| "The Old Man and the Key" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 13 Episode 13 |
| Directed by | Lance Kramer |
| Written by | Jon Vitti |
| Production code | DABF09 |
| Original air date | March 10, 2002 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Couch gag | The Simpsons run to the couch, only to find Blue Man Group performing. |
| Commentary | Al Jean Matt Selman Carolyn Omine Tom Gammill Max Pross Matt Warburton |
"The Old Man and the Key" is the thirteenth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on March 10, 2002. In the episode, Grampa Simpson falls in love with Zelda, a woman who has just moved into the senior home in which Grampa lives. However, Grampa is not the only one in the home who is infatuated with Zelda.
The episode was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Lance Kramer. The storyline was pitched by Vitti, who based it on an article about social status in senior homes. The episode features Olympia Dukakis as Zelda, and Bill Saluga as his television character Ray J. Johnson. The song "Ode to Branson", which was written by Vitti and composed by Alf Clausen, was submitted for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music And Lyrics in 2002, which it ultimately lost to a score from The Blue Planet. The episode was the origin of the "Old man yells at cloud" meme.