Dr. Katz

I watched this show from time to time in the late-90's, but I didn't get Comedy Central at home until around 2001. When I was flipping through the shows that were free with on demand, I was pleasantly surprised to find episodes of "Dr. Katz". This show is basically a half-hour animated sitcom/ stand up comedy showcase. Dr. Jon Katz is a therapist who anaylizes stand up comics and actors/actresses. Various elements of the conversations are literally animated out to make for an often hilarious story. In addition, H. Jon Benjamin plays Dr. Katz's son, Ben who is a loser who often hangs at his dad's office because he has a crush on the receptionist. And in case this wasn't enough, the show is presented in the acid-tripping animation style, Squigglevision, which can also be seen in the first few seasons of "Home Movies" (occasionally on Adult Swim). This show is a hidden gem, so if you happen to find it on on demand, watch it because chances are it won't be released on DVD.

Dr. Katz might be the funniest show I have ever seen, but not mass-audience material really. It runs at it's own pace, and has a very unique and subtle sense of humor. Unfortunately it's no longer in production, and reruns are--to my knowledge--not available up here in sunny Canada. Fans should check out "Home Movies" which also features the voice of H. Jon Benjamin, and lacks the squiggle-vision animation.

While it lasted, this was one of the funniest animated shows ever to turn up on TV. It was a brilliant idea to take standup comedy and pour it into the psychologist-patient mold; it fits perfectly. I still laugh thinking about Ray Romano talking about how his wife forces him to go downstairs to check out noises in the night...and bring back a yogurt. I hope it will all be out on DVD soon.

Could it be possible that I'm the only person on the web who's got something to say about Dr. Katz? Probably not (guess a lot of fans don't know about this site), cuz it's a great, clever series, especially the parts where the characters fantasize about their thoughts (anyone remember 'I wonder how Jesus would sound if he'd talked with a gay, southern accent' ?(not the exact quote, I know)) One thing though: what's with the distorted animation? It's sort of the trademark of the series, but gets annoying after a while...

This is one of the most original animated shows. Dr. Katz is a psychiatrist and his patients are all comedians. They take their material and they turn it into personal problems they are having. But he also his son. 20 something Ben who still lives at home and is always thinking of new ways to make money and sit around. And then there's Laura. Probably the worst secretary ever. I should mention that Ben has a crush on her and always asking her out and she continuously declines. The animation is what they call "SQUIGGLE-VISION." The background is black and white and the characters and important objects are in color and are constantly shaking. There has never been another show (that I know of) to use this type of animation.