Saturday, May 14, 2011

Jonathan Katz in Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (1995)

Obscurity factor: 3

This successful series for Comedy Central featured Katz as the go-to shrink for the stand up comedian set. His wry, deadpan style was the perfect match for the varied comedy styles of his guests/patients. Each week featured one or two different comedians who told their troubles to the doctor while he listened patiently, occasionally interjecting words of support or comments on the absurd circumstances. Regulars on the show included his son Ben (H. Jon Benjamin) and Laura, the receptionist (Laura Silverman).
While this series is still fairly fresh in the minds of the viewing public, it has started to acquire the luster of obscurity. The last production year was 2002 and hasn't had much air play since. It's available on DVD, and lots of segments can be seen on YouTube. Best of all, new segments are still being made! The one above features Sarah Silverman.

Obscurity factor: 3 (on DVD, still fresh in viewer's minds, can be seen online)

2 comments:

  1. I always liked this and watched it regularly. The squiggle animation always gave my partner a headache, so although he found it funny, he never saw too much of it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The interactions were always fun. I wonder how much of it was scripted. It all seems very improvised.

    ReplyDelete