Ellen (season 5)

Ellen season 5
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	September 24, 1997 – August 22, 1998

The fifth season of Ellen, an American television series, began September 24, 1997, and ended on July 22, 1998. It aired on ABC. The region 1 DVD was released on November 28, 2006. Note that although Disc 2 of the Region 1 DVD release has "The Funeral" before "Womyn Fest," the content of the next two episodes suggests that "Womyn Fest" goes before "The Funeral."

Cast

Main cast

• Ellen DeGeneres as Ellen Morgan
• Joely Fisher as Paige Clark
• David Anthony Higgins as Joe Farrell
• Clea Lewis as Audrey Penney
• Jeremy Piven as Spence Kovak

Episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
88	1	"Guys or Dolls"	Gil Junger	Ric Swartzlander	September 24, 1997	501
An old boyfriend, Dan, shows up, making Ellen think she might be bisexual. (Dan previously appeared in the season 2 episodes "30-Minute Man" and "30-Kilo Man").
89	2	"Social Climber"	Gil Junger	Mike Larsen	October 1, 1997	502
Ellen climbs a difficult mountain to impress an athletic woman.
90	3	"Roommates"	Gail Mancuso	Dan Cohen & F.J. Pratt	October 8, 1997	503
Ellen's friends teach her the gay codewords.
91	4	"Gay Yellow Pages"	Gil Junger	Tod Himmel & Lisa K. Nelson	October 15, 1997	504
Ellen hires a plumber out of the gay yellow pages.
92	5	"Just Coffee"	Gail Mancuso	Maxine Lapiduss	October 29, 1997	505
Ellen meets her mortgage banker (Lisa Darr) for coffee.
93	6	"G.I. Ellen"	Gil Junger	Mike Larsen	November 5, 1997	506
Ellen plays a soldier in a Civil War re-enactment.
94	7	"Public Display of Affection"	Gail Mancuso	David Walpert	November 12, 1997	507
Ellen has trouble expressing her affection for Laurie in public.
95	8	"Emma"	Gail Mancuso	Lawrence Broch	November 19, 1997	508
Paige gets Ellen a job as Emma Thompson's personal assistant and Ellen learns Emma Thompson's most shocking secret.
96	9	"Like a Virgin"	Gail Mancuso	Jane Espenson	November 26, 1997	509
Ellen is anxious about her first time being intimate with a woman.
97	10	"All Ellen, All the Time"	Gil Junger	Ric Swartzlander	December 3, 1997	510
Ellen gets a job at a radio station.
98	11	"Break Up"	Gil Junger	Matt Berry	December 17, 1997	511
Laurie misunderstands Ellen's 1-month gift as an invitation to move in.
99	12	"Womyn Fest"	Lorraine Sevre-Richmond	Jane Espenson	January 7, 1998	512
Ellen, Paige and Audrey go to Womyn Fest (a fictionalized Lilith Fair), where a fortuneteller convinces Audrey that Ellen will meet a new soulmate at the festival and forget about Laurie. Singing duo Indigo Girls guest star.
100	13	"The Funeral"	Gil Junger	Matt Berry	January 14, 1998	513
Now back together, Ellen helps Laurie deal with the death of her father.
101	14	"Escape from L.A."	Gil Junger	Lisa K. Himmel & Tod Nelson	January 28, 1998	514
Ellen and Laurie go on vacation, but Laurie is annoyed that Ellen won't follow the vacation itinerary. The two of them hang out with an interracial straight couple.
102	15	"Ellen in Focus"	Gil Junger	Leif Sandaas	February 11, 1998	515
Paige gets Ellen on a focus group so Ellen can convince the others that Paige's idea for a TV show featuring a tall cop and a short cop is a good idea.
103	16	"Neighbors"	Gail Mancuso	Teleplay: Cynthia Greenburg & Charmaine Noel Dixon Story: Kit Pongetti	February 18, 1998	516
Ellen gets off on the wrong foot with her new neighbors, the Patels, an immigrant couple from India, when a variety of circumstances conspire to make Ellen look like a fool in front of them.
104	17	"It's a Gay, Gay, Gay, Gay World!"	Gil Junger	David Walpert	February 25, 1998	517
After an accident, Spence imagines a parallel Earth in which gays are the norm. Spence rejects Joe's advances because he's straight.
105	18	"Hospital"	Gail Mancuso	Matt Berry & Ric Swartzlander	March 4, 1998	518
Ellen goes to the hospital after getting the news Laurie was in an accident. There, she meets Laurie's ex, Karen (Anne Heche).
106	19	"Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute (1)"	Gil Junger	Tim Doyle	May 13, 1998	521
Part one of a mockumentary tracing Ellen's career from her days in vaudeville to the present. Guest stars included Cindy Crawford & Helen Hunt as auditionees for the role of Ellen.
107	20	"Ellen: A Hollywood Tribute (2)"	Gil Junger	Tim Doyle	May 13, 1998	522
Part two of a mockumentary tracing Ellen's career from her days in vaudeville to the present. Guest stars include Woody Harrelson as Ellen's husband with Phil Donahue, Jennifer Aniston, Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Kathy Najimy & Bea Arthur as themselves.
108	21	"When Ellen Talks, People Listen"	Gil Junger	Mike Larsen	July 15, 1998	519
On her talk show, Ellen suggests that everyone should reach out to their neighbors with a helping hand. This winds up having negative consequences.
109	22	"Vows"	Lorraine Sevre-Richmond	F.J. Pratt & Dan Cohen	July 22, 1998	520
Ellen's parents renew their vows in a special ceremony. Ellen asks Laurie to marry her but Laurie is reluctant.