4 Media Binges for Those Who Celebrate Thanksgiving in a Different Way

When I was growing up, my family walked “the whole nine yards” every Thanksgiving with turkey and all the trimmings, lots of pies, and fresh whipped cream—no Cool Whip. But there’s more to Thanksgiving traditions than food. It’s also important to fill the time while the turkey is roasting and the pies are baking.

For some, it’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Others watch football all day. Some families change the channel in the late afternoon to watch Puppy Bowl or a Hallmark movie marathon. My brother and I kept the TV on FX all day during their annual event. X-Files Thanksgiving Marathon. We didn’t turn it off for dinner. We just turned down the volume and prayed the food wouldn’t be ready when the episode started. Bad Blood appeared in rotation.

The kind of debauchery of my favorite FBI + Aliens production is impossible to replicate—it’s long gone offline—but reminiscing about past Thanksgivings got me thinking about how others will be spending their time this weekend. Some will be on the road, some on the couch. Some may be looking for a break from family chaos, others are working or flying solo. So, for those, like me, who give thanks a little differently, here are my four favorite media rabbit holes to go down over the long weekend… however you like.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: WGLT has released a limited series of podcasts Twelve thousand bombs This fall, we’ll explore different aspects of nuclear policy and why the risk of nuclear war is greater than ever. It sounds grim, but it ends on a hopeful note. And if a light, uplifting theme like this floats your Thanksgiving boat, then feature films like War games And Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb exceptional next stops. The latter even hints at the Cold War conspiracy theory that spurred RFK Jr.’s desire to remove fluoride from public water in the US, not to mention the film debut of future EGOT James Earl Jones, who died on September 9th.

Two reasons Patricia Arquette stan: If you liked Netflix’s recent docudrama about the Menendez brothers, you’ll love it. Escape at Dannemoraan eight-part series directed by Ben Stiller (yes, that Ben Stiller), based on the 2015 escape from Clinton Prison in upstate New York. Patricia Arquette is simply extraordinary in her Golden Globe-winning performance as Joyce “Tilly” Mitchell, who helps prisoners Richard Matt and David Sweet while caught in a love triangle with the two men. The following year, Arquette met an equally strange woman, playing Dee Dee Blanchard in Law. Blanchard was found stabbed to death in her Springfield, Missouri, home in 2015; a murder planned by her daughter Gypsy Rose and carried out by Nick Godejohn, whom Gypsy Rose met on the Internet. Dee Dee Blanchard left her daughter disabled and terminally ill, which Proxy believed was largely thought to be a manifestation of Munchausen syndrome. Gypsy Rose Blanchard was released almost a year ago after serving eight years in prison. Postscript for true crime fans: The last meeting of the year for the Bloomington Public Library’s quarterly true crime book club is December 16, so the long weekend is also an opportunity to enjoy some Ann Rule reading. Bitter Harvesta page-turner about Havana, Illinois native Deborah Green.

Ambient emo meets coffee shop cool: Fatherhood hasn’t slowed down the work of composer and musician Stephen Holliger, who released a new LP on Bandcamp and on cassette earlier this month. The self-titled album, named after Holliger’s musical moniker Swim Ignorant Fire, is a continuation of his ongoing collaborations with pedal steel guitarist Nate Hahn and multi-instrumentalist Stefan Robinson. And it’s the strongest yet, with a celestial, vintage vibe and rhythmic underbelly that’s less purely ambient than other recent offerings and designed to work in the background or accompany deep, focused listening. For something different, Twin City singer-songwriter Bruce Moon has a new album, too. Return to Bishop Hill. was recorded live in his favorite listening room in Henry County and is streaming on Apple, Spotify and Pandora – the perfect listen for coffee or whiskey.

Six degrees of Quincy Jones: It’s hard to escape the high-profile influence of the late composer and music producer Quincy Jones, who died earlier this month. So there are hundreds of ways to celebrate his life – be it the Michael Jackson catalog, episodes The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot, this playlist or post-Wicked weekend musical theater rabbit hole. Jones scored Color Purple, for which Cynthia Erivo won a Tony Award for her 2015 Broadway debut as Celie. And, of course, there’s the neighboring land of Oz. Wizardwhich kicks off a new North American tour this winter (starring none other than Wayne Brady). Oh and if you haven’t seen Pop’s Biggest NightNetflix documentary about the creation We are the worldyou simply must.