About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Dr. Katz administers inept, counterproductive, perhaps legally actionable therapy to comedians and funny actors. To say that his work-phobic secretary, Laura, was sarcastic is like saying that King Kong seemed large for a gorilla. Dr. Katz's son, Ben, had widescreen vision, but no follow-through. For instance, Ben dabbles in theater, just enough to buy Stanislavsky's book, but doesn't try to find any auditions.

Also, Ben and Dr. Katz are occasionally touching because they do love one another and sometimes it shows. So the show is not just two funny guys, it can be sweet. But not saccharine.



Pros

• Funny.
• Celebrity guests!
• Tons of extras.

Cons

• A bit of an investment.
• Keeping me up at night. I have to go to work!
• Still no naked Laura.

Description

• Thirteen-disc collection including 81 episodes from all six seasons.
• Three "lost" episodes featuring Dave Attell, Louis C.K. and Conan O’Brien.
• "An Evening with Dr. Katz: Live from the Comedy Central Stage."
• 28-page booklet with an introduction from Dr. Katz and memoirs from his favorite patients.

Guide Review - 'Dr. Katz' The Complete Series

I'm going to try to relate to all you young people out there reading this on your internet refrigerators. Kids, when I was your age, only alien-chasing FBI agents could afford cell phones and there was no texting. We sent each other "electronic mail" and compared baud rates!

Back in those halcyon days of 1995, before the computer animation of Lucy, Daughter of the Devil, before the reckless posterior nudity of Assy McGee, before stupid Freak Show, the budding genius of H. Jon Benjamin found it's voice as the nearly inert son of Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist.

H. Jon Benjamin = funny. It's basic Newtonian math! He helped create all those other shows I mentioned. If you like Adult Swim, this is a chance to check out it's weird uncle.

Dr. Katz was the first original show I saw on Comedy Central. After sleeping through a Mystery Science Theater, I'd come to and Dr. Katz would be on. Katz was the straight man to his son and the comedians. And then there was usually a more interesting story about the son trying to babysit or make masks or therapeutically touch people. Nothing ever comes of it. But it's funny.

All right kids, you want to hear some big names that we have on this show? Ray Romano. I bet your parents love him. Dave Attell? Patton Oswalt! Steven Wright? Kathy Griffin? Louis C.K.? The late Mitch Hedberg? He died of a drug overdose! That's cool, right? Maybe only until it happens to Britney Spears. Even the FBI agent mentioned earlier as a cheap joke, David Duchovny.

Anyway, the show is funny. The DVD set is a bit pricey, particularly since only seasons one and two are available individually. But if you're a Dr. Katz fan, this is the motherload, tons of extras, all the episodes, a couple previously unaired goodies. Buy this.



Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.