Cable craziness comes to the stage

Tim Heidecker (left) and Eric Wareheim are preparing season three of "Tim and Eric: Awesome Show, Great Job!"

Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim have given themselves a tough job. Once a week, they have to reconcile the ideas that spring from their boundless imaginations - ideas that run the gamut from a disturbing singing act called Casey and His Brother to writing a jingle for Tom Skerritt to just plain silly dancing - and turn in an episode of "Tim and Eric: Awesome Show, Great Job!"

Their 11 1/2 minutes of mind-bending sketch comedy looks like nothing else on television, strange even on an Adult Swim lineup with shows like "Squidbillies" and "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." You could call it absurd, puzzling, or even frightening. But they would prefer if you didn't call it "random." They work too hard putting it together to accept that.

"We kind of despise that 'random' tag that seems to go around for this kind of comedy sometimes," says Heidecker. "It's not very random in our minds. It's sort of very plotted out, it's exactly the way we want it. And sometimes it's intentional - very logical, linear connections - and sometimes it's just an emotional connection between one thing and the next. The rhythm of it decides on what goes where."

"Every tiny little idea comes from this pretty strict set of rules that Tim and I have come up with," adds Wareheim. "There are certain things that fly in this world and there's certain things that don't."

There are recurring themes like awkward love relationships or fatherhood, often wrapped up in a hyper-real mix of video and animation made to look like bad cable-access programming. And if it sometimes causes you to arch an eyebrow, try to resist the temptation. The show is a lot more fun if you just immerse yourself in the weirdness, as audiences did with Monty Python and Ernie Kovacs in their respective times.

"We know that that's the kind of show that we'd want to watch if we were 17 years old," says Heidecker of the duo's approach. "They're the kind of shows that make you feel like they've gone into your brain and they know exactly what you want to see."

Whatever their formula may be, it's working. They're taking a short break from production on season three to promote their new season-one DVD and to embark on a national tour, which includes two long-sold-out shows at T.T. the Bear's on Monday, where they will preview some of what they're working on for next season. Adult Swim gives them free rein, trusting they won't turn in a substandard episode. Plus, the shorter format allows Heidecker and Wareheim to pack the jokes more densely and get out before they can overload their audience.

"I don't think you'd want to see another minute of our show," says Wareheim. "After 11 1/2 minutes you're done, your brain is . . . that's all you can take of that kind of action. So we feel we're very lucky to make it in that format."

The show also counts a number of hip comedians, actors, and musicians among its fans, many of whom have regular onscreen roles. John C. Reilly plays mumbling health expert Steve Brule, "Weird Al" Yankovic is Uncle Muscles, and Bob Odenkirk and Zach Galifianakis are frequent contributors. No one tries to steal the spotlight (Rainn Wilson was nearly unidentifiable in his sketch), and the guests already know what works on the show. "As fans of the show, they would hate to be responsible for sabotaging it," says Heidecker.

The fact that people they respect enjoy their work is the best reward, according to Wareheim. And it shows up in unexpected places, like a recent Shins gig where the band reprised a song the duo had performed on the show about, we'll say, poor hygiene. "We went to their concert at the Hollywood Bowl and they played that song live for us," says Wareheim. "You can't get any better compliment than that."

Around town

Jerry Seinfeld is at the Wang tonight and tomorrow. Gary Valentine plays the Comedy Connection tonight and tomorrow. So-called "America's funnyman" Neil Hamburger is at the Middle East Upstairs Sunday. And Geek Week 2.0 kicks off Wednesday at ImprovBoston.