Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule

Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule
Genre
Created by
Based on
StarringJohn C. Reilly
Opening theme"Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule Theme"[1]
Ending theme"New Instructions" by Tobias Becker[2]
ComposerTim Heidecker
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes24 & 1 special (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • John C. Reilly
  • Tim Heidecker
  • Eric Wareheim
Running time11 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAdult Swim
ReleaseMay 16, 2010 (2010-05-16) –
July 29, 2016 (2016-07-29)
Related
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule is an American comedy television series starring John C. Reilly as Dr. Steve Brule. The show is a spin-off of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, originating in a segment called Brule's Rules. The series premiered on Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult Swim, on May 16, 2010.

The show parodies the 1980s’ public-access television programs and follows Dr. Steve Brule as he examines different facets of living. His extreme and possibly pathological naivete and social awkwardness generally land him in embarrassing situations, though he remains largely ignorant of any embarrassment he's causing himself. As the series progresses, he reveals surprising and sometimes shocking details about his past and personal life. The series has completed four seasons of six episodes each.

In the series, Reilly interviews real people whose reactions, according to executive producer Tim Heidecker, are genuine. Reilly stated that he intends for the humor to derive from Brule's character rather than the reactions of his guests. In post-production, the video is piped through a VCR to simulate poor production value. Critical reception has been positive, with several reviewers highlighting the character of Brule while noting the aesthetic qualities as similar to other productions. The A.V. Club's Brandon Nowalk compared it to The Day Today and Brass Eye, while DVD Verdict's Dawn Hunt compared it to This Is Spinal Tap. The first two seasons were combined onto a single DVD release, made available on October 16, 2012, in Region 1.

  1. ^ Reilly (March 16, 2012). Opening Theme–Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule–Adult Swim (YouTube).
  2. ^ Becker, Tobias (February 15, 2019). New Instructions (YouTube).