"a blast of Camelot-era swinging musical energy." You phrased it perfectly! It's not just the song--the voices of T.C., Benny and Officer Dibble are etched in my brain.
Top Cat is such a classic! I remember watching a few episodes of this show when I was in primary school. I always loved the character designs and the art style. I love so many of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
Seconded, Laura-Louise! I think you could put Hanna-Barbera right behind the good folks who inhabited “Termite Terrace” on the Warner Bros lot as the top-notch small-screen animators of the day!
If Bugs Bunny weren’t already my long-time spirit animal, it would probably be Benny the Ball! (Hey, as a “Brad,” I guess I’m partial to the “B-hive”)!
When I was very young, I wanted to BE Top Cat! Or at least have that wonderful Phil Silvers patter (which I can't do to save my life, no matter how hard I try). I still remember the theme music!
Allen Jenkins was very convincing as Dibble, but Hanna-Barbera was casting him against type: he had spent much of the time before the show's debut portraying gangsters and other criminals in live-action films!
It's the theme tune. I enjoy the program, but I find the song irresistible, a blast of Camelot-era swinging musical energy.
I can still sing it as soon as I see his image 😎
We were all humming that theme song as we read this, right? 😁
I think so!
"a blast of Camelot-era swinging musical energy." You phrased it perfectly! It's not just the song--the voices of T.C., Benny and Officer Dibble are etched in my brain.
So right, all the voices were just spot on 😎
Top Cat is such a classic! I remember watching a few episodes of this show when I was in primary school. I always loved the character designs and the art style. I love so many of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons.
Seconded, Laura-Louise! I think you could put Hanna-Barbera right behind the good folks who inhabited “Termite Terrace” on the Warner Bros lot as the top-notch small-screen animators of the day!
If Bugs Bunny weren’t already my long-time spirit animal, it would probably be Benny the Ball! (Hey, as a “Brad,” I guess I’m partial to the “B-hive”)!
When I was very young, I wanted to BE Top Cat! Or at least have that wonderful Phil Silvers patter (which I can't do to save my life, no matter how hard I try). I still remember the theme music!
Allen Jenkins was very convincing as Dibble, but Hanna-Barbera was casting him against type: he had spent much of the time before the show's debut portraying gangsters and other criminals in live-action films!
In Mexico we called him Don Gato!
I didn’t know that, that is so cool.
You blow my mind sometimes! I’ll have completely forgotten a cartoon, and then with one image and review it all comes back to me, like with this one.
Thanks Reda. I love your comment as it’s so good to have an animated nostalgia trip.
Indeed! I for one needed that this evening, thanks!
Great piece Jon, I loved watching Top Cat when I was a youngster
Thanks, Harry, me too...and still do :)