The return of Dr. Katz, now in SquiggleSound!

June 9, 2017 4:38 AM

After over 15 years, the beloved series Dr. Katz has gotten revived thanks to Audible. Jonathan Katz and Laura Silverman reprise their roles and are joined by a cavalcade of your favorite comedy folks including Sarah Silverman, Dana Gould, Eddie Pepitone, Weird Al Yankovic, Maria Bamford, Emo Philips, Ron Funches, and much more in a possibly more addicting format as an audio series, Dr. Katz: The Audio Files. [h/t] (Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist previously 1, 2.) "For a limited time," the first three episodes of Dr. Katz: The Audio Files, featuring Andy Kindler, Ray Romano, and Sarah Silverman are free on audible.com. Prime members can also listen via a free 30-day Audible trial via Amazon. Bonus: SquiggleVision: An Animation Technique That Rocked the World [NSFW]
posted by Room 641-A (17 comments total)

Oh, yeees. I recently binged the entire TV series on YouTube. Ben Katz is my post-adolescent spirit-animal.
posted by steef at 5:34 AM on June 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

We have an ongoing discussion of H. Jon Benjamin's best role - is it Bob? Archer? Coach McGuirk? - and Ben is my partner's #1 pick every time. Pathetic, self-defeating, never moving out of Dad's apartment Ben. Ben might be the realest loser ever depicted in animation - not particularly lovable, doesn't have a pack of eccentric friends who tolerate his failures, no real interests in the world.

I remember hating this show when I was in high school because it seemed like it was constantly on Comedy Central, popping up when I wanted to watch Kids in the Hall or something. It is now an all-time favorite. Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist is one of the most adult programs I've ever seen - about regret, failure, loneliness, isolation, mental illness - but it was hard to recognize its nature. Not just because of the big, bold squiggly animation, but the total lack of nudity/violence/swearing, and other things associated with adult entertainment. Even a precocious high schooler missed far too much of the subtext.

Another change: Laura is my hero now, but as a teen I saw Laura as just a big ol' ball of bitch. But I was unfamiliar with this type of male entitlement, where even the most pathetic sad-sack dude in the world believes himself entitled to the time and attention of an attractive woman. Laura should have pepper-sprayed him at the end of every conversation. She was supremely kind to Ben for treating him as she did the patients.

And let us never forget Carrie Fisher as Ben's mom. Depakoooooooote....


and now to set up my Audible trial
posted by palindromic at 6:04 AM on June 9, 2017 [10 favorites]

To me, the biggest takeaway from years of watching and re-watching "Dr. Katz" is that a shockingly large amount of stand up comedy sounds entirely plausible as the kind of thing that might be said during a round of psychotherapy.
posted by Ipsifendus at 6:20 AM on June 9, 2017 [9 favorites]

SOLD!

PS: palindromic, you are responsible for my cheeks hurting. And all the weird stares I'm getting in my cube farm now.

thanks
posted by DigDoug at 6:24 AM on June 9, 2017

Thanks so much for posting this! I have so much love for this show. Time to revisit the old and cherish the new. Yay!
posted by danabanana at 7:40 AM on June 9, 2017

This show is very very special to me. For one thing, it was made in the next town over from where I grew up, which then (as now) was unheard-of for a nationally syndicated show outside of PBS/WGBH. High school friends worked internships at the studio. It wasn't uncommon to see Jonathan Katz and other cast members "around."

The other thing that still strikes me as extremely unique about the show is how quiet it is. It's so soothing you could fall asleep to it. It's like a podcast before there was such a thing.

I remain colossally bummed out that Tom Snyder Productions was a) bought out by Scholastic, and b) shut down in 2015.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 7:41 AM on June 9, 2017 [5 favorites]

My mom is visiting this weekend... It's a bummer I won't get to spend any time with her now.
posted by Nanukthedog at 7:47 AM on June 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

My mom is visiting this weekend... It's a bummer I won't get to spend any time with her now.

Would it kill you to listen to an audiobook with your mother once in a while.
posted by otherchaz at 7:51 AM on June 9, 2017 [6 favorites]

The other thing that still strikes me as extremely unique about the show is how quiet it is

I went from listening to an episode of Dr. Katz to this post and got whiplash.
posted by Room 641-A at 8:24 AM on June 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

TIL Ben=Benjamin.
posted by Splunge at 8:31 AM on June 9, 2017

This is awesome! Dr. Katz remains one of my all-time favorite shows. I bought the complete DVD set a couple of years ago and now have it all set up to stream on my home network, it's a great show to watch kind of in the background (yes, like a podcast!). One of the few shows that really stood the test of time for me, even with a 20 year gap.

Ben is such a great, great character. His quiet interactions with his father were always my favorite, a great blend of love and frustration.
posted by skewed at 8:42 AM on June 9, 2017

"It's not a Freudian slip, it's a Jungian slip"
posted by farlukar at 9:36 AM on June 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

I just noticed this in the description: Listen to the entire series (with new episodes every Thursday) for free through mid-September at audible.com/drkatz.
posted by Room 641-A at 10:02 AM on June 9, 2017 [1 favorite]

I've got one of those books on tape. Y'know? Cuz I had to take this long drive.

Those books on tape are a ripoff. They're really really boring.

I had "Where's Waldo?" And it was just this guy going, y'know, "Guy delivering mail... guy selling hot dogs... two kids with a ball... Waldo... woman with a shopping cart... dog..."

Don't get one.
posted by flabdablet at 10:46 AM on June 9, 2017 [3 favorites]

OMG I am the happiest person in the universe right now. There is almost nothing funnier to me than H. Jon Benjamin wearing down Jonathan Katz... unless it's H. Jon Benjamin getting worn down by Laura Silverman.

I've been so good about not downloading Audible no matter how many hooks they've used to try to lure me in over the years --- and they just got me.

Is there any new material, or is it just the TV episodes now in audio form?
posted by Mchelly at 5:07 PM on June 9, 2017 [2 favorites]

Mad did a parody of him going to South Park 20-odd years ago. The 3rd panel is my favorite.
posted by brujita at 6:28 PM on June 9, 2017

Dr. Katz introduced me to Mitch Hedburg - by far my favorite episode.
posted by Toddles at 9:03 PM on June 9, 2017 [1 favorite]