Across its more than twenty years of existence, Adult Swim has managed to deliver iconic characters into the world while also introducing American audiences to some of their favorites from around the globe. Some of the best original characters to make their debut on the late-night Cartoon Network programming block include not only Rick and Morty themselves, but also Harvey Birdman, the Aqua Teens, Venture Bros., and countless others. Though largely in the realm of animation, there are also plenty of live-action Adult Swim favorites over the years, including one celebrating a special debut today.
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Nineteen years ago today, on February 11, 2007, the first episode of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! was released. Not only did the premiere mark a cannonball dive into the bizarre comedy stylings of the pair, building off their series, Tom Goes to the Mayor, but it gave Adult Swim one of its best recurring characters with the first appearance of John C. Reilly as Dr. Steve Brule. Though his time on screen is limited in this episode, he immediately made a mark and planted a seed that would grow into one of their most fruitful trees.
Dr. Steve Brule Premiered Almost Two Decades Ago, Fully Formed
In his first appearance, Reilly’s character, the inept, bumbling, and bizarre Dr. Steve Brule, appears on The Married News on Channel 5 with Jan and Wayne Skylar, where his first scenes are defined by stone-cold fear. Not ready for his moment in the spotlight, Steve Brule eventually begins his segment on the impact of fruits and vegetables, which confirms that this Doctor, to keep the fruit theme going, is a few apples short of a bunch. Brule stumbles and stammers his way through the segment, identifying a banana as a squash while also claiming it’s a good time of year for apples, only to bite into one and spit it out.
Reilly’s performance is hilarious from his first segment, and what makes it especially impressive is that the entirety of Tim and Eric is built on improvisation, meaning these gags are being created on the spot. Though Dr. Steve Brule was refined over time, his first appearance has him fully formed. He’s clueless, often uncomfortable in front of the camera, but also totally confident in what he’s telling the audience at home. By his next appearance, in the second episode of the series, Brule has already evolved even more and has become the character recognizable to fans now, who has no idea how to say many words, but who is also easily tricked and startled.
Dr. Steve Brule would continue to appear on Awesome Show for all five seasons of the series, with such notable appearances as his report from wine country, selling a panini press, and living by yourself. The appeal of Dr. Steve Brule may be lost on some, but for Adult Swim fans, he’s one of their most enduring original characters. This is due in part to how unique he is, with not only a distinct frazzled appearance, but a brain that appears to work one click at a time. As noted, one of the funniest elements of Brule as a character is his knack for mispronouncing totally normal words in very creative ways. “Bingo” becomes “Bringo,” the restaurant “Delzano’s” becomes “Delgrangos,” and his guest “Dr. Johnny Boden” becomes “Dr. Jimmy Brungus.”
Decades Later, Dr. Steve Brule has Only Gotten Better
After the success of his appearances on Awesome Show, Dr. Steve Brule was finally ready for the big time: his own series. Three years after his first appearance, the character would become the focal point for Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, one of the best Adult Swim comedies of all time and one that proved Steve Brule’s charms and quirks could easily carry an entire episode on their own. Like Awesome Show, Check It Out! put the naive and awkward Brule in the same room as real guests, who have no idea who they’re about to talk to for a TV series and find themselves talking to a nearly illiterate host. The result is comedy gold, not only as he makes a fool of himself on camera but as regular people come face to face with his ineptitude.
This is one reason that Dr. Steve Brule has managed to endure as long as he has: the performance by John C. Reilly. An Academy Award nominee for his role in Chicago, the dedication that Reilly brings to Dr. Brule’s awkwardness, his bizarre mannerisms, and even his inability to say most words correctly have made him a staple of late-night television and one of the most prolific performers in Adult Swim’s history. Reilly has often tried to preserve the mystique around Dr. Steve Brule, often rebuffing questions in interviews by acting like he and Dr. Brule are different people. In truth, this may be another reason Dr. Steve Brule has managed to endure. Even though we know who is wearing those trademark glasses, the illusion has been carefully maintained for almost twenty years.
Dr. Steve Brule is endearing because he’s not that much different from someone you might see out in the world, with a personality that values being a cool guy, having fun, and education. He just has inefficient ways of expressing all this, believing that his personal fantasies can become reality if he wishes for them hard enough; Dr. Brule is nearly a child in a man’s body in that way. To top it all off, it’s an incredibly physical performance by Reilly, like the iconic moment when he trips and falls into a cake face-first. Today marks almost two decades of Dr. Steve Brule being in the world, and we can only hope he continues to grace our TV screens at 4:30 in the morning for twenty more, for Denny’s sake.
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Image courtesy of Tor Books/Macmillan -
Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme
