Bob & Doug McKenzie (“Take Off, Eh!” Replica Promo Tee/SCTV McKenzie Brothers Shirt)

Bob & Doug McKenzie — “Take Off, Eh!” Replica Promo Tee

Few things scream early-’80s Canada quite like Bob and Doug McKenzie.

Played by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, the beer-drinking, toque-wearing brothers first appeared on SCTV in 1980 as hosts of the deliberately low-budget “Great White North.” The whole thing began as a joke about Canadian-content requirements—and somehow turned into one of the biggest things the show ever produced.

Bob and Doug sat around drinking beer, frying back bacon, arguing with each other, calling everyone a “hoser,” and punctuating conversations with “eh?” and “Take off!” What started as a parody of Canadian stereotypes quickly became a genuine pop-culture phenomenon.

By 1981, they had released the comedy album The Great White North, featuring “Take Off” with Geddy Lee of Rush. The single became a hit, and in 1983 the brothers made the jump to the big screen with the wonderfully ridiculous cult classic Strange Brew.