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!

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.

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!

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.