The leader of the gang. Top Cat! (Top Cat)

Member Name: pmcds

Product:	Top Cat
Date:	12/11/08 (69 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good show for kids

Disadvantages: Hasn't stood the test of time as well as other shows

Top Cat is a kids' cartoon show which takes a familiar stereotype and gives it a feline twist, playing on elements of West Side Story as well as a tale such as Lady and the Tramp. It aired nearly half a century ago, and I remember enjoying the cartoon as much as anything else at the time. It is not as timeless as some other classics, but the animation was par for the course for its time, and it produced some entertaining episodes.

Top Cat had an alley cat in the title role, a wise-talking streetwise cat, who led a band of stray cats as they roamed the city streets, avoiding the glaring gaze of bumbling policeman Officer Dibble. The group of cats included a wide variety of sizes and shapes, none moreso than the cute little blue cat, Benny, the simpleton of the group, whom Top Cat always had time for.

Phil Silvers provided voices for the cartoon, and the elements of West Side Story are seen in the treatment of a band of cats when faced with a patrol policeman, Officer Dibble. It plays on the relationship between the Jets and Officer Krupkee in the musical, and the elements of Lady and the Tramp come with the streetwise savvy of the cats.

The show was nothing special, but it did its job and had a catchy theme tune. It slotted in with many other cartoons which have stood the test of time better, but if you get the chance, I highly recommend giving this a go. Your kids will love the comedy value and you'll appreciate the simplicity of the show in terms of how it entertains kids.

Summary: Good show that I loved as a kid