"Cape Feare", which was the final episode to be produced by the "original team",[3] aired during this season as a hold over.

[3] Jay Kogen, Wallace Wolodarsky, Sam Simon and Jeff Martin wrote their final episodes for the season four production run.

He had been working on "Homer Goes to College" when he found out he was chosen to host Late Night and was forced to walk out on his contract.

Jace Richdale was the first to be hired by Mirkin and others to receive their first writing credits were Greg Daniels and Dan McGrath.

Bob Anderson and Susie Dietter, who had previously worked on the show as part of the animation staff, would direct their first episodes.

Cletus Spuckler and the Rich Texan were the only recurring characters to be introduced this season, first appearing in "Bart Gets an Elephant", and "$pringfield" respectively.

[16][17] At the Primetime Emmy Awards, Alf Clausen and Greg Daniels received a nomination in the "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics" category for the song "Who Needs The Kwik-E-Mart?"

Clausen also was nominated for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore)" for the episode "Cape Feare".

[16] At the 10th annual Television Critics Association Awards, the fifth season of the show was nominated for "Outstanding Achievement in Comedy", but lost to Frasier.

Like the previous three seasons, The Simpsons aired Thursday at 8:00 pm in the United States and was coupled with the series The Sinbad Show.

[25] In a flashback, Homer recounts his time with a barbershop quartet called The Be Sharps that also featured Principal Skinner, Apu and Chief Wiggum who was later replaced with Barney.

After a night of bingeing and carousing, Bart wakes up to discover that he has joined a Boy Scouts-esque troupe called "The Junior Campers".

At the end of the episode, the rest of the campers including Ernest Borgnine are attacked by an unknown monster at an abandoned campsite.

Mr. Burns hires a female worker named Mindy Simmons in accordance with government policy and Homer is worried that his crush on her will ruin his marriage with Marge.

After the local economy stalls, everyone in town votes for gambling to be legalized, prompting Mr. Burns to open a casino.

Homer resolves to help Apu get his old job back, and the two travel to India to talk to the owner of the Kwik-E-Mart, but are unsuccessful.

Bart accidentally gets Principal Skinner fired after he brings Santa's Little Helper to school for show and tell.

The DVD boxset for season five was released by 20th Century Fox in the United States and Canada on December 21, 2004, ten years after it had completed broadcast on television.