After a mix of dates involving the initial players and the 5th wheel, every contestant would write down the name of the person they'd like to go out with again, and everyone would reveal their selections at the end of the show to see who won and who lost; the "ideal" result for the show would involve two couples picking each other and one poor person being left out, though in one case a man and woman chose each other and the other man and TWO women (including the 5th wheel) all chose each other; this episode involved the FFM pair taking off each other's clothes (this was edited so it was not shown explicitly in the TV broadcast) in the private room that the show made available for hookups if wanted.
The cameras would follow their every move, while commentary in the form of subtitles, animations, and "thought bubbles" (similar to the style used in Pop-Up Video) was added by the show's producers.
The series was produced by Renegade Productions, a subdivision of Bobwell Productions/Gold Coast Entertainment—the same company that produced Blind Date (which would often air before The 5th Wheel) -- but was more provocative and sexual in nature than its sister series, offering crazier and more elaborate subtitles and superimposed animated jokes which altered the appearance of the scene featuring each couple.
The 5th Wheel's credits listed veteran comedy writers Rob Dames, Vance DeGeneres, Martin Olson and Archie Gips.
An "uncensored" version of the series without pixelated nudity or profanity censored was made available via pay-per-view and video on demand under the Too Much for TV branding of American PPV provider In Demand, and remains a part of the service's rotation several years after the show's departure from broadcast television.