Long before Comedy Central won acclaim as the home of South Park, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, it boasted a modest cache of cool due to its Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. The animated show, which aired from 1995 to 1999, featured a nebbish psychotherapist (voiced by Jonathan Katz) whose patients just so happened to be comedians or actors.

There were other aspects to each 30-minute episode, namely Dr. Katz's easygoing, endearing relationship with his slacker son Ben (H. Jon Benjamin) and inexplicably abrasive receptionist Laura (Laura Silverman). But the brunt of each show featured the good doctor kibitzing in his office with the likes of Ray Romano, Rita Rudner and Bobcat Goldthwait. The program was a Who's Who of comedy in the 1990s, as a plethora of comics stopped by for couch time, which essentially meant a chance for folks to do their standup routines in the guise of a therapy session.

Fans of the show won't have to repress any more fond memories. The Best of Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist nicely encapsulates some of the show's better guest appearances. Purists might want to opt for the full series, of course, but this 118-minute disc does an admirable job collecting the stellar stuff.

There are some very funny bits. Dave Chappelle muses on comic-book superheroes, noting that Aquaman's ability to communicate with sea creatures has got to be among the lamest of superpowers ("What the hell would you want to say to a fish, doc?"). Richard Lewis, whose shtick is ideally suited for the show's therapy-session premise, mopes that his uncle took home movies, but then would edit out the joy.

Brian Regan contends it is impossible not to snicker at restaurants housed in what obviously used to be an IHOP building. Dave Attell ponders how a monkey's ass "looks like it's not finished." Other choice material comes from Ray Romano, Denis Leary, Conan O'Brien, Janeane Garofalo and Susie Essman.

Oddly enough, some of the sharpest and funniest comedians of today -- Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman and Louis C.K. -- provide some of the weakest parts. I love all three, but their appearances on Dr. Katz evidently came before they found their distinctive comic voices.

The complete lineup, in order of appearance, is as follows:

Ray Romano
Janeane Garofalo
Kevin Nealon
David Cross
Dave Chappelle
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Richard Lewis
Denis Leary
Patton Oswalt
Brian Regan
David Duchovny
Sarah Silverman
Susie Essman
Kathy Griffin
Margaret Cho
Dave Attell
Louis C.K.
Conan O'Brien

The recurring characters are a joy, too. With his self-effacing humor and easygoing nature, Dr. Katz is a mightily appealing character, and there is a genuine sweetness to the father-son relationship between him and Ben, the overgrown man-child. It helps that all the principal voice actors are terrific.

The show's crude animation, a technique dubbed "Squigglevision," can be an acquired taste. It's just what the name implies, with squiggly lines framing most of the characters. It can be a bit headache-inducing at first sight, but not even "Squigglevision" can dilute Dr. Katz's considerable charms.

The full-frame picture is in mostly fine condition, save an itinerant speck once in a while. "Squigglevision" isn't exactly the most aesthetically pleasing animation, so it's not as if there's much to mess up.

The Dolby Digital 2.0 mix is no-frills, to be sure, but it gets the job done for this dialogue-driven series.

Dr. Katz Remembers Ben (3:27)) is a wonderful clip in which the doctor delivered an ill-fated elegy. The bonus material also includes a five-minute, 28-second clip in which father and son discuss wildebeests and the perils of watching too much TV.

In Dr. Katz Remembers Laura (3:22), the suffer-no-fools receptionist deals with the doctor and Ben "helping" her test drive a car. Another clip, which runs two-minutes and 26-seconds, has Katz running for city alderman with dubious help from Ben.

Also thrown in are DVD previews of other Comedy Central programs.

One of the best series ever to air on Comedy Central, Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist employed a simple, but ingenious, scenario -- that the griping, self-analysis and self-absorption of standup comedy routines are perfectly suited for psychotherapy. The Best of Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist is a nifty summary of some of the show's best moments, but the 118-minute presentation just leaves you wanting more.