‘Tim and Eric’ Fans “Abso-lutely” Solved One of the Show’s Greatest Mysteries
Nov. 21 2020, Published 3:54 p.m. ET
If you’ve ever watched Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! on Adult Swim, you may have wondered about the guy who says “Absolutely” after every episode.
Turns out, Tim and Eric creator and stars Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim named their production company, Abso Lutely Productions, after a response Tim’s dad gave in an old home movie that now serves as the company’s closing logo.
Tim Heidecker
Tim’s dad absolutely inspired the production company’s name and logo.
In the video — time-stamped Jun. 28, 1991 — Tim’s father, Rich Heidecker, appears shirtless and wearing a neon orange shirt. A voice offscreen, presumably a teenaged Tim, asks Rich to sum up the family’s vacation in two words. “Abso. Lutely,” Rich quips.
Bloomberg confirmed the familial shout-out in 2016, but fans knew the man behind the closing logo far earlier. When Tim was trying to convince Rich to get on Twitter in 2011, a Reddit fan commented, “Tim’s dad (a.k.a. Abso Lutely guy).”
The unique spelling and pronunciation of the production company also differentiates it from similarly named companies — including Absolutely Productions, a British company behind such BBC Radio 4 productions as Mrs Sidhu’s Deadly Highland Game and Lucy Porter in the Family Way… Again.
Abso Lutely Productions has made a name for itself.
After breaking out on TV with the animated series Tom Goes to the Mayor in 2006, Abso Lutely Productions has proliferated on the big and small screens with the TV shows like Comedy Bang! Bang! and Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories and movies like Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie and Mister America. This year, the company debuted the Adult Swim sitcom parody Beef House and the Showtime comedy Moonbase 8.
“By prioritizing the amplification of fresh and unconventional comedic voices, Abso Lutely has since become a destination for ideas that push the boundaries of traditional comedy,” the production company says on its website. “It produces shows for major networks including IFC, Comedy Central, Cartoon Network, and Netflix, and is known for such breakout hits as Nathan For You, The Eric Andre Show, and Magic For Humans.”
Other TV producers have honored their parents and kids with closing logos.
The company’s closing logo continues a fine tradition of TV producers paying tribute to family members with end tags, as Den of Geek points out. Steven Bochco of NYPD Blue fame uses a photo of his concert violinist father for his self-titled production company. Deedle Dee Productions, the company behind The Office, showcases a drawing by producer Greg Daniels’ son.
A version of Tina Fey’s Little Stranger Productions logo, meanwhile, features a photo of Tina’s daughter Alice in a peacock costume, as fans of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt can attest. Futurama creator Matt Groening uses a clip from his father’s short film for the closing logo of The Curiosity Company. And Arrowverse fans might know that Berlanti Productions’ closing logo uses a quote from Greg Berlanti’s father: “Greg, move your head!”
