Piccolo_King He's the chief, yes, he's the king, that's true too, but above everything he's the most tip-top Top Cat. It's a crying shame that Hanna-Barbera's understated comedy about a gang of alley-dwelling cats against the backdrop of 1960s Manhattan lasted only a meager thirty episodes. Nevertheless, in its short run "Top Cat" managed to cement its status as an animated classic and left its fans longing for more of TC's shenanigans.It's slightly difficult to pinpoint what exactly the show is about. You could say it's about TC and his boys' attempts at hustling the naive city folk but that would be giving the story too rigid of a structure. I'd say the best way to put it is, they're up to no good. TC's batch of ne'er-do-wells consists of Benny the Ball, Brain, Choo-Choo, Fancy-Fancy, and Spook. Keeping a close watch on them is Officer Charles Dibble: A well-meaning law enforcer who only wants these anthropomorphic cats to stop engaging in monkey business. But that's too much to ask apparently.Every character has a role to play but as the title would suggest, it's Top Cat running the show. Brought to life by Arnold Stang's outstandingly good voice acting, he's the smooth-talking, charismatic, well-spoken leader everyone looks up to for a reason. Class and TC always go hand in hand with each other. Watch the closing credits for a memorable demonstration on how to make a trash can feel like the presidential suite of a high-end hotel! The interplay between Dibble and our protagonist constitutes the highlight of each episode. Everything works because the writers rely more on sophisticated dialogue-driven humor typical of wise guys than slapstick comedy. The humor is refreshingly unique in that the appeal runs the gamut from kids to grown-ups. There's something to enjoy for everyone.The hand-drawn animation work of HB studios looks gorgeous. Squeaky-clean alleyways, high-rise buildings, shiny sidewalks endowed with hydrants, busy intersections, radiant traffic lights, and so on together pervade an evocative atmosphere unique to the hustle and bustle of big cities. The visuals paint a romanticized portrait of urban living in the early '60s. Every frame is well drawn and oozes quality as though Hoagy's Alley were a character in itself.Watching Top Cat today fills me with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. I mean it as a compliment when I say that there's a time-capsule quality to the experience.

FilmBuff1994 Top Cat is a brilliant television series with very well written episodes and a fantastic voice cast. It's an absolute classic, the humour still holds up today and there's enough in it for both kids and adults to enjoy, it's a typical Hanna Barbera series, with the same sort of comedic tone that features in the Flintstones, and I would say it's one of their finest, the characters are still remembered and very loved to this day, which shows the timelessness of it. It's certainly not perfect, there a several weak episodes where the storyline just feels like they couldn't think of anything else to do, and for children it could get a bit tiring, it's certainly not as wacky as Scooby Doo or as zany as Tom and Jerry, a lot of the show takes place in the same locations and it's very dialogue based, but once the lines are well written it isn't a huge issue. For only thirty episodes and a very small cast Top Cat still remains a well remembered series, whether it be the lead characters patronising attitude towards his best friends, Officer Dibble, the gang trying to mind a baby, or the Untouchables parody, there isn't a single episode that dosen't have at least one classic moment. Funny when your a child, even funnier when you're an adult, Top Cat is a hugely entertaining show that I would recommend to anyone looking for a good animated series. Top Cat and his friends have outrageous adventures, ducking and diving their way through the city streets, while trying to stay out of the way of the long suffering Officer Dibble.Best Episode: The Unscratchables Worst Episode: The Case of the Absent Anteater

eag11 My 8 year old asked what cartoons I used to watch. I'm 56 so I mentioned Top Cat.I explained to him it was a show about cats that acted out people roles.There was no violence or evil villains, just a bunch of guys trying to beat the system.The old get by while the other guys do all the work.They always had a get rich quick gimmick going that was going to put them on easy street and every time they made it on to easy street they missed the good old days and officer Dibble.It was similar to Bilko, McHales navy and other popular sitcoms of that era.I was amazed my 8 year old hadn't seen an episode. We have DISH TV so I did a search and it did not come up. I thought Boomerang or Cartoon network would have had it on. My 17 year old son came home and caught me looking up Top Cat. He remembered the show. He told his brother it was a great show where a cat had a bunch of trash can buddies that hung out in an alley. How the cartoon network can not have this show on the air is a crime against children everywhere.

SonicStuart Top Cat is another one of my favorite Hanna-Barbera cartoons! Set in the Alleys of New York, "Top Cat" tells the story of a gang of low-life cats (Choo Choo, Benny the Ball, Fancy-Fancy, Spook and Brian) with their charismatic Leader, Top Cat. With ability and mischief, Top Cat will always try to get rich gambling, to eat for free, or to play jokes on someone, but he is always being watched by Officer Dibble, who is very strict and fierce with them, but in fact is a friend to all of them. This is series is so funny.User Rating: 9/10BOTTOM LINE: HE IS THE KING, HE IS TIP TOP, TOP CAT!