Top Cat

1 9 6 1 - 1 9 6 2 (USA)
31 x 30 minute episodes

Top Cat, the indisputable leader of a gang of New York City alley cats was a feline cartoon version of Sergeant Bilko. TC - as he was known to his gang - was an irrepressible con-artist who lived in a customized dustbin ("trash can" to our trans-Atlantic friends), stole milk from doorsteps and used the local police phone for his personal calls.

He was always on the lookout for new money-making scams including a memorable occasion when he tried to pass off his tone-deaf gang member Benny to Carnegie Hall as the world famous violinist, Lazlo Lazlo (in The Violin Player).

Officer Dibble was the beat cop from the 13th precinct who had the unenviable job of trying to keep TC and his gang under control. The full line-up of the gang (all loosely based on members of Bilko's entourage) were; TC, Benny the Ball, Choo-Choo (always so terribly earnest), Spook, dim-witted Brain and Fancy-Fancy, a ladies Tom cat.