Watch Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist was a half-hour animated series produced by Comedy Central from 1995 to 2002. It is a unique show that focuses on the life and work of Dr. Katz, a psychiatrist who treats patients like comedians, actors, and others as they confide their worries and anxieties in him. The show was a brilliant combination of stand-up comedy and animation that won the hearts of audiences worldwide.

The series was set in Boston and centered around the character of Dr. Jonathan Katz, who voiced himself in the show. He was a caring and understanding therapist who always ended up being a sounding board for his patients. The characters he treated were voiced by real-life comedians, including H. Jon Benjamin, who played his son Ben, Laura Silverman, who played his receptionist Laura, and many others who made guest appearances throughout the series.

The animation style used for Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist was unique and innovative for television at that time. The characters were drawn in a squiggly, loose-lined style that somewhat resembled a sketchbook or doodles. The animation was done through the process of Squigglevision, a term coined by one of the show's producers, Tom Snyder. The technique was achieved by drawing and tracing the characters in live action and then superimposing them on top of the backgrounds, which contained actual photographs of Boston.

Dr. Katz's therapy sessions played out like a series of comedic vignettes. The patients were almost always stand-up comedians or other funny people, and their conversations with Dr. Katz had a lighthearted and often irreverent tone. The show was partly scripted and partly improvised, giving it a fresh and spontaneous feel.

The show's pacing was slow and deliberate, with long pauses and drawn-out conversations that gave the impression of authentic therapy sessions. There was a lot of repetition, both in terms of the characters' quotidian episodes and the phrases and ideas they repeated throughout the show. This repetition contributed to the show's sense of realism while also providing ample opportunities for humor.

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist consisted of six seasons, with a total of 81 episodes. Over the course of the series, we see Dr. Katz work with a variety of patients, each with their own set of problems. Sometimes the dialogue was somber, and sometimes it was lighthearted, but it was always genuine and relatable. The show remained consistently funny throughout its run, thanks to the talented cast of comedians and the wit of the show's writers.

Dr. Katz's son Ben, voiced by H. Jon Benjamin, was a focal point for a lot of the show's humor. Ben was an underachieving slacker who always seemed to be at odds with his father. He had a talent for making disastrous decisions and getting himself into strange and absurd situations. His interactions with his father and his job at a video rental store provided the show with a lot of its comedic moments.

Laura Silverman's character Laura was the receptionist at Dr. Katz's office, and she was another of the show's recurring characters. Laura was sharp-witted and often exasperated by the other characters who came into the office, making her a great foil for the more zany patients. She frequently scolded Ben for his mistakes but also had a soft spot for him.

In summary, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist was a groundbreaking show that combined elements of comedy, animation, and improvisation to create a unique and much-loved program. Its focus on the lives of comedians and actors gave it a fresh perspective on the therapy process, and its unconventional approach to animation made it stand out from other shows of the time. The show has since become a cult classic, beloved by fans of all ages.