Top Cat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Top Cat |
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Top Cat and the gang. Left to right: Benny the Ball (foreground); Brain; Officer Dibble (Behind fence); Fancy-Fancy; Top Cat; Spook (foreground); Choo-Choo
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| Genre | Animated sitcom |
| Created by | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Written by | Kin Platt |
| Directed by | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Voices of | Arnold Stang Allen Jenkins Maurice Gosfield Leo DeLyon Marvin Kaplan John Stephenson |
| Theme music composer | Hoyt Curtin |
| Opening theme | "The Most Effectual Top Cat" |
| Ending theme | "The Most Effectual Top Cat" |
| Composer(s) | Hoyt Curtin |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | William Hanna Joseph Barbera |
| Running time | 24-27 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Hanna-Barbera Productions |
| Distributor | Screen Gems |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Picture format | Color (initially telecast in black and white) |
| Audio format | Mono |
| Original release | September 27, 1961 – April 18, 1962 |
Top Cat is a fun American animated sitcom cartoon show. It was made by a company called Hanna-Barbera Productions. The show first aired on the ABC network. It was shown once a week from September 27, 1961, to April 18, 1962. There was only one season with 30 episodes.
The show wasn't a huge hit when it first aired in the evenings. But it became very popular when it was shown on Saturday mornings! It aired on Saturdays in 1962 and 1963 on ABC. Then, it was rerun on the NBC network from 1965 to 1969.
Meet Top Cat and His Friends
The main character of the show is Top Cat, also known as T.C. He is the smart leader of a group of alley cats. They live in a place called Hoagy's Alley in Manhattan, New York City. Top Cat's friends are Fancy-Fancy, Spook, Benny the Ball, Brain, and Choo-Choo.
Who Inspired the Characters?
The characters in "Top Cat" were inspired by some older shows and movies. The idea for Top Cat and his gang came from funny, tough characters in 1940s movies called "East Side Kids."
The show also got ideas from The Phil Silvers Show, a popular TV comedy from the 1950s. In that show, the main character, Sergeant Bilko, was a very clever person who often tried to trick others.
One of the voice actors, Maurice Gosfield, played a character named Private Duane Doberman in The Phil Silvers Show. He also voiced Benny the Ball in "Top Cat." Benny's round shape was even based on how Maurice Gosfield looked! Also, the voice of Top Cat, done by Arnold Stang, sounded a lot like Phil Silvers' voice.
The Gang's Adventures
Top Cat and his friends are always trying to find ways to make money quickly. They often come up with funny plans. A big part of the show is about the local police officer, Charles "Charlie" Dibble. Officer Dibble, voiced by Allen Jenkins, tries to get the cats out of the alley. He also tries to stop them from using the police box phone for their schemes. But he usually doesn't succeed!
See also
In Spanish: Don gato y su pandilla para niños
