TOP CAT - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Family Fan · 12-13-2007, 01:27 AM

Benny the Ball, The Brain,Choo Choo and their Leader TOP CAT or TC. This cartoon from the early 60's was probably the earliest memory of cartoons for me. I never realised it was only 30 episodes, which have been released in a great set. One of the unsung cartoons of the great Hanna-Babera studios. The voices included such greats as Arnold Stang and members of the Bilko cast. Still, a kid favorite, showed it to my nephews son, who is 4 the other day and he was glued to the TV for hours.

Oh, Yeah.. and that song..

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 VIP, he's a 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.

tv star collector · 12-14-2007, 09:57 AM

I haven't seen a lot of TOP CAT episodes, but I have enjoyed the few that I
have seen. I always like to tell this interesting anecdote about Arnold Stang:

Arnold Stang once recalled that TOP CAT was so clearly influenced by Phil
Silvers' SGT. BILKO show that he started to sound more and more like Phil
Silvers. "After the first few episodes were recorded, the sponsor said, 'It
doesn't sound enough like Arnold Stang. We want a little more of Arnold
Stang in there.' I had to go back and redo parts of it. I worked so long to
develop the Sergeant Bilko-type of character that I would have to pull back
a little and bring more of myself."

Other voices on the show included Maurice Gosfield (who had played Pvt.
Doberman on the BILKO show) as Benny the Ball, radio veteran Marvin
Kaplan (later of TV's ALICE) as Choo-Choo, Leo De Lyon as both Spook and
Brain, John Stephenson (imitating Cary Grant) as ladies' man Fancy-Fancy,
and movie character actor Allen Jenkins as the harassed Officer Dibble.

Hanna-Barbera's second prime-time TV series, TOP CAT ran on ABC Wednesday
nights for one season (1961-1962) before it was shifted to Saturday morning.
The still-popular character was revived in a 1987 TV-movie "Top Cat and the
Beverly Hills Cats" and was a regular on YOGI'S TREASURE HUNT (1985). In
the 1987 cartoon, comedian Avery Schreiber replaced the late Maurice
Gosfield as Benny; and Stephenson played both Fancy-Fancy and Officer
Dibble.

waichingliu81 · 12-14-2007, 03:14 PM

i loved top cat when i was a kid, it was one of my favourite cartoons ever, and still is to this day. here in the UK, they sell it as a boxset on dvd in some dvd outlets. btw, episodes of the show are also posted on you tube. here is part one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kag3bFkmchE- the $1,000, 000 derby

12-13-2007, 01:27 AM	#1
Family Fan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 20, 2002 Posts: 249	TOP CAT Benny the Ball, The Brain,Choo Choo and their Leader TOP CAT or TC. This cartoon from the early 60's was probably the earliest memory of cartoons for me. I never realised it was only 30 episodes, which have been released in a great set. One of the unsung cartoons of the great Hanna-Babera studios. The voices included such greats as Arnold Stang and members of the Bilko cast. Still, a kid favorite, showed it to my nephews son, who is 4 the other day and he was glued to the TV for hours. Oh, Yeah.. and that song.. 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 VIP, he's a 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.

12-14-2007, 09:57 AM	#2
tv star collector I Love Susie Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 18, 2005 Location: South Carolina Posts: 4,486	I haven't seen a lot of TOP CAT episodes, but I have enjoyed the few that I have seen. I always like to tell this interesting anecdote about Arnold Stang: Arnold Stang once recalled that TOP CAT was so clearly influenced by Phil Silvers' SGT. BILKO show that he started to sound more and more like Phil Silvers. "After the first few episodes were recorded, the sponsor said, 'It doesn't sound enough like Arnold Stang. We want a little more of Arnold Stang in there.' I had to go back and redo parts of it. I worked so long to develop the Sergeant Bilko-type of character that I would have to pull back a little and bring more of myself." Other voices on the show included Maurice Gosfield (who had played Pvt. Doberman on the BILKO show) as Benny the Ball, radio veteran Marvin Kaplan (later of TV's ALICE) as Choo-Choo, Leo De Lyon as both Spook and Brain, John Stephenson (imitating Cary Grant) as ladies' man Fancy-Fancy, and movie character actor Allen Jenkins as the harassed Officer Dibble. Hanna-Barbera's second prime-time TV series, TOP CAT ran on ABC Wednesday nights for one season (1961-1962) before it was shifted to Saturday morning. The still-popular character was revived in a 1987 TV-movie "Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats" and was a regular on YOGI'S TREASURE HUNT (1985). In the 1987 cartoon, comedian Avery Schreiber replaced the late Maurice Gosfield as Benny; and Stephenson played both Fancy-Fancy and Officer Dibble.

12-14-2007, 03:14 PM	#3
waichingliu81 debbie allen Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2006 Location: london, england, UK Posts: 4,347	i loved top cat when i was a kid, it was one of my favourite cartoons ever, and still is to this day. here in the UK, they sell it as a boxset on dvd in some dvd outlets. btw, episodes of the show are also posted on you tube. here is part one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kag3bFkmchE- the $1,000, 000 derby