NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Audible Inc., the world’s largest seller and producer of downloadable audiobooks and other spoken-word entertainment, today announced the release of Dr. Katz: The Audio Files, based on an original comedy series from the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning animated show, Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist. The cult classic returns as a 15-episode audio series with new guest stars including Sarah Silverman, Ted Danson, Ray Romano, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Maria Bamford, Pete Holmes, Dana Gould, Emo Philips, Ron Funches, Andy Kindler and more. For a limited time, the first three episodes are now available for free at Audible.com/DrKatz, where listeners can also find additional information and latest episodes. New episodes premiere every Thursday all summer. A special recorded live episode will feature guest stars Jon Hamm, Kristen Schaal, Jenny Slate, Al Madrigal and Paul F. Tompkins.
The audio series preserves the beloved signature format of Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist, including the original theme song and returning guest stars H. Jon Benjamin as Dr. Katz’s stay-at-home son, and Laura Silverman (Sarah Silverman’s real-life sister) as his snarky receptionist. Dr. Katz’s dry wit and deadpan humor are on full display as this talented lineup of comedians plays themselves and confides in Dr. Katz in 15-minute therapy sessions. Interspersed between these sessions are anecdotal comedy bits, Katz’s inane conversations with his slacker son and awkward run-ins with his secretary and other recurring characters played by Erica Rhodes, Rick Overton and Jimmy Pardo.
"If somebody had said to me 20 years ago that someday I’d be able to make an audio version of Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist I would have said 'Okay',” said Jonathan Katz.
“There is no one who can master deadpan like Jonathan Katz,” said Audible Chief Content Officer Andy Gaies. “It’s a thrill to be a part of resurrecting this cult comedy, allowing loyal fans of the original show to experience Dr. Katz: The Audio Series on Audible. I know our listeners will love hearing the top comedic talent who are bringing this classic franchise back as an audio series.”
Jonathan Katz, known for his Emmy and Peabody wining comedy series, Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist as well as his role in the Eddie Murphy film Daddy Day Care, is also a voice actor for many animated shows, including Home Movies, Bob’s Burgers, Adventure Time and Explosion Bus. Katz is currently working on a book with David Mamet called the The Home for Unfortunate Animals.
Among the sidesplitting comedy series launched by Audible in recent months are Lewis Black: The Rant is Due, the high-concept comedy show, The Comedy Show Show hosted by Will Arnett and Bedtime Stories for Cynics, a series of inappropriate children’s stories for adults, hosted by Nick Offerman.
Audible invented and commercialized the first digital audio player in 1997, and has since been at the forefront of the explosively growing audiobook download segment. In 2016, Audible members downloaded an average of almost 17 books over the course of the year. More than half of new Audible members are first-time audiobook buyers.
ABOUT AUDIBLE, INC.
Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio information and entertainment, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. Audible was created to unleash the emotive music in language and the habituating power and utility of verbal expression. Audible content includes more than 350,000 audio programs from leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers. Audible is also the provider of spoken-word audio products for Apple’s iTunes Store.
