Nationality United States Active from 2007 Record label Cartoon Network | Years active 2001–present Genre Satire | |
 | ||
Medium Television, film, theatre,
audio recordings, books Genres Satire, surreal humour, deadpan humor, gross-out humor, anti-comedy, dark comedy, alternative comedy Notable works and roles Tom Goes to the Mayor (2004–2006)
Tim and Eric Awesome Show (2007–2010)
Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule (2010–present)
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012) Website TimAndEric Official Website Members Eric Wareheim, Tim Heidecker Albums Uncle Muscles Presents: Casey and His Brother Tim and Eric View More by This Artist Similar Bob Odenkirk, David Liebe Hart, Gregg Turkington, Doug Lussenhop, David Cross Profiles | ||
Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim are an American comedy duo and creators of the Adult Swim television series Tom Goes to the Mayor; Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!; Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule; and Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories.
Contents
- Early years and internet shorts
- Tom Goes to the Mayor
- Awesome Show and breakthrough success
- Check It Out with Dr Steve Brule
- Tim and Erics Billion Dollar Movie
- Tim and Erics Bedtime Stories
- Other projects
- Abso Lutely Productions
- Songs
- References
Wareheim and Heidecker met in 1994 at Temple University in Philadelphia, becoming instant friends. They began producing a number of short low-budget films and cartoons for their website. Their short entitled Tom Goes to the Mayor was selected by the Philadelphia Institute of World Cinema as a short film and was included in The University of Pennsylvania's Institute of Contemporary Art.
In 2001, the two compiled a tape of many of their shorts and submitted it to various comedic heroes, including Mr. Show's Bob Odenkirk, who reacted to their work with enthusiasm and agreed to collaborate with them on a pilot of Tom Goes to the Mayor, which was submitted to and greenlit by Adult Swim and adapted as a series. It appeared on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim and ran for two seasons. They then created another Adult Swim program, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, which ran for five seasons and established a cult following for the duo. They have also released a CD with music from Awesome Show entitled Tim and Eric Awesome Record, Great Songs! and in 2012 they released a feature film, Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie.
The duo's work is known for its distinctive and often grotesque nature, typically featuring "bad fashions, worse hair, intentionally stilted line readings, takes that linger two seconds too long, and an intense attention to the tchotchkes and hobbies everyday people substitute for personalities." Their projects often feature amateur performers and intentionally crude or tacky production values, which have been inspired by public access television.
Early years and internet shorts
Heidecker was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He attended Allentown Central Catholic High School and Temple University. Wareheim was born in Philadelphia; he graduated from Methacton High School in Norristown, Pennsylvania and then later attended Temple University, where he met his comedy partner Tim Heidecker and produced his first film about dads, shot on the Jersey shore. They soon created TimAndEric.com in 2002, a website designed to display their comedic talents.
Tom Goes to the Mayor
Wareheim and Heidecker became the creators, writers, and stars of Tom Goes to the Mayor, a limited animation series that was on the Adult Swim programming block on Cartoon Network. Wareheim and Heidecker had mailed copies of an early version of the show to comedian Bob Odenkirk, who agreed to take on the project as the executive producer of the series and sold it to Cartoon Network. Wareheim played "The Mayor," an official who always managed to destroy Tom's well-intentioned plans often along with the entire town as well.
Awesome Show and breakthrough success
In 2006, Adult Swim greenlit Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! and before the end of the year episodes were produced. It was created by and starred Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, and premiered February 11, 2007 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim comedy block and ran until May 2010. The program features surrealistic and often satirical humor (at points anti-humor), public-access television-style performances, bizarre faux-commercials, and kitsch editing and special effects.
Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule
Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule is a spin-off of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! starring John C. Reilly as Dr. Steve Brule. Heidecker described the show to Entertainment Weekly as "a show that genuinely feels like this guy made it himself. It's as if it's 4:30 in the morning he had snuck into the studio to make this show without getting permission. It's bare bones. Lots of technical problems. Just a mess. The whole thing is a big mess. A big beautiful mess."
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (shorthand B$M) is a 2012 comedy film starring, and written and directed by Heidecker and Wareheim. Supporting actors include Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell, Jeff Goldblum, John C. Reilly, Erica Durance, and Will Forte, many of whom guest-starred on Awesome Show. It was released in theaters on March 2, 2012, and was released to iTunes and on-demand January 27, 2013.
Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories
Adult Swim picked up Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories after the pilot episode aired as a Halloween special on October 31, 2013. The series made its official debut on September 18, 2014.
Other projects
In 2009, Tim and Eric tried to work with Tommy Wiseau in developing his TV pilot The Neighbors for Adult Swim, but later backed out of the project due to creative differences with Wiseau.
Tim and Eric, along with LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy and comedian Gregg Turkington, starred in the 2012 dramedy The Comedy.
Tim & Eric collaborated with Michael Cera, Sarah Silverman and Reggie Watts in the creation of the web-based comedy YouTube channel Jash. They released a series of six shorts on the channel, titled Tim & Eric's Go Pro Show, in which they attach cameras to their heads and film a reality show.
Tim and Eric's first book, Tim and Eric's Zone Theory: 7 Easy Steps to Achieve a Perfect Life, was published in July 2015.
Abso Lutely Productions
Abso Lutely Productions is a film and television production company started in 2007 by Tim, Eric, and their producing partner Dave Kneebone. In addition to producing shows created by Tim and Eric, the company has also released several shows that feature other comedians.
Songs
Sit on You2008
Petite Feet2008
I Sit Down When I Pee2008