The Old Man and the Lisa

Bret Hart as himself

"The Old Man and the Lisa" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons' eighth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 20, 1997. In the episode, Mr. Burns becomes bankrupt and asks Lisa to help him become rich again. She helps him on the condition that he will lose his evil manners, and the two start making money recycling cans. After a while Mr. Burns has made enough money to start his own recycling plant. However, his true colors are revealed when Mr. Burns shows that, inside the plant, he makes a multi-purpose edible compound made of squished sea life. He then sells the plant for US$120 million and offers Lisa 10% of his profits, but she declines.

The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by John Swartzwelder. The writing staff had thought about an episode in which Mr. Burns would lose his money and would have to interact with the outside world. In DVD commentary the writers explained that while Mr. Burns tried to change he "couldn't help being himself". Professional wrestler Bret Hart made a cameo as himself, animated in his pink wrestling outfit. "The Old Man and the Lisa" contains cultural references to the television series That Girl and the film Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It was positively received by critics and won the Environmental Media Award for "TV Episodic Comedy".

Mr. Burns speaks with the Springfield Elementary School "Junior Achievers Club" and after a conversation with Lisa, he realizes that he does not have nearly as much money as he thought he did. He decides to invest in the stock market to earn his money back. However, in doing so, he makes more questionable investments and becomes bankrupt. The bank forecloses on the plant and puts Lenny in charge, and sells Mr. Burns' house to pro wrestler Bret Hart.