Andy and Ellie decorating a Christmas tree in 'The Andy Griffith Show'

When to Watch Your Favorite Thanksgiving and Christmas Episodes of ‘The Waltons,’ ‘Andy Griffith,’ ‘Beverly Hillbillies,’ and More

You can spend the holidays with some of your favorite TV characters, including the Waltons and Andy Griffith, thanks to MeTV.

by Megan Elliott

Published on November 18, 2023

6 min read

Who wouldn’t want to spend the holidays with some of their favorite TV characters? MeTV is making it easy this year with its “A Very Merry MeTV” programming lineup, which includes a selection of very special Thanksgiving and Christmas-themed episodes of classic shows such as The Waltons, The Beverly Hillbillies, Andy Griffith, and more.

The celebration begins on Sunday, Nov. 19 and runs through Dec. 25. Check out some of the highlights below, as well as the full schedule.

‘The Waltons’ Thanksgiving episode airs Nov. 22 and 23

A Very Merry MeTV title card — A Verry Merry MeTV | MeTV

Celebrate Thanksgiving with one of TV’s most famous fictional families. In 1973, The Waltons aired its only Thanksgiving special, a two-part episode titled “The Thanksgiving Story.” The season 2 episode focuses on John-Boy Walton (Richard Thomas), who suffers a life-threatening head injury that puts his plans for college at risk. Meanwhile, his sister Mary Ellen (Judy Norton) auditions for the Thanksgiving play, and his brother Ben (Eric Scott) helps Grandpa (Will Geer) hunt for turkey.

“The Thanksgiving Story (Part 1)” airs at noon ET/PT on Nov. 22. Part 2 airs on Nov 23 at the same time.

The only ‘Andy Griffith’ Christmas episode airs Dec. 8

Surprisingly, The Andy Griffith Show only broadcast one Christmas episode over its eight-season run. “The Christmas Story” aired during season 1. (It was the 11th episode of the show overall). It focuses on a Scrooge-like businessman Ben Weaver (Will Wright) who insists that Sheriff Andy Taylor (Andy Griffith) put bootlegger Sam Muggins (Sam Edwards) behind bars. Sam’s family joins him in jail, and Andy, Barney (Don Knotts), Aunt Bee (Frances Bavier), and Opie (Ron Howard) decide to celebrate the holiday with them. Their generosity eventually warms the cold heart Mr. Weaver.

“The Christmas Story” airs Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. and again on Dec. 24 at 6 p.m.

Celebrate Christmas with ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’

Unlike The Andy Griffith Show, The Beverly Hillbillies aired multiple Christmas episodes over its long run. Those include “Christmas at the Clampetts,” “The Christmas Present,” “Home for Christmas,” “No Place Like Home,” “The Week Before Christmas,” and “Christmas in Hooterville.” They’ll air throughout the month of December on MeTV.

Two Peanuts specials also air on MeTV this year

Snoopy wearing a dog bowl for a hat and carrying a bindle in 'Snoopy Come Home' — Kino. Snoopy, 1970er, 1970s, Animation, Snoopy dog, Snoopy, Come Home, Zeichentrick, Snoopy, 1970er, 1970s, Animation, Snoopy dog, Snoopy, Come Home, Zeichentrick, Snoopy schnuert sein Buendel, nimmt Woodstock und geht zurueck zu seinem rechtmaessigen Besitzer. , 1972. (Photo by FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images)

Unfortunately, the only place to watch the classic holiday specials A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas in 2023 is on AppleTV. But MeTV will air two other classic Peanuts movies this year: A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969) and Snoopy Come Home (1972). The former airs on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. and Dec. 24 at 12 p.m. The latter airs Nov. 26 at 6 p.m. and Dec. 24 at 2 p.m.

MeTV’s full “Very Merry MeTV” lineup

Sunday, November 19

12 p.m. The Brady Bunch, “The Un-Underground Movie”
2 p.m. The Beverly Hillbillies, “Turkey Day”
2:30 p.m. – The Beverly Hillbillies, “The Thanksgiving Spirit”
3:30 p.m. – Gilligan’s Island, “Little Island, Big Gun”
4 p.m. – Mama’s Family, “An Ill Wind”
5 p.m. – The Love Boat, “Best of Friends/Too Many Dads/Love Will Find a Way”
6 p.m. – A Boy Named Charlie Brown
8 p.m. – All In the Family, “Archie and the Miracle”
8:30 p.m. – All In the Family, “The Little Atheist”

Tuesday, November 21

12 p.m. – The Waltons, “The Waiting”

Wednesday, November 22

12 p.m. – The Waltons, “The Thanksgiving Story (Part 1)”

Thursday, November 23

6:30 a.m. – My Three Sons, “Chip’s Harvest”
12 p.m. – The Waltons, “The Thanksgiving Story (Part 2)”
7:30 p.m. – M*A*S*H, “Yalu Brick Road”
9 p.m. – The Beverly Hillbillies, “Elly’s First Date”

Sunday, November 26

6 p.m. – Snoopy Come Home

Saturday, December 2

11 a.m. – Wagon Train, “The St Nicholas Story”
12 p.m. – The Big Valley, “Judgment in Heaven”
1 p.m. – Gunsmoke, “PS Murry Christmas”
2 p.m. – Bonanza, “A Christmas Story”
3 p.m. – Rawhide, “Twenty-Five Santa Clauses”
4 p.m. – Have Gun-Will Travel, “Be Not Forgetful”
4:30 p.m. – Wanted Dead or Alive, “Eight Cent Reward”
1 a.m. – Lost in Space, “Return from Outer Space”
2 a.m. – Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, “Long Live the King”
3 a.m. – Land of the Giants, Night of the Thrombeldinbar”

Sunday, December 3

1 p.m. – The Lucy Show, “Together for Christmas”
1:30 p.m. – Leave It to Beaver, “The Haircut”
2 p.m. – Family Affair, “Christmas Came a Little Early”
2:30 p.m. – Beverly Hillbillies, “Christmas at the Clampetts”
3 p.m. – Beverly Hillbillies, “The Christmas Present”
3:30 p.m. – Petticoat Junction, “Cannonball Christmas”
4 p.m. – Petticoat Junction, “Santa Claus Special”
4:30 p.m. – Green Acres, “An Old Fashioned Christmas”
5 p.m. – The Love Boat, “The Christmas Presence”

Friday, December 8

6 p.m. – M*A*S*H – “Dear Dad”
6:30 p.m. – M*A*S*H – “Dear Sis”
8 p.m. – The Andy Griffith Show, “The Christmas Story”

Sunday, December 10

1 p.m. – The Brady Bunch, “The Voice of Christmas”
1:30 p.m. – Full House, “Our Very First Christmas Show”
2 p.m. – Full House, “A Very Tanner Christmas”
2:30 p.m. – Full House, “Arrest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
3 p.m. – The Waltons, “The Children’s Carol (Part 1)”
4 p.m. – The Waltons, “The Children’s Carol (Part 2)”
6 p.m. – A Very Brady Christmas
8 p.m. – All In the Family, “Christmas Day at the Bunkers”
8:30 p.m. – Good Times, “Penny’s Christmas”
9 p.m. – Good Times, “Traveling Christmas”
9:30 p.m. – Sanford and Son, “Ebenezer Sanford”
11 p.m. – The Dick Van Dyke Show, “The Alan Brady Show Presents”

Wednesday, December 13

12:30 a.m. – The Twilight Zone, “Night of the Meek”
1 a.m. – Alfred Hitchcock Presents, “The Festive Season”

Sunday, December 17

1 p.m. – Happy Days, “Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas”
1:30 p.m. – Happy Days, “Christmas Time”
2 p.m. – Happy Days, “White Christmas”
2:30 p.m. – Happy Days, “All I Want for Christmas”
3 p.m. – Laverne & Shirley, “Christmas Eve at the Booby Hatch”
3:30 p.m. – Laverne & Shirley, “O Come All Ye Bums”
4 p.m. – Mama’s Family, “Santa Mama”
4:30 p.m. – Mama’s Family, “Mama Gets Goosed”
5 p.m. – The Love Boat, “Santa Santa Santa / Another Dog Christmas / Noel’s Christmas Carol”
8 p.m. – All In the Family, “Edith’s Christmas Story”
8:30 p.m. – All In the Family, “The Draft Dodger”
9 p.m. – All In the Family, “Edith’s Crisis of Faith (Part 1)”
9:30 p.m. – All In the Family, “Edith’s Crisis of Faith (Part 2)”

Tuesday, December 19

1:30 p.m. – Gunsmoke, “Magnus”
2 p.m. – Bonanza, “Gabrielle”

Wednesday, December 20

10 a.m. – Matlock, “The Gift”
11 a.m. – In The Heat of the Night, “My Name is Hank”

Thursday, December 21

10 a.m. – Matlock, “Santa Claus”
9 p.m. – Beverly Hillbillies, “Home for Christmas”

Friday, December 22

5 p.m. – Adam 12, “Log 122: Christmas: The Yellow Dump Truck”
9 p.m. – Beverly Hillbillies, “No Place Like Home”

Saturday, December 23

6 a.m. – Beverly Hillbillies, “The Week Before Christmas”
6:30 p.m. – Beverly Hillbillies, “Christmas in Hooterville”

Sunday, December 24

9 a.m. – Saved By the Bell, “Home for Christmas Pt 1”
9:30 a.m. – Saved By the Bell, “Home for Christmas Pt 2”
10 a.m. – The Flintstones, “Christmas Flintstone”
12 p.m. – A Boy Named Charlie Brown
2 p.m. – Snoopy Come Home
5 p.m. – Love Boat, “Lonely at the Top / Silent Night / Divorce Me, Please”
6 p.m. – The Andy Griffith Show, “The Christmas Story”
7 p.m. – M*A*S*H, “Death Takes a Holiday”
7:30 p.m. – M*A*S*H, “Twas the Day After Christmas”
8 p.m. – All In the Family, “The Bunkers Go West”
8:30 p.m. – All In the Family, “California, Here We Come (Part 1)”
9 p.m. – All In the Family, “California, Here We Come (Part 2)”
10:30 p.m. – Carol Burnette and Friends, “Mrs. Wiggins / Harry’s Mirage and Grill”
12 a.m. – The Honeymooners, “Twas the Night Before Christmas”
12:30 p.m. – The Twilight Zone, “Five Characters in Sears of an Exit”
1 a.m. – Best of the Ed Sullivan Show, “Holiday Greetings from the Ed Sullivan Show”
5 a.m. – Highway Patrol, “Christmas Story”