Synopsis of Saturday Morning Show

Top Cat has the distinction of being one of the few animated series to debut in prime time. After one season, it was moved to Saturday mornings, and was met with huge success.

Essentially, Hanna-Barbera took Phil Silvers’ popular character from the hit prime-time sitcom Sgt. Bilko and turned him into a cat. T.C. and the gang (Benny, Choo Choo, Fancy-Fancy, Spook, and The Brain) lived on the streets of Manhattan and were always in search of a free lunch, figuratively and literally. Their main obstacle was Officer Dibble, who had an extreme dislike for the crafty cat and his schemes, especially when they involved using the police phone for personal calls. The Sgt. Bilko connection was strengthened by the fact that Maurice Gosfield, who played Doberman on the sitcom, voiced Benny, T.C’s right hand cat.

Like The Flintstones, Top Cat was written for adults and children alike, since it was initially shown during the family hour on a weeknight. This particular programming effort made the scripts stronger than your average cartoon, relying less on overused cartoon cliches and more on character. Unfortunately, T.C. didn't do well in prime time, but when he and the gang moved to Saturday mornings, the show found a loyal audience, who still remember it fondly.

Release History

9/27/61 - 9/26/62 ABC

TV Sub Categories

animated
comedy

TV Studio

Hanna-Barbera

Television Cast

Top Cat Arnold Stang
Officer Dibble Allen Jenkins
Benny the Ball  Maurice Gosfield
Choo Choo Marvin Kaplan
Fancy-Fancy John Stephenson
Spook Leo De Lyon
The Brain Leo De Lyon
Various Voices Paul Frees

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