Dr Katz, Professional Therapist

1 9 9 5 – 2 0 0 2 (USA)
81 x 30 minute episodes

Dr Katz (voiced by Jonathan Katz) is a professional therapist who feels, at times, that he needs psychological help himself when it comes to dealing with his family and his neurotic patients.

Jonathan is divorced and the father of Ben (H. Jon Benjamin), a 23-year-old slacker who dreams of wealth but has no desire to find a job. Laura (Laura Silverman) is Jonathan’s receptionist.

The only relief Jonathan gets from the situations he encounters is a bar called Jacky’s 33 where Julie (Julianne Bond) is the bartender and Stan (Will Le Bow) appears to be his only friend.

The patients Dr Katz sees are animated versions of comedians and TV stars voicing themselves (mostly ad-libbing their own lines), amongst them Carrie Fisher, Joan Rivers, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Whoopi Goldberg, Teri Garr, Rodney Dangerfield, Jeff Goldblum, Ben Stiller, Janeane Garofalo, Lisa Kudrow, Ray Romano, David Duchovny, Kevin Brennan, Garry Shandling, Conan O’Brien, Winona Ryder, Denis Leary, Harry Shearer, Rita Rudner, Dick and Tom Smothers, Jon Stewart, Emo Philips, Sandra Bernhard and Bobcat Goldthwait.

The computer animation style was crude with static drawings simply processed so the outlines were shaky – a style known as “squigglevision”.  Although it was billed as an innovation, its purpose was much more prosaic: it allowed Dr Katz to be made at far less cost than traditional animation.

Dr Katz
Jonathan Katz
Ben Katz
H. Jon Benjamin
Laura the Receptionist
Laura Silverman
Stanley 
Will Le Bow
Julie the Bartender
Julianne Bond
Todd the Video Store Guy
Todd Barry