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Top Cat

(Rated TV-Y7, Children, cartoons, & animation, Starring Paul Frees, Arnold Stang, Maurice Gosfield, Where to watch: Boomerang, DVD)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 3, age appropriate for kids over 5; suggested age 5.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Once-funny now-clichéd cat thwarts authority.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 5 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    There's certainly no intentional social message here, but the "good guys" are the gangland cats, and the "baddies" the cops, although it all plays out in a very sedate manner. Some character stereotyping typical of the original '60s time period.

  • Violence & scariness:

    Some minor classic slapstick cartoon violence in the Three Stooges vein -- friends whack each other over foolish comments, fingers are caught in mousetraps, etc.

  • Sexy stuff:

    Not an issue.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Top Cat

Parents need to know that this is one of the many cartoons in which the rogues are smart (well, at least one of them is) and the cops aren't. Top Cat always beats the police in any contest of wits, although he never actually gets the riches, fame, or cushy home he's looking for. Top Cat is one of those characters -- like Yogi Bear, Daffy Duck, or even the Lucky Charms rabbit -- whose appeal lies partly in his constant, fruitless striving. Plenty of very mild slapstick cartoon violence and dated situations, but not much else to worry about.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the characters' motivations. Do you think Top Cat really wants to leave behind his alley gang for a life of ease? Does Officer Dibble really dislike Top Cat? Families with older kids might enjoy talking about how the plots of these cartoons are the same ones that play out over and over again, particularly in older sitcoms. Would they still work for today's shows? Why or why not?
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