Pre-‘Raymond’ Romano got laughs on ‘Dr. Katz’

One of Comedy Central’s earliest — and funniest — animated series makes its overdue digital debut via Paramount Home Entertainment’s six-episode Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist: Season One ($19.99). It’s our…

DVD pick of the week

Animated in minimalist, budget-friendly “Squigglevision,” the show features the vocal talents of co-creator Jonathan Katz as the eponymous psychiatrist, H. Jon Benjamin as his unemployed slacker son Ben and Laura Silverman as his sullen, extravagantly unhelpful receptionist Laura.

The simple but laughs-enriched premise sees the embattled Dr. Katz treat a succession of neurotic stand-up (or, in this case, lie-down) comics, who fill their sessions with oft-hilarious shtick.

Standouts among the stand-ups include a pre-sitcom star Ray Romano, who contributes some of the show’s most consistently amusing bits; a socially inappropriate (even for a shrink’s office) Dom Irrera; and future “Insomniac” series host Dave Attell. Topics range from standbys like meddlesome moms to more exotic fare, such as Mr. Romano’s ruminations on the dark side of Canada.

Extras include fun and insightful commentaries by Messrs. Katz, Benjamin, Romano, Attell and co-creator Tom Snyder, bonus animated shorts (including “Dr. Katz” ‘s informal pilot episode) and more. “Dr. Katz” lasted six seasons in all and we, for one, eagerly await future DVD installments.

Tele-video

In other fresh cathode comedy developments, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment issues the comedy-drama Boston Legal: Season 1 (five-disc, $49.98), starring James Spader and Julie Bowen, equipped with select audio commentary, interviews, featurette and more; and MASH: Season 10 (three-disc, $39.98).

Universal Studios Home Entertainment assembles two new Saturday Night Live collections — The Best of Commercial Parodies and The Best of Cheri Oteri ($19.98 each) — while Paramount releases Wings: The Complete First and Second Seasons (four-disc, $38.99), with Timothy Daly and Steven Weber as wannabe aviators.

Rhino Video’s Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 9 (four-disc, $59.95) subjects four vintage camp classics — The Incredibly Strange Creatures, Wild Rebels, Women of the Prehistoric Planet and Ed Wood’s The Sinister Urge — to the satiric scrutiny of hosts Michael J. Nelson and Joel Hodgson and their irreverent robot friends.

From across the pond, BBC Video presents the offbeat comic stylings of Matt Lucas and David Walliams in the imaginative Little Britain: The Complete Second Series (two-disc, $29.98), landing with outtakes, bonus sketches, deleted scenes and more.

Elsewhere, HBO Video revisits the Wild West with Deadwood: The Complete Second Season (six-disc, $99.98), armed with select audio commentaries and a featurette, while Kyra Sedgwick headlines in the L.A.-set police series The Closer: The Complete First Season (Warner Home Video, four-disc, $39.98), complemented by previously unaired scenes.

Universal kicks off its Brilliant But Cancelled line, designed to rescue short-lived quality series from oblivion, with the urban crime drama EZ Streets and Crime Dramas ($19.98 each), the latter collecting sample episodes from Delvecchio, Gideon Oliver, Johnny Staccato (with John Cassavetes) and Touching Evil.

The ‘A’ list

Two family-friendly films join the DVD ranks this week. Steve Martin makes a return engagement in the extras-packed comedy sequel Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (20th Century Fox, $29.98), while Walt Disney Home Entertainment debuts the teen musical comedy-drama High School Musical: Encore Edition ($26.99), accompanied by featurettes and bonus music videos.

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