Thursday, April 17, 2014

Top Cat:

This is an old article pending revision.

Top Cat is an early prime time animated series that was released by Hanna-Barbera Productions. The title is word play on "Top Hat". It has an earlier type of jazz and theatre music for the theme song, and the show is about a group of alley cats that often get into trouble and usually cause trouble by themselves. Some of them are domesticated, while Top Cat, for example, lives in an old metal Trash Can next to a telephone pole that has a telephone next to it. This telephone is to be used by police officers only, but Top Cat uses it anyways. Remember that this was before wireless mobile phones. There is an often flickering light on top of the pole, and he keeps his toothbrush in a utility box mounted on the pole. In addition to using a phone that isn't theirs, their activities are usually illegal.


Officer Dibble is in charge of the area and the alley, where the cats are usually at and are up to something. They all really like him, but the feelings are rarely mutual. His life with an annoying group of cats can be stressful, but his life without the group of cats could be boring. He is voiced by Allen Jenkins.


"Top Cat" is a light yellow cat whose colors almost resembles a vanilla flavored dessert. His regular voice actor is Arnold Stang, who provides a sly and casual personality.


"Choo-Choo" is a pink cat that has a white tip on his furry tail that resembles a fox's tail. His white shirts resemble lab coats. He has a lot of fur that is similar to Tom's fur when he was drawn by Chuck Jones. He looks like a strawberry dessert. He is also an attorney on Family Guy. He is voiced by Marvin Kaplan.


"Benny The Ball" is a short blue-violet cat that looks like a blueberry dessert. He appears to be one of the most intelligent cats or at least has the most common sense. But this could also just simply be him being cowardly and not wanting to do most of the risky activities that the group does. He is voiced by Maurice Gosfield.


"Brain" is an orange cat that looks like a pumpkin flavored dessert. His eyes describe absent-mindedness and sleepiness.


"Spook" is a green cat that looks like a mint flavored dessert. He is voiced by Leo De Lyon.


"Fancy-Fancy" is a burnt orange cat that looks like a coffee and chocolate flavored dessert. He is voiced by John Stevenson, who voices Mr. Rockhead/Slate on "The Flinstones", and a voice actor for "Famous Classic Tales".


The lyrics for the Top Cat theme song is:

___

"Top Cat,

The most effectual Top Cat,

Who's intellectual close friends get to call him T.C.

Providing it's with dignity.

Top Cat,

The indisputable leader of the gang.

He's the boss, he's a pip, he's the championship.

He's the most tip top,

Top Cat.

Yes, he's a chief, he's a king,

But above everything,

He's the most tip top,

Top Cat.

Top Cat!"

___

Top Cat was released in 1961 and 30 episodes were made. The group would appear in movies that starred other cartoon characters made around that time such as Snagglepuss and Huckleberry Hound. It has reappeared in syndication almost as many times as "The Brady Bunch", although there weren't any follow up series made regularly of "Top Cat".

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