Burns' Heir

Phil Hartman as Lionel Hutz

"Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons' fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 1994. In the episode, Mr. Burns has a near-death experience which prompts him to find an heir to inherit his wealth after he dies. Although Bart is initially rejected, Burns soon decides to choose him after seeing him as "a creature of pure malevolence". Marge convinces Bart to go spend some time with Burns, and soon becomes more disruptive than normal to his own family and decides to go live with Mr. Burns.

"Burns' Heir" was written by Jace Richdale, his only writing credit. David Silverman was originally going to direct the episode, but he was so swamped with his work as supervising director that it was reassigned to Mark Kirkland. While the Simpsons are at a movie, there is a parody of the THX sound Deep Note. The THX executives liked the parody so much that the scene was made into an actual THX movie trailer, with the scene being redone for the widescreen aspect ratio. A deleted scene from the episode sees Mr. Burns release a "Robotic Richard Simmons" as a way of getting rid of Homer. The scene was cut, but later included in the season seven clip show "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular".

Mr. Burns almost drowns while taking a bath after Smithers puts a sponge on his head that weighs him down. Later, after realizing that no one will carry on his legacy when he dies, Burns decides to try to find an heir that will inherit his vast fortune. He holds an audition and many of the boys in Springfield try out, including Nelson Muntz, Martin Prince, and Milhouse Van Houten. Bart and Lisa also try out and fail; Lisa because she is a girl, and Bart because he read Homer's badly-worded proposal. Angry and humiliated after the audition ends, only made worse by Burns kicking him in the butt with a mechanical boot, Bart pays him back by vandalizing his mansion. Mr. Burns approves of Bart's malevolence and decides to accept him as his heir.