giant balloons. It starts at 9 am in all time zones on NBC.

* NFL Football

In 2010, the Detroit Lions play the New England Patriots starting at 12:30 pm Eastern time on CBS. Then it's the Dallas Cowboys versus the New Orleans Saints at 4:30 pm Eastern time on FOX, and the New York Jets versus the Cincinnati Bengals at 8:20 pm Eastern time on the NFL Network.

* The National Dog Show

If you don't want to watch humans compete on the football field, how about watching dogs compete in the show ring? Hosted by John O'Hurley, one of People Magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive," the show features traditional best-of-breed competitions as well as special events such as a cutest puppy contest and demonstrations of dogs showing off their talents in diving and frisbee-catching. Starts at noon on NBC, right after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

* Home for the Holidays

This 1995 comedy stars Holly Hunter as a 40-year old single woman who has to spend Thanksgiving with her crazy family after a string of disasters.  Also starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Anne Bancroft, and directed by Jodie Foster. The We.tv network is showing it at 11:00 am Eastern time, and they like it so much they are rerunning it at 1:00 pm and again at 3:00 pm.

* A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," with the "Peanuts" characters created by the late, great Charles Schulz, has been a classic since it first aired in 1973. Charlie Brown tries to host a memorable Thanksgiving dinner, but his caterers Snoopy-the-beagle and Woodstock-the-bird cook up a meal of popcorn and toast. The show this year includes a special bonus cartoon, "This Is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers." On ABC at 8:00 pm Eastern time.

So kick back on the couch, grab the remote, let the turkey do its thing inside your stomach, and enjoy the holiday shows. You can always walk off the meal on another day.

Sources:

Yahoo TV schedule

NBC: Macy's Parade

Chiff: Thanksgiving football games

NBC: The National Dog Show

ABC: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

IMDB: Home for the Holidays

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