The fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons originally aired on the Fox network from September 30, 1993, to May 19, 1994. Produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television, the season was primarily overseen by showrunner David Mirkin, who executive produced 20 episodes. Al Jean and Mike Reiss, former showrunners, executive produced the remaining two episodes, which were holdovers from the previous season.
This season contains several of the series' most acclaimed episodes, including "Cape Feare", "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy", "Homer Goes to College", "Deep Space Homer", and "Rosebud". The 100th episode of the series, "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song", also aired during this season. The season received critical acclaim and was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards. It won an Annie Award for Best Animated Television Program, as well as an Environmental Media Award and a Genesis Award.
The DVD box set for the fifth season was released in Region 1 on December 21, 2004, Region 2 on March 21, 2005, and Region 4 on March 23, 2005.
Production
The fifth season marked David Mirkin's first as showrunner, succeeding Al Jean and Mike Reiss. Several key writers from earlier seasons, including Jay Kogen, Wallace Wolodarsky, and Sam Simon, left after season four. The episode "Cape Feare", which aired during this season, was the last written by the original writing team.
Conan O'Brien, who had been with the series since the fourth season, left midway through season five to become the host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. His last writing credit was "Homer Goes to College".
The season introduced several new writers, including Greg Daniels, Jace Richdale, and Dan McGrath. Mike Scully wrote "Lisa's Rival", which was produced during this season but aired in season six. New directors included Bob Anderson and Susie Dietter, both of whom had previously worked as part of the animation staff.
Episodes
The season opened with "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", chosen as the premiere due to its guest appearance by George Harrison. The episode "Cape Feare", featuring Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob, was produced last by the original writing team and is widely regarded as a classic.
"Deep Space Homer", written by David Mirkin, was controversial among the writers due to its ambitious premise of sending Homer into space. Ultimately, the episode was reworked to focus on Homer’s relationships and personal heroism, leading to its critical success.
The season's 100th episode, "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song", was centered on Bart and Principal Skinner. It was promoted as "Bart's biggest prank ever," although it revolves around Bart accidentally getting Skinner fired rather than a deliberate prank.
Recurring characters introduced this season include Cletus Spuckler ("Bart Gets an Elephant") and the Rich Texan ("$pringfield") along with minor characters Luigi and Baby Gerald.
Cast
Main Cast
- Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, and various others
- Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson, Patty and Selma Bouvier
- Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson, Ralph Wiggum, Nelson Muntz, and others
- Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson
- Hank Azaria as Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, and others
- Harry Shearer as Mr. Burns, Waylon Smithers, Ned Flanders, and others
Recurring Cast
- Pamela Hayden as Milhouse Van Houten
- Maggie Roswell as Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy
- Tress MacNeille as Agnes Skinner
- Marcia Wallace as Edna Krabappel
Guest Stars
- George Harrison as himself ("Homer's Barbershop Quartet")
- Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob ("Cape Feare")
- Buzz Aldrin as himself ("Deep Space Homer")
- The Ramones as themselves ("Rosebud")
- Conan O'Brien as himself ("Bart Gets Famous")
Reception
The fifth season received critical acclaim and holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Episodes like "Cape Feare" and "Rosebud" have frequently appeared on lists of the best episodes in the series' history.
Awards
- Annie Award: Best Animated Television Program
- Environmental Media Award: Best Television Episodic Comedy ("Bart Gets an Elephant")
- Genesis Award: Best Television Comedy Series ("Bart Gets an Elephant")
- Primetime Emmy Awards: Nominations for Outstanding Music and Lyrics and Outstanding Music Composition ("Homer and Apu", "Cape Feare")
The season was also nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Genre Television Series and a Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy.
Ratings
The season continued to air on Thursdays at 8:00 pm, paired with The Sinbad Show. "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" premiered with a Nielsen rating of 12.7, while "Treehouse of Horror IV" was the highest-rated episode of the season, earning a Nielsen rating of 14.5 and attracting approximately 24 million viewers. The season finale, "Secrets of a Successful Marriage", scored a 9.8 rating.
Home Media
The complete fifth season was released on DVD in three regions:
- Region 1: December 21, 2004
- Region 2: March 21, 2005
- Region 4: March 23, 2005
DVD release
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. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including deleted scenes, animatics, and commentaries for every episode. The menus are a different format than the previous seasons, and that format would be used in every set after.[1] It is the last box set that features the Simpson family on television.
| The Complete Fifth Season | ||||
| Set details[2][3] | Special features[2][3] | |||
|
| |||
| Release dates | ||||
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 4 | ||
| December 21, 2004 | March 21, 2005 | March 23, 2005 | ||