Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist was an animated series on Comedy Central from 1995 to 2000.

Related Topics:
Animated series - Comedy Central - 1995 - 2000

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It was computer animated in a crude yet easily recognizable style called Squigglevision, in which all persons and animate objects are colored and have constantly squiggling outlines, while all other inanimate objects are still and usually gray in color.

Related Topics:
Computer animated - Squigglevision

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The show focused around the title character, Dr. Jonathan Katz, who is voiced by, and visually based on, the comedian of the same name. Dr. Katz was a professional psychoanalyst who had famous comedians and actors as patients, usually two per episode. The comedians would usually perform material from their act while actors would play out conversational skits.

Related Topics:
Jonathan Katz - Comedian - Psychoanalyst - Actors - Skit

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Other characters included Dr. Katz's son, Benjamin Katz (H. Jon Benjamin), his secretary, Laura (Laura Silverman), and his two friends: Stanley (Will Le Bow), and the barmaid, Julie, voiced by the show's producer, Julianne Shapiro. In later episodes, Todd (Todd Barry), the video store clerk, became a usual counterpart to Ben.

Related Topics:
H. Jon Benjamin - Laura Silverman - Will Le Bow - Todd Barry

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Each show would typically begin with Dr. Katz and Ben waking up and beginning a plotline shared by the two. These plots included events like Ben attempting to become a radio personality, believing he's in possession of ESP, and the moral conundrum he suffers after receiving a chain-letter. The development of these plotlines would occur fragmentedly throughout the episode alongside the segments between Dr. Katz and his guests.

Related Topics:
Radio personality - ESP - Moral - Conundrum

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Much of the show's content, particularly dialogue between Katz and Benjamin, was improvised through a process called "retroscripting", in which a vague outline is developped but the actual dialogue is adlibbed. This style, as well as Squigglevision, would reappear in Home Movies, a cartoon that features many members of the Dr. Katz cast and crew.

Related Topics:
Improvised - Home Movies

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