Top Cat

Top Cat, called T.C. by his close friends, was a smooth-talking, New York alley cat who conned his way into others’ trust. He led a group of five feline friends who acted as cohorts in his scams. For all of their shenanigans and get-rich-quick schemes, however, the group was nearly always penniless.

The cats hung out in Hoagy’s Alley, which Top Cat considered his home. Alongside Top Cat (who had yellow fur and wore a purple vest and hat) was Choo Choo (pink fur—white turtleneck shirt), whose voice had the same neurotic, unsure quality as actor/director Woody Allen. Spook (green fur—black tie) was a mellow, beatnik type. Fancy-Fancy (brown fur—white scarf) was popular with the ladies. Benny (blue fur—white sport coat) was short and chubby, and wasn’t much brighter than Brain (orange fur—purple shirt), a droopy-eyed cat whose name was a misnomer, unless it was in reference to bird brain.

The group’s main opposition was Officer Dibble, a beat cop with the misfortune of having Top Cat’s base of operations within his jurisdiction. Officer Dibble routinely caught Top Cat and his gang in the act of breaking some ordinance or other, but Top Cat’s quick wits and fast-talking patter kept him one step ahead of the law. As a further nuisance, Dibble faced the unending struggle of getting Top Cat to keep his alley clean, and was especially annoyed when Top Cat used a nearby police phone for his personal use. Time and again, Dibble’s propensity for getting duped landed him in hot water with his commanding Sergeant.

Top Cat premiered on ABC in 1961 and ran for thirty episodes. In 1985, Top Cat joined the cast of Yogi’s Treasure Hunt, where he once again took the leadership role, giving orders to the crew of S.S. Jelly Roger and doing little work himself.