Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is a television series based around a series of surreal, nonsensical, and hilarious skits revolving around the two titular comics Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim. One of the recurring characters in this show was named Dr. Steve Brule, a somewhat-helpful albeit very slow doctor played by the ever-talented and ever-charming John C. Reilly. This character was loved so much by Reilly himself, that he had insisted the character have his own show. Tim and Eric were more than happy to comply, and thus, Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule was born. What is Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule, you ask? Well, let’s check it out!
The series itself is a delightful parody of local newscasts, and it is honestly pretty alarming with its overflowing accuracy. Despite beginning in 2010, the series looks like it was made in 1982 with a budget of $20. The show is entirely improvisational, meaning that nearly every stutter from Reilly or every shocked expression from a guest is completely legitimate. The humor of Steve Brule is very rooted in incongruity, in the sense that nothing Brule ever does or says was expected by the viewer. This man’s train of thought is an absolute enigma, as he struggles to understand topics, while simultaneously pretending he already knows everything about them. It is truly a transcendent experience to sit through the entirety of a Steve Brule episode, and I have watched them all. Multiple times. I have truly ascended.
Take the season one episode “Family,” in which Dr. Brule attempts to uncover the mysteries of the importance of a family. We are provided with so much insight into this man’s past without ever having anything actually answered. We know his mother wanted to murder him, his father left before he could get to know his son, and he wishes he had a brother. All of these situations written out on paper appear to simply be the sad tale of someone raised in a worrisome household, but the quirky delivery and improvisational nature of Reilly and his associated actors, combined with the horrendous editing and software gore of the VHS-styled aesthetics make it an absolute riot. I do my horrible wheeze-laugh, which my friends and girlfriend have gotten to know all too well, whenever I view this episode, even after having seen it upwards of ten times at this point. Something about the magic of Steve Brule keeps me engaged, and subliminally influences me. Just try watching a handful of episodes and trying not to speak like him. You cran’t, ya dingus!
Another aspect of Check It Out that I have always appreciated was the delightful cast of supporting characters, the other announcers on the news team. First, there’s Tim and Eric themselves playing the married news team Jan and Wayne Skylar. There’s also Doug Prishpreed, who deals in sports, Karol Krabit, who does fortune telling and yesterday’s weather, Terry Bruge-Hiplo, who does movie reviews, and so many more. These characters exist to provides as segues between Reilly’s bits, and boy, are they memorable. Sometimes these characters are barely onscreen for a full minute, yet I can guarantee they will elicit a laugh. The comedic timing and placement of each scene is just brilliant.
The series has four seasons, and I cannot recommend them enough. The episodes truly only get better, both in succession with each other, as well as with repeated viewings. Show your friends. Show your family. Show David Liebe Hart when you inevitably see him on the side of the sidewalk, drinking milk from the jug and talking about aliens. It will happen.
I always wonder what makes him such a compelling character. He seems to be one of the fan favorites. Have you seen the one where we discover how he became a doctor?
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