The episode earned Debra McGuire a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series. In its original broadcast the episode reached a 16.0 Nielsen rating and finished the week ranked second. A flashback approach was incorporated as the producers realized the audience responded well to it, despite concern the episode might be confused for a clip show.
The idea was conceived by the writers, who suggested short stories about the "worst Thanksgivings ever".
It guest-stars Elliott Gould and Christina Pickles as Jack and Judy Geller, with a cameo appearance by Morgan Fairchild as Nora Tyler Bing. When Monica begs Chandler to forgive her, he accidentally reveals that he loves her. Rachel ( Jennifer Aniston) reveals Monica's worst Thanksgiving-accidentally cutting off Chandler's toe after he called her "fat" in their first encounter. In the episode, the main characters spend Thanksgiving at Monica's ( Courteney Cox) apartment and begin telling stories about their worst Thanksgivings: Chandler ( Matthew Perry) learning of his parents' divorce, Phoebe ( Lisa Kudrow) losing arms in past lives and Joey ( Matt LeBlanc) having his head stuck in a turkey.
It first aired on the NBC network in the United States on November 19, 1998. " The One with All the Thanksgivings" (also known as " The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks" ) is the eighth episode of the fifth season of Friends. 8th episode of the fifth season of Friends " The One with All the Thanksgivings"