Tom Turkey at The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2020.
Peter Kramer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty ImagesThanksgiving Day is just around the corner, and with holiday travel a bit safer this year thanks to coronavirus vaccines and booster shots, there will be families and friends once again gathering around the country to celebrate.
There will also be plenty to watch — from the 95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to musical specials from Reba McEntire, Smokey Robinson, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, and more.
Many specials this weekend will air on NBC, CBS, Hallmark channel or ABC. If you have cable (or a digital TV antenna like this one from Amazon), you can watch them all on TV through your local network affiliate.
If you’ve cut the cord, a variety of networks can also be streamed using SlingTV, fuboTV, or Hulu + Live TV. All of these services offer free trials, which will allow you to watch the Thanksgiving fun for free online without cable.
See below for Billboard‘s roundup of all the best music-related TV programming to watch all weekend long over plate after plate of leftovers.
Thursday (Nov. 25)
95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – 9 a.m. ET on NBC
CBS Thanksgiving Day Parade – 9 a.m. ET on CBS
Christmas at Dollywood — 8 a.m. ET on Hallmark Channel
Friday (Nov. 26)
Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune – 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime
A Nashville Christmas Carol — 6 a.m. ET on Hallmark Channel
Sunday (Nov. 28)
The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration – 7 p.m. ET on ABC
Miracle in Motor City starring Smokey Robinson – 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime
One Last Time: An Evening with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga – 8 p.m. ET on CBS; streaming afterwards on Paramount+
Christmas in Tahoe — 8 p.m. ET on Hallmark Channel
Streaming
The Beatles: Get Back — premiering in three parts on Thursday (Nov. 25), Friday (Nov. 26) and Saturday (Nov. 27) on Disney+
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving – now on Apple TV+
8-Bit Christmas – starting Thursday (Nov. 25) on HBO Max
Jonas Brothers: Family Roast – now on Netflix
Taylor Swift believes Nashville has a music scene that stands apart from anywhere else.
The 36 year old singer moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when she was young to chase her dream of becoming a country music star. After being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday (26.10.26), Taylor took the opportunity to recognise the city and the talented writers who have helped shape its music scene.
In her acceptance speech, Taylor said: "I believe you really get to master a craft by doing it again and again. That's exactly what the incredible songwriters in this wonderful town do every day."
Taylor also spoke about what makes Nashville such a special place for musicians.
The award winning singer, who ranks among the best selling music artists of all time, said: "You won't find another music community quite like this one. Trust me, I've checked them all."
Taylor also shared how being part of Nashville's songwriting scene had taught her valuable lessons about life and working with others.
She joked: "I've learned to be flexible when your co writer turns up with a hangover, or when they need to spend ages talking about their divorce before we can even get started on a song."
Taylor previously spoke about how Faith Hill and Shania Twain inspired her decision to move to Nashville.
Speaking to Time magazine, the singer said: "I couldn't get enough of watching TV biographies about Faith Hill and Shania Twain, and I realised they had both moved to Nashville to get their careers started. After that, I kept asking, pleading and begging my parents to take me there.
"When I was 11, my mum took my brother and me to Nashville during spring break, and we spent the trip driving around Music Row. She stayed in the car while I rushed into record companies one after another, giving my demo CD to the receptionists. I found it fascinating that so many major record labels were gathered along a single street, often inside little buildings and old houses.
"What really stayed with me was how welcoming people were to newcomers and complete strangers like us. We started visiting Nashville more often, and when I was 13, I received an offer for a development deal from a major record label. That was when my parents finally agreed to leave Pennsylvania and move with me."
