Happy Thanksgiving from The A.V. Club
Look, the last thing you need from us is a reminder that this holiday season will be “a little different” this year. 2020 did its due diligence when it came to eviscerating a few of the basic tenets of Thanksgiving for a great many of us, like sizable gatherings, risk-free Black Friday preparation, and the always-chill task of navigating the airport on Thanksgiving Eve. But there are still plenty of traditions specific to Turkey/Tofurky/Screw It, We’ll Just Grab A Few Pizzas Day that are alive and well, like eating more than wholly necessary, bourbon-fueled naps, and praying that our hating-ass aunt doesn’t say anything too terrible (over Zoom, of course).
For The A.V. Club, our most treasured tradition—that is, shutting up for two days and pestering our loved ones instead—holds pretty steady. That said, the Newswire desk will be off duty on Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday. We’ll be back bright and early on Saturday with a fresh side of piping hot cultural commentary, so try to save a little room on your plates for that, please and thank you.
We’re also continuing our annual appreciation of the content that served as bright spots for us in recent weeks, like Internet Culture Editor Randall Colburn’s chat with Saved By The Bell writer Dashiell Driscoll (as well as his review of the show), or Managing Editor Erik Adams’ enlightening peek at the new Dazed And Confused oral history. Television continues to bless audiences with necessary distractions. Thankfully, our TV Editor Danette Chavez had the staff offer up their favorite family-oriented bingeworthy shows for a quick and easy guide. (If you’re looking for something a little less kid-friendly—like something way different— Senior Writer Katie Rife has a new installment of Once In A Lifetime just for you.) Plan on skipping TV altogether and wearing out your overworked gaming console instead? Our gaming aces William Hughes and Sam Barsanti reviewed nearly every PS5 and Xbox Series X/S game there is.
We are eternally grateful for this thorough oral history of Elektra Records by Jason Keil as well as this one final token of Assistant Editor Alex McLevy’s devotion to Supernatural. This humble Newswire Editor celebrated a new Tank And The Bangas EP with the one and only Tarriona “Tank” Ball. And we can’t possibly survive a holiday without the films that keep unending boredom at bay just a little while longer: Film Editor A.A. Dowd had some kind things to say about Pixar’s Soul, Video Producer Cameron Scheetz asked Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom star Colman Domingo to share a story or two about his random roles, and Executive Producer Marah Eakin got us excited for Hulu’s Happiest Season thanks to this chat with Clea Duvall and Mary Holland.
Lastly, dear reader, we are ceaselessly grateful for you, your continued support, your sharp insight, and shared love of pop culture. What are your plans this holiday season? Tell us in the comments below (in reasonable detail—we’re grateful for you, but we don’t need to know everything).