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.
38 Reviews
Funniest show to come out of Comedy Central pre-South Park
AlsExGal31 July 2015
Dr. Katz is a comedic cartoon with stand-up comedian Jonathan Katz in the starring role of a psychiatrist who has more than his share of professional comedians as patients. This enables them to do their stand-up comedy routines as part of their therapy sessions. Dr Katz' 23 year old son, Ben, still lives with the good doctor and is chronically unemployed. Ben is constantly trying to start up a romance with Dr. Katz' receptionist, Laura, with no luck whatsoever. For example, when Ben meets Laura for the first time he asks her if she'd like to go out for coffee, and she does - leaving him to answer the phones. Laura receives a paycheck from Dr. Katz but in many ways is as chronically unemployed as Ben is. She has no interest in pretending to be busy, being nice to the patients, or at times, even showing up for work. For example, when Dr. Katz suggests that Laura to be nicer to the patients she replies "Do you have any idea what it's like to deal with crazy people all day?" In the series premiere, "Pot-Bellied Pigs", Dr. Katz rides Ben pretty hard about being out of work. Ben's solution to his cash flow problem is to buy two Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs and breed them in their small New York City apartment. When Dr. Katz asks Ben if he thinks this is a good plan Ben's response is "Dad, the ad says 'Stay Home, Make Money' ....these are good things!" The episode "Bully" is also one of my favorites in which Ben gets very upset when Dr. Katz throws away Bully, the stuffed bull from his childhood. Ben labels everything that belongs to him, and expresses fear that perhaps his father wants him out, too.
Dr Katz employs a novel animation technique called Squigglevision, which can be visually annoying to some people. In SquiggleVision there is virtually no lateral movement by any of the characters or objects, with only lips, eyes, and the like animated. However, the edges of the characters are in a constant state of zigzagging flux, and this gives the impression of movement. I highly recommend this unique comedy as one of the smartest and funniest offerings that Comedy Central came up with before they started trying to appeal to the least common denominator with stuff like "The Man Show".
Dr Katz employs a novel animation technique called Squigglevision, which can be visually annoying to some people. In SquiggleVision there is virtually no lateral movement by any of the characters or objects, with only lips, eyes, and the like animated. However, the edges of the characters are in a constant state of zigzagging flux, and this gives the impression of movement. I highly recommend this unique comedy as one of the smartest and funniest offerings that Comedy Central came up with before they started trying to appeal to the least common denominator with stuff like "The Man Show".
Thank God the DVDs are now available
caaronmd24 June 2011
For this likable, very funny gem of a series; you can get some of the first episodes with commentary on it as well. Some of the points I would add to the previous reviews: the cast of comedians who made an animated appearance on the show was a virtual who's who of stand up comedy, especially as some of them (Ray Romano, Conan O'Brian) would become very famous. Also Laura and Ben are classic examples of the slacker and entitled generation. . . I love how Laura, after refusing to do some perfectly reasonable request that falls the slightest bit outside her receptionist job, then says "Can I have a raise?". Finally, Kevin Meany's riff on staying in hotels during the second season was one of the funniest things I have ever heard, particularly paired with the shows oddly offbeat yet endearing style of animation. Overall this reviewer thinks the DVD set is a great addition to anyone who wants the simple pleasure of putting on a DVD for amusement and to see a guileless comedy series.
Your Mental Woes are No Match for Dr. Katz!
eddiez6120 October 2011
As a life long sufferer of chronic sadness, I hold tight to anything, ANYTHING, that helps lift, for even a few moments, that pesky dark cloud hovering over my head. I've tried drugs - legal and otherwise, illicit sex, adrenaline fueled extreme sports, petty crimes, felonious crimes, Zen Buddhist meditation, Cabalistic incantations, Indian sweat lodge retreats, and even once watched Oprah, but nothing works quite so magically as quality TV comedy. Dr. Katz is my prescription to you for whatever has got you down. There's no mood too blue, no funk too sunk that a dose of Dr. Katz can't fix. It's a sure fire, works-every-time, miracle cure for the blahs that carries no side effects, other than maybe a cramped face from all the prolonged intense grinning.
It's such an outrageous conceit to have top comedians - the majority of which are clearly disturbed individuals - venting the same annoyances, anxieties, fears, and phobias that constitute their acts, but as sessions with a mental health professional. Putting these peculiar characters on the couch is a stroke of genius. How crazy is it that what easily passes for legitimate therapeutic conversation is actually the stuff of inspired comedy routines?! The are a few exceptions to the parade of stand up pros such as when actresses Winona Ryder and Lisa Kudrow appear as patients, and they, too, are marvelously compelling and witty. There are a few comedian patients with whose work I was not previously familiar, and I was motivated to seek out examples of them in real world action.
All the regular characters are absolutely superb with long time stand up comedian Jonathan Katz voicing the titular doctor. The doctor is divorced and living with his unemployed son, Ben, played by H. Jon Benjamin who has created the archetypal Gen X slacker loser. Ben's self obsessed, self deprecating, self loathing version of post-adolescent angst is poignantly endearing, when it's not comically tragic. Dr. Katz's equally self obsessed, but self satisfied twenty-something secretary, Laura, is a sly creature of the most sinister design, who is perhaps repulsive in attitude but undeniably alluring in appearance and style. Ben incessantly makes awkward advances to a decidedly disinterested Laura who is voiced by Laura Silverman, sister to the also maniacally designed Sarah Silverman. Dr. Katz often ends his working day with drinks with an amiable acquaintance, Stanley, served to them by an attractive and pleasant bartender, Julie, who seems to genuinely enjoy the gentlemen's glib conversation. It's a great treat for me to compare all the performers' real faces to their weirdly squiggly animated ones.
This show never fails to brighten my day. It shines a very warm ray of light onto my burdened heart. Dr. Katz truly is the comedic equivalent of chicken soup for the soul.
It's such an outrageous conceit to have top comedians - the majority of which are clearly disturbed individuals - venting the same annoyances, anxieties, fears, and phobias that constitute their acts, but as sessions with a mental health professional. Putting these peculiar characters on the couch is a stroke of genius. How crazy is it that what easily passes for legitimate therapeutic conversation is actually the stuff of inspired comedy routines?! The are a few exceptions to the parade of stand up pros such as when actresses Winona Ryder and Lisa Kudrow appear as patients, and they, too, are marvelously compelling and witty. There are a few comedian patients with whose work I was not previously familiar, and I was motivated to seek out examples of them in real world action.
All the regular characters are absolutely superb with long time stand up comedian Jonathan Katz voicing the titular doctor. The doctor is divorced and living with his unemployed son, Ben, played by H. Jon Benjamin who has created the archetypal Gen X slacker loser. Ben's self obsessed, self deprecating, self loathing version of post-adolescent angst is poignantly endearing, when it's not comically tragic. Dr. Katz's equally self obsessed, but self satisfied twenty-something secretary, Laura, is a sly creature of the most sinister design, who is perhaps repulsive in attitude but undeniably alluring in appearance and style. Ben incessantly makes awkward advances to a decidedly disinterested Laura who is voiced by Laura Silverman, sister to the also maniacally designed Sarah Silverman. Dr. Katz often ends his working day with drinks with an amiable acquaintance, Stanley, served to them by an attractive and pleasant bartender, Julie, who seems to genuinely enjoy the gentlemen's glib conversation. It's a great treat for me to compare all the performers' real faces to their weirdly squiggly animated ones.
This show never fails to brighten my day. It shines a very warm ray of light onto my burdened heart. Dr. Katz truly is the comedic equivalent of chicken soup for the soul.
One of a Kind.
AlexInChains1922 July 2008
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.
The Best
rzajac24 November 2014
I have to admit something: I'm giving this series a '10' partly because I think it (may) deserve it, but also partly because I feel a need to do my part to pull it up out of the 7.x doldrums.
Dr. Katz is an enigma. On one hand, it's basically a vehicle for standup-comics. Yet, on the other you have to ask whether it lives up in some way to its pretense of opening a window on the therapeutic process. And the answer is delightfully, teasingly close to "Yes".
It comes down to whether you can see in Dr. Katz something like a modern urban sage. And I'm banking on just that.
The writing is fantastic, keeping in mind that it sometimes verges on an unhingedness that makes it seem often quite ad-libbed, spontaneous, alive, and sizzling.
I'm binge watching the series: Can't put it down, and dreading the day I view the last installment. Viva Katz!
Dr. Katz is an enigma. On one hand, it's basically a vehicle for standup-comics. Yet, on the other you have to ask whether it lives up in some way to its pretense of opening a window on the therapeutic process. And the answer is delightfully, teasingly close to "Yes".
It comes down to whether you can see in Dr. Katz something like a modern urban sage. And I'm banking on just that.
The writing is fantastic, keeping in mind that it sometimes verges on an unhingedness that makes it seem often quite ad-libbed, spontaneous, alive, and sizzling.
I'm binge watching the series: Can't put it down, and dreading the day I view the last installment. Viva Katz!
"I Don't Know How They Getcha...but They Getcha!
Snowgo19 August 2015
My favorite animated feature of all-time.
The thing I love most about this show is it's willingness to show the vulnerability and humanity of the therapist. Often, the roles are reversed, where-by, the patient seems much more confident than Katz, himself. It is also very entertaining seeing Benjamin, Kat's son, counseling the therapist and bringing him down to Earth in many cases.
The character of Laura, his receptionist, is very funny, although admittedly and pointedly less-so she would be in real life.
Memorable episodes are the ones with Steven Wright, Jeanine Garafalo, and the guy whose "feet weren't finished".
I read an article some years ago that Jonathan Katz has M.S. and that is why he was unable to continue the show. Get well soon, Doctor. "A round of mental health for everyone!"
The thing I love most about this show is it's willingness to show the vulnerability and humanity of the therapist. Often, the roles are reversed, where-by, the patient seems much more confident than Katz, himself. It is also very entertaining seeing Benjamin, Kat's son, counseling the therapist and bringing him down to Earth in many cases.
The character of Laura, his receptionist, is very funny, although admittedly and pointedly less-so she would be in real life.
Memorable episodes are the ones with Steven Wright, Jeanine Garafalo, and the guy whose "feet weren't finished".
I read an article some years ago that Jonathan Katz has M.S. and that is why he was unable to continue the show. Get well soon, Doctor. "A round of mental health for everyone!"
This is all you need...
daxer79-16 December 2006
So okay, you've got Futurama, you've got American dad and Family guy. And sure, King of the hill is great and Cowboy bebop is jazz-uped cool. But Dr katz is the absolute must for anyone looking for the likable characters, great lines and memorable guestapperances. I don't need to say what it's about, you can read the summary, but to believe the excellence of this seemingly low budget, you've got to see it for yourself. You won't roll across the room laughing (or maybe you will), but this is fun and even tender (Dr Katz's unconditional love for his slacker son). In TV world of humour 'Friends' tried too hard, 'Dr Katz' won hands down...
Only as good as good its guest patients
michael@piston.net8 December 2006
This cartoon is only half a cartoon really, and half animated comedy routines between Dr. Katz and his guest stars, who pose as his patients. As a consequence it rose and fall on the strength of its "guest patients", which was uneven. In particular, the program relied inordinately upon Ray Romano and Dom Irrera, neither of whose bits were more than occasionally funny. Perhaps this program would have lasted longer if it relied upon a more diverse cast of celebrities. In particular, I noticed that the women guests tended to be much funnier then the men, but the men predominated. Also, it could have used some character development, rather than, for example, Ben and Laura spinning around and around in the same old rut of him flinging himself at her and her putting him off, even though this is perhaps more true to life. Nevertheless, it was still one of the most entertaining programs to appear on television. I still can't understand why the brilliantly laconic Laura Silverman isn't a star!
Sublime squiggle-vision
safenoe9 June 2021
Dr Katz needs to be rebooted please. It's one of the best animated shows out there, alongside Daria of course, Duckman, and The Simpsons (well the first 10 seasons). The writing was sublime and I have such fond memories of this series that I can watch over and over.
If you're into fast and furious, saw, hostels, and human centipedes, then please step aside please.
If you're into fast and furious, saw, hostels, and human centipedes, then please step aside please.
oxymoron
ThunderKing66 October 2020
Its a mellow show that hurts my eyes.
Its like a flickering of light. While its so caliming. Why did they think this was a good idea?
Good show. Just not a show i could binge. Its just always too mellow and flicky at the same time.
Its like a flickering of light. While its so caliming. Why did they think this was a good idea?
Good show. Just not a show i could binge. Its just always too mellow and flicky at the same time.
a missed opportunity
pkelly-8053917 July 2015
This was a very funny show. Every time I tuned in I found myself in hysterics. Too bad the producers are, seemingly, a bunch of antisocial misfits who were determined to give any potential audience the finger. For some unknown reason they made a conscious decision to animate this so as to alienate people. The jerky, constantly shifting figures seemed designed to induce nausea. I suspect that people who are susceptible, such as those with epilepsy may have been sent into seizure from this show. I wish they would try to revive the show with a more conventional animation technique. How this ever got on the air with the disgusting look of the show is a mystery.
Dr. Katz is desperately missed
synefra13 December 2001
I adore Dr. Katz, there was no darker day than when I heard the series was going to end. I have every episode they showed on Comedy Central. My tapes are so worn they are getting hard to watch. I should have made tapes of my tapes. I wish they would release the whole series on DVD. The animation, which seems to have annoyed some people, never bothered me at all. I enjoyed the show on every level, and every time I watch it. It is a fantastic series, with brilliant acting and perfect comedic timing, a must see for anyone who truly appreciates good comedy.
The most Hilariously dry adult animation you'll ever see
Hjerteslag13 May 2022
Dry humor and many jokes that almost are on the edge of being terrible but still make you chuckle. This is one of my favorite animated shows, it doesn't take cheap shots, it's apolitical, not vulgar, this is the type of comedy that the world could use.
The entire vibe of the show is also incredibly relaxing, this is a great show to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with at night.
The actors/comedians featured are among the most world famous and funniest comedians out there and as they describe their "problems" to Dr. Katz, you may often be clutching your sides.
An animated adult series doesn't need vulgarity and violence and over the top situations to be interesting or funny. The creators of Dr. Katz and Jon Katz and H Jon Benjamin portray this perfectly using witty dialogue and classic humor.
10/10 every time.
The entire vibe of the show is also incredibly relaxing, this is a great show to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea with at night.
The actors/comedians featured are among the most world famous and funniest comedians out there and as they describe their "problems" to Dr. Katz, you may often be clutching your sides.
An animated adult series doesn't need vulgarity and violence and over the top situations to be interesting or funny. The creators of Dr. Katz and Jon Katz and H Jon Benjamin portray this perfectly using witty dialogue and classic humor.
10/10 every time.
Panda Puffs
Foreverisacastironmess12331 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I watched all of this show properly for the first time a little while back and I really consistently found it to be a very fun and calming show to just chill out with and frequently get a good laugh out of. It's tone is very mellow and lovable, even as some characters get hilariously worked up! Everything about it is minimalistic but I adored the dry sense of humour and I kinda found it to be a perhaps ironically therapeutic show to watch. I saw it as a kid a little but I never really appreciated it's distinct brand of comedy until I saw it with a more adult perspective. The animation was probably a big issue for most viewers and I could see how that style could turn some people off right away, but I didn't particularly have a problem with it, how the show looked and the way the characters appeared like they were constantly squirming around was its trademark, the animation complemented and heightened the humour, if the show had been blessed with better animation then it probably wouldn't have felt the same or maybe even not have been as funny. Dr Katz just wouldn't have been Dr Katz without the famous squiggles that made everything about the show feel so distinct and memorable, I certainly never found them nauseating to look at like some claimed to have been, if you're into the show it's something you don't even register after a while. Something that I did not like at all was that particularly in the early seasons they'd often tend to reuse little parts of scenes, which to me made things feel a little too cheap at times.. Someone said that the show "was only as good as its guest stars." Perhaps but I always loved the interactions between Dr Katz, Ben and Laura, they all played off each other brilliantly. If there happened to be a great guest voice, to me it only really made an already good episode that much better. My favourite of the regular patients was definitely Dom the aggressive yet freakily sensitive man with the thick Brooklyn accent and weird crush of sorts on Dr Katz that frequently saw him getting a bit too close for comfort and even one time dancing the flamenco! The guy was effortlessly hilarious and stole every scene that he - or rather his voice - featured in! I also loved the voice actor as "Ernie" from Hey Arnold. I loved Ben and his relationship with his father who probably was a bit too easy on him and treated him like a big kid too much. It was so funny how Ben was the kind of guy that always acted like he knew about everything even though he barely did anything, and how whenever he would manage to accidentally accomplish something or half-heartedly take up some temporary hobby he'd get a superior attitude about it, usually aimed right at his long-suffering dad! To me the humour wasn't about satire or clever metaphors but just for the most part the honest and bare bones interactions of quirky folks just sitting and talking and I loved that kind of unpretentious blandness of it? You got the humour of it without the need for a lot of 'flash.' I think it may have got better with age. Some things in the overall plot that I think could have been improved upon would have been if they'd have got Ben to start moving towards getting his s**t together, and they should have had a moment where Laura acknowledges and gently puts to pasture Ben's little crush on her, I know it really wasn't that kind of show but it's frequently the little things that can make good animated shows into great ones. Something else that bugs me is that the final episode is just like any other and has absolutely no sense of finality to it at all, and maybe at the time they didn't know it would be the last episode I don't know, but they should have put a little more effort into it instead of the show just getting unceremoniously ditched with a rather unremarkable episode about Conan O Brian showing up again to steal Katz's jokes! The show is what it is, some episodes came together a little better than others and were funnier and the guest voices didn't always exactly shine quite the same way, but overall I really loved it, it was a great show and a very endearing piece of work and it has its own place in time in the history of animated shows that were aimed more at adults, do yourself a favour and check it out, I promise you'll get at least one good laugh out of it and believe me there's plenty of them! Nice one Doc. X
There's a reason it's hilarious
Pukeonthestreet11 February 2020
One of My Favorite Shows of All Time
cdillow-1459027 June 2021
I never really got into this series when it originally aired, but I decided to check it out more thoroughly when I first got my Netflix membership, back when they mostly just mailed you DVDs. I now own the entire series, and it is seriously probably my very favorite show of all time. I've definitely watched it more than any other show, and something that's kind of odd for a comedy, it's still just as funny with every single re-watch. I literally never get tired of it, and I laugh just as much every time. I may go a little while without watching it, but when I do, I'll re-watch the entire series from beginning to end, usually one episode every night before bed. So many great comedians on here, and a lot of them before they were really big, if I'm not mistaken. Aside from the comedians, just the general comedy of the show and its characters is top-notch. Some of the best comedy writing ever! My favorite character is the video store clerk, Todd, voiced by comedian Todd Barry. And one of the main characters, Dr. Katz's son, Ben, is voiced by Jon Benjamin, in what was probably his first gig, and arguably some of the funniest stuff he's ever done. Great show all around!
Probably my most favorite show of all time
perryhdd18 February 2021
This show is hilarious and nostalgic
ladylivin7 November 2021
It's just a brilliant concept, a marriage of podcast and animation that is just yummy and totally amusing.
If you enjoyed the other HBO production, The Ricky Gervais show, this too will be your cup of ridiculous banter.
I'm glad I finally came across it.
If you enjoyed the other HBO production, The Ricky Gervais show, this too will be your cup of ridiculous banter.
I'm glad I finally came across it.
Amazing
Valek-530 October 2000
This is the most amazing animated series on TV at the moment. It's not just the humor, but the characters are ones that you can identify with and the animation is amazing. The surroundings are completely static (black and white and unmoving). The people are the only animations that move. It's like their outlines are permanently set to "vibrate". This is annoying to some people, but I think it's really great. Laura HAS to be the most amazing receptionist EVER! WATCH THIS SHOW!
So funny
masseylala19 March 2020
The Best Comedy Central Series Ever, South Park Aside
chas4374 December 2020
The guest comics were hit or miss, but the banter between Dr Katz, Ben and Laura was priceless!. This is great comedic writing and the delivery is spot on.
When I rewatch this on YouTube, I fast forward through most of the mediocre to awful 90s stand up comedians just to see the the main three characters. Honestly I wish they would have made episodes without the guest comics.
This is intelligent humor, and those are few and far between these days.
When I rewatch this on YouTube, I fast forward through most of the mediocre to awful 90s stand up comedians just to see the the main three characters. Honestly I wish they would have made episodes without the guest comics.
This is intelligent humor, and those are few and far between these days.
Maybe the best show ever.
simonbj1222 February 2001
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.
Ben and Dad making a winning team
JBoze3134 October 2000
This is one of the funniest animated series ever. I started watching Dr. Katz in 1998, early in the year when I got my satellite dish. Our cable company doesn't carry Comedy Central. The show had a good run, and many of the episodes were downright hilarious. The characters are so loveable, how can you not watch? You have Dr. Katz, a psychologist, who studies the minds of celebrities, mostly comedians. Then, you have Ben, ah Ben...the loveable kid who isn't really a kid at all. He's in his 20's, but he doesn't have a job, and he spends most of his time sitting around the house with two different colored socks on...the kind that are white and have colored stripes at the top. Ben has a thing for his dad's secretary, Laura, who for an animated person is stunningly beautiful, I have to say, and he always gets laughs when he tries to ask her out or flirt with her. Dr. Katz was a great show, and it's a shame Comedy Central didn't renew it. I guess they have better things to air like 18 episodes of the not- so- funny SNL a day. According to a form letter I received via e- mail, Katz was supposed to run on the weekends for good in reruns, but that never happened, because they replaced it with Duckman, and Comedy Central no longer owns the rights to the series. You can, however, pick up tapes of the show at amazon.com. You can also find people online who have episodes on tape who are willing to copy them for you, some for free, some for a price. I know that's illegal, but when they don't have every episode available for sale, how else do they expect you to see it? Check it out if you can, you won't regret it.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
