Hey, what do you want to watch? It’s Thanksgiving week here in the U.S., and I’m sharing our Thanksgiving weekend tv for seniors. We keep things simple and quiet without stress of shopping, cooking, or overeating.
Grab a cup of coffee, (mine is right here). Let’s go!
And since I’m not an entertainment critic you won’t get detailed reviews from me. We’re just chatting over coffee, talking about what feels cozy and relaxing for the long weekend. 😉
TV Shows We Skip on Thanksgiving Weekend.
Let me start by telling you what we won’t watch this Thanksgiving weekend:
- No news: I turn it on for the weather report, and that’s about it.
- No reality TV: I don’t want to spend even the small moments of my life watching people behaving badly.
- No cable television: It’s too expensive. We use the internet for streaming instead.
- No parades: If you can attend one in person. They’re breathtaking, loud, and so much fun. Watching them on television, with constant commercial breaks, makes the whole thing feel mundane.
- No Fix-it shows or Christmas house decorating contests: Not everything has to be a contest.
Streaming Services for a Cozy Thanksgiving Weekend
Right now, we still have Prime, and Disney+ (don’t judge us). Disney+ ends for us in the middle of December, since we prepaid for the year back in January 2025.
We’re looking into to more affordable alternatives for Prime video. It’s a personal choice to keep it for now, but if you have any suggestions for a cheaper streaming channel, please share them in the comments below.
Our Go-To Shows and Movies for the Weekend
When we’re too tired to pick something new, we turn to our tried-and-true shows for the evening. Sometimes it’s okay to watch the old standby shows while playing a game on the tablet, reading, or doing sudoku or word search puzzles.
- Reruns of the British shows The Repair Shop or Midsommer Murders. (BBC, Acorn, BritBox, Amazon Prime)
- The movie Red One or as I like to call it: Christmas Eye Candy. 😉(Amazon Prime)
- The Avengers or any of the Captain America movies (eye candy for days on end) (Disney+)
Cozy TV Shows Perfect for Solo Seniors
Father Brown: Humor, no sex, no gory scenes, and just a priest and his side-kicks solving murders before the police can. Father Brown is such a likeable character and, if I may, even more fun than the version in the original novels. Mark Williams (aka Mr. Weasley from the Harry Potter movie franchise) plays Father Brown to perfection. You will forget Mr. Weasley completely. (PBS, BBC)
Vera: You won’t find a sexy, overworked 35-year-old, tough talking, gun-toting, woman who can solve murders, cook dinner, and please her man, too. (Acorn)
Instead, you will find Vera Stanhope, a middle-aged Detective Chief Inspector. She is intelligent, single, childless, and doesn’t suffer fools. She is a powerhouse thinker as she solves murders. This show affirms (to me at least) that middle aged women still have what it takes to do the job and stay true to who they are without apology. (For this post, middle-aged means over 50 to 65 years old.)
Midsommer Murders: Crime, murder, no gory or graphic scenes, very little adult content, and a bit of humor. There are always three murders (how dare the murderer continue killing while Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and side kick are investigating). (BritBox, Amazon Prime, PBS)
We call this show as “Barnaby” because the first 13 seasons feature DCI Tom Barnaby and the last 13 (or so) feature DCI John Barnaby, Tom’s cousin. It’s a little odd, but it works. Watch it, it’s clever, entertaining, and popular across the streaming world.
All Creatures Great and Small: I was hesitant to watch this newest version because I found the original show boring, but this version is lovely, funny, and endearing. It follows a young veterinarian’s professional and personal life, along with lives of his business partner, the partner’s brother, the housekeeper, and a handful of farmers, and small pet owners. This series is based on the books by James Heriott (a pseudonym for Mr. James “Alfe” Wight). If you’ve the original stories, you’ll recognize many of the episodes. (PBS, Amazon Prime)
Escape to the Country: This is technically a reality show, but not what you’d expect. Charming hosts take people around the countryside of England and Scotland as they search for a new home. It’s fun to peek inside houses in England, from historic cottages to brand-new built homes. (BBC)
Links for the channels are listed below.
A Relaxing Thanksgiving Weekend TV for Solo Seniors (YouTube)
YouTube: Our way to relax on a Saturday is to turn on YouTube and watch the channels subscribed to. It’s a few hours to unwind and sometimes with breakfast pastry or drink a strong latte, too. https://www.youtube.com
Here are some of the shows we suggest:
- Discovery Daisy: An American woman who uses a metal detector on land and in the water to find treasures. She is such a breath of fresh air, genuinely excited whenever she finds something. So much fun to watch!
- Nugget Noggin: Discovery Daisy’s real-life partner. He also “metal detects” on land and underwater. He’s knowledgeable and shares the era and other interesting details about the artifacts he finds.
- Bondi Treasure Hunter: An endearing Australian living in Sweden with his wife and child. Watch his adventures alone or with his friends as they go magnet fishing and metal detecting in canals across Sweden, Australia, and, England. His excitement for even the smallest finds will keep you coming back.
Medal Max: A treasure hunter exploring the woods of Germany for WWII artifacts. He’s not allowed to keep the bullets, guns, military insignia, but he explains the history in fascinating detail. - Cecilia Blomdahl: Her “Life on Svalbard” videos are informative without being boring. Cecilia is fun to watch and always positive about life on the island. She explains “polar nights” (her favorite time of year) and daily life there. Even though I don’t like the winter darkness, she makes me want to visit Svalbard during polar nights.
- The Deal Guy: Charming, quirky, endearing (like a favorite nephew) He shares where to find deals at big box stores, warehouse stores, and online. He has over one million followers.
- Chef Rocco DiSpirito: He’s very easy-going, he makes cooking look effortless. His videos are 10 minutes or less, so your time isn’t wasted. My sister and I agree he could qualify to be our favorite cousin. Very easy-going, he makes cooking look effortless.
- Alex Guarnaschelli: Easy-going to the extreme. Like Rocco, she makes cooking seem simple. No fancy recipes here either. Her videos are short, about eight minutes.
Television Shows That I Miss Watching This Time of Year
Charlie Brown movies from Halloween through Christmas. My favorite characters besides Charlie are Marcie (because of the glasses, of course!), Franklin, Linus, and any of the adult voices.
Santa Clause is Coming to Town: A cute Claymation show with a catchy tune that I can’t stop singing for days “…put one foot in front of the other…” like I did when I was a kiddo.
Final Thoughts for Thanksgiving Weekend TV for Seniors
Whether you’re alone, with a roommate, or visiting family, you’ll still need some downtime to relax and unwind. Our suggestions for Thanksgiving weekend TV for seniors are sure to help you. Put your feet up, make some popcorn, and keep the remote control close. I’m confident you’ll find something you like from this list that you’ll enjoy watching.
Hey, don’t forget to share your choices for Thanksgiving weekend TV in the comments section below. Thanks for your time.
Here are the links to the shows listed above:
Acorn: https://acorn.tv/
BritBox: https://www.britbox.com/us/midsomer
Amazon Prime: https://www.primevideo.com
Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/
PBS: http://pbs.org
Choose kindness for yourself and others
JoAnn
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