Adult Swim has always been a home for the weird. But even in a lineup filled with surreal animation and late-night fever dreams, nothing quite hits like Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule. It’s awkward. It’s physically uncomfortable to watch sometimes. Honestly, it’s genius. John C. Reilly, an Oscar-nominated actor who could be doing literally anything else, decided to commit over a decade of his life to playing a man who clearly has no business being on television.
The show is a parody of public-access television from the 1980s and 90s. You know the vibe—static-filled transitions, terrible lighting, and a host who seems to be reading the teleprompter for the first time. But Dr. Steve Brule isn't just a bad host. He’s a beautiful disaster.
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The Weird Origins of Dr. Steve Brule
Most people don't realize that Brule didn't start with his own show. He was a segment on Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! back in the mid-2000s. Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim found something special in Reilly’s performance. It wasn't just "funny voices." There was a deep, tragic soul behind those squinted eyes and that mess of curly hair. When Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule finally premiered in 2010, it took that minor character and built an entire, crumbling world around him.
The production quality is intentionally "garbage." The creators literally ran the footage through old VCRs to get that authentic, degraded tape look. It’s grainy. The audio peaks and distorts. Sometimes the screen just turns green for no reason. This isn't just a gimmick; it creates a sense of "found footage" that makes the comedy feel strangely dangerous.
Why the Comedy Works (And Why It’s Not for Everyone)
Brule's humor is built on a foundation of profound misunderstanding. He interviews real people—not actors—who often have no idea they are on a comedy show. When he interviews a "health expert" or a "biker," their genuine confusion feeds the fire. You’re watching a car crash in slow motion.
Take the episode on "Family." Brule spends the whole time trying to find out where he came from, eventually interviewing his "mother," played by the late Doris Gassner (credited as Jan Skylar). The interaction is heartbreakingly weird. It touches on themes of abandonment and loneliness, all while Brule is wearing a suit that doesn't fit and mispronouncing every third word. He calls eggs "ay-yeggs." He calls wine "prizza." It’s linguistic chaos.
A lot of people find it unwatchable. That’s fair. If you crave punchlines with a setup and a delivery, you won't find them here. The joke is the existence of the show itself. It’s the silence after a question that makes no sense. It’s the way Brule stares at the camera with a mouth full of food while the guest waits for him to speak.
The Secret Ingredient: John C. Reilly’s Total Commitment
You can't talk about Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule without acknowledging that Reilly is one of the best actors of his generation. He brings a level of pathos to Brule that a standard "sketch comedian" couldn't reach. If you watch closely, Brule isn't just a dummy. He’s a guy who desperately wants to be respected. He wants to be a "doctor," even though his credentials are, let’s say, non-existent.
He treats every mundane topic like it's a matter of life and death. Whether he’s talking about boats, fear, or "the church," he approaches it with the intensity of a journalist uncovering Watergate. Except he’s usually just falling over or accidentally poisoning himself.
There is a real sadness to the character. He lives alone. He seems to survive on canned food and bad advice. Yet, there’s an optimism to him. He’s out there every week, trying to "check it out" for his viewers (his "hunks" and "dinguses"). That sincerity is what prevents the show from being mean-spirited. We aren't laughing at a man with a disability; we are laughing at the absurdity of a world that would give this specific man a camera and a microphone.
The Legacy of the "Brule-verse"
The show ran for four seasons, ending its televised run around 2016, though the character has popped up in live shows and various spin-offs since. Its influence is everywhere in modern "cringe" comedy. You see DNA of Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule in shows like The Eric Andre Show or even Nathan for You. It pushed the boundaries of how much an audience could tolerate before things got "too weird."
One of the most fascinating things is the fan base. People quote this show like it’s a religious text. "For your health!" has become a standard sign-off in certain corners of the internet. It’s a badge of honor to be a fan because it means you "get it." You get the subversion. You get the satire of low-budget local TV that used to populate the airwaves at 3:00 AM.
Real-World Production Tidbits
- The Editing Process: Tim and Eric have stated in interviews that the editing takes longer than the filming. They spend months meticulously adding digital "glitches" and cutting the footage to make the timing as awkward as humanly possible.
- The Guests: Many of the guests are found through local casting calls for "real people." They are often told it's a real documentary or a local interest segment. Their genuine reactions to Reilly’s antics are what ground the show in reality.
- The Look: They used actual 1980s tube cameras for certain shots to get the specific light trails and blooming that modern digital cameras just can't replicate.
What You Should Do Next
If you’ve never seen the show, don't start at the beginning. That sounds counterintuitive, but the show evolves.
First, go to YouTube and search for "Check It Out! Dr. Steve Brule - Wine." It’s perhaps the most famous segment. It perfectly encapsulates the physical comedy and the slow descent into madness that defines a typical episode.
Second, watch the "Fear" episode from Season 2. It’s a masterclass in building tension. Brule goes into a "haunted" house, and the way it’s edited will actually make you feel a bit of genuine unease, right before it pivots back into high-level absurdity.
Third, pay attention to the names in the credits. They are all fake, usually scrambled versions of real names or just complete gibberish like "Gary Wine" or "Drangle Bus." It shows the level of detail the creators put into every single frame of the production.
The show isn't just a comedy; it's an art project. It’s a parody of our desire for information and our trust in "experts." In a world where everyone is trying to be a polished influencer, Steve Brule is the hero we deserve—sweaty, confused, and just trying to figure out how to use a toaster.
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To really appreciate it, you have to lean into the discomfort. Stop looking for the joke and start looking at the world through Steve’s eyes. It’s a mess, but it’s a hilarious mess. Keep your eyes open for the small stuff, the way he fumbles with his notes or the bizarre items on his desk. That’s where the real magic happens.
For your health.