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Things We're Thankful For

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PBS

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For 40 years of teaching kids the alphabet and the joys of cookie consumption.

PBS

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For breathing life into the embattled publishing industry…for at least six more months.

Don Petersen / AP Photo

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For her show of grace toward Taylor Swift at the Video Music Awards, and—yes, we heard you, Kanye—for the addicting “Single Ladies” video.

Jason DeCrow / AP Photo

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For giving Iran’s protesters a way to organize and celebrities a place to self-destruct.

AP Photo

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For leaving her philandering husband and not playing the part of the good political wife.

Mary Ann Chastain / AP Photo

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For bringing back the three-piece suit and, more importantly, the three-martini lunch.

AMC

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For reminding us what a real political sex scandal looks like, Italian-style.

AP Photo

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For helping us through the recession, one DVD at a time.

Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

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For exiting gracefully…unlike Dick Cheney.

Eric Draper, The White House via Getty Images

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For dying on the runways and never quite catching on.

Karl Prouse, Catwalking / Getty Images

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For resisting plastic surgery and still managing to outshine decades-younger A-listers.

Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images

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For making classical music cool again with a flick of his baton.

Mathew Imaging, WireImage / Getty Images

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For finally taking their family off the air.

TLC

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For laying low and staying out of Hillary and Barack’s way—most of the time.

Jeff Fusco / Getty Images

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For bringing absurdity, pantlessness, and killer dance hooks back to pop culture.

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images; Christopher Polk / Getty Images; AP Photo

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