Film
Garfield's Thanksgiving
- Comedy
- Light-hearted
A snappy 23-minute Thanksgiving special where Garfield faces his greatest adversary: a diet. Voiced by Lorenzo Music with his trademark deadpan drawl, it's the cat at his most cynical—scheming, complaining, and utterly devoted to thwarting both his vet and his own wellbeing. Comfort food for people who grew up on 80s Saturday morning cartoons.
If you liked this
Heathcliff: The Movie1986
Another ornery comic-strip cat gets the TV movie treatment with equally sharp voice work and quick gags. It has the same snappy energy and doesn't overstay its welcome at just over 20 minutes.
But The animation is TV-budget modest and the humor lands harder if you remember Heathcliff's comic strip voice. It feels very much like 1986.

Garfield: His 9 Lives1988
Released the year before this special, it's Lorenzo Music as Garfield exploring nine different life scenarios. Same voice, same sensibility, same perfect comedic timing—just more of it across 50 minutes.
But The anthology format means no single story develops much depth. Some segments land better than others, and it's all fairly slight.

The Garfield Show2009
If you want more Garfield after the special, this series captures the same indolent spirit for a full 143 episodes. It leans into his laziness and food obsession with genuine affection.
But The voice cast is new—no Lorenzo Music—and the CGI animation is a step down visually from what you might remember. It's slicker but less charming.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Garfield's Thanksgiving
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
A Garfield Christmas1987
Garfield at his most complicated: still lazy and food-obsessed, but the special doesn't hide the loneliness underneath. Both specials are TV movies from the same era with the same voice cast, but this one goes deeper.
A holiday special where Garfield reluctantly visits his mother on the farm. Lorenzo Music's voice acting reaches its peak—tender underneath the grumpiness, and the special earns actual emotion while staying funny.
But It's sentimental in a way the Thanksgiving special isn't. If you want pure cynical comedy, the genuine warmth here might feel like betrayal.

More like this (5)
Alvin and the Chipmunks2007
Holiday special energy without being a holiday special. Three chipmunks and the same Saturday morning warmth, with that perfect 80s voice acting charm that makes absurdity feel sincere.
But If you've outgrown cute-animal stories entirely, the high-pitched voices and sentimentality will feel cloying fast.

Tom and Jerry Tales2006
The original cat-and-mouse dynamic stripped to pure physical comedy. No dialogue means pure slapstick in the spirit of what made classic Warner Bros. shorts immortal.
But With no real dialogue, some of the episodes run thin. And if you need a plot, you won't find one here.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles1990
Live-action reptile heroes eating pizza and cracking jokes. It has that same chaotic energy and affectionate humor, shot in a way that feels like a real world where talking animals just exist.
But It's live-action in rubber suits from 1990. The seams show, and if camp isn't your thing, the acting will feel overwrought.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians1961
A dog story told with warm animation and genuine stakes. The villain is unforgettable, and the pacing keeps it moving without feeling rushed across its 79 minutes.
But It's a Disney film from 1961, so it carries all the sentimentality that implies. The Dalmatians blur together visually. And the animation, while beautiful, will feel distant if you're used to modern design.

Bored to Death2009
Same sensibility, wildly different form. Both live in a cynical headspace and find humor in complaint. But where Garfield is cozy Saturday morning, Bored to Death is boozy Sunday night.
A deadpan comedy about a jobless writer in Brooklyn who becomes an amateur detective for pocket money. It has Lorenzo Music's exact comedic DNA: dry, intelligent, utterly unimpressed by the world.
But It's live-action and aimed at adults—nothing cute about it. The cases are messy, the humor is sometimes mean, and the show was cancelled after three seasons on a cliffhanger.

People
Cast
Lorenzo MusicGarfield (voice)- Thom HugeJon Arbuckle (voice)
Gregg BergerOdie (voice)
Pat CarrollGrandma (voice)
Julie PayneDr. Liz Wilson (voice)
Directing
- Bob NeslerCo-Director
- Gerard BaldwinCo-Director
- John SpareyCo-Director
- Phil RomanDirector
- Ed GhertnerLayout
Writing
- Jim DavisWriter
- Kim CampbellWriter
Production
- Art RomanKey Art Production Assistant
- Lizabeth AguiarPost Production Coordinator
- Lori FloraProduction Assistant
- Richard RomanProduction Assistant
- Ted T. BemillerProduction Coordinator
- Bill SchultzProduction Manager