Common Sense Media Review
Once-funny now-clichéd cat thwarts authority.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Top Cat
What's the Story?
TOP CAT was a primetime Hanna-Barbera offering from 1961-1962. The show uses classic sitcom plots that are translated to a classic cartoon world in which Top Cat (voiced by Arnold Stang) and his gang of harmless cats live in a New York alley, attempting mild get-rich-quick scams and cons. They never succeed, but they always outwit Officer Dibble and the rest of the police force.
Is It Any Good?
Pretty much a knock-off of the '50s' Phil Silvers Show, today Top Cat is about as funny as, well, The Phil Silvers Show and is more of an artifact of its time than anything else. Violence is minor and stereotypes abound, but since all of the characters are even more two-dimensional than in most cartoons, the stereotyping matters less than you'd think. While Top Cat is pretty harmless, there's better stuff out there, even at this level.
Talk to Your Kids 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?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 27, 1961
- Cast : Arnold Stang , Maurice Gosfield , Paul Frees
- Network : Boomerang
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- Topics : Adventures
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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