"Thanksgiving Orphans" is the ninth episode of the fifth season of the American television sitcom Cheers, co-written by Cheri Eichen and Bill Steinkeller and directed by James Burrows.
However, Diane (Shelley Long) has been invited to her American literature professor's annual Thanksgiving party where she hopes to meet William Styron.
The 1986 games included: Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions followed by Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys.
The whole gang is poised to start a food fight until Diane stands up and tells them loudly to stop.
[1] After the episode aired, the production crew received a few angry letters disapproving of the food fight scene "at a time when world hunger was a political cause du jour.
Birkett had previously appeared in a 1984 episode, "Fairy Tales Can Come True", as Sharon O'Hare, who dressed as Tinker Bell on Halloween.
[6] Leigh Weingus of The Huffington Post included the food fight sequence in a list of the 10 Most Awkward Thanksgiving Scenes of All Time from movies and television.
[8] IGN called it the fourth best Cheers episode, highlighting the witty dialogue and the bonding between characters.
The reviewers also highlighted the effective short reference and a toast by the characters to their past colleague and friend, the late Coach Ernie Pantusso, and the setting of much of the episode at Carla's house rather than at the bar.
Molly Eichel, one of the reviewers, was especially interested in moments other than the food fight, such as the "childishness" (also described as "devolution") of the characters, Diane's motherliness toward the gang, and Eichel's "favorite part", Vera's long-awaited appearance, even though her face was covered with pumpkin pie.