Tuesday, September 27, 2011

"Top Cat" -- 50th Anniversary

Fifty years ago today, Top Cat premiered at 8:30 PM (7:30 Central time) -- in color** --on the ABC Television Network.  

 
** See comments section about "color."


12 comments:

  1. One of the best shows H-B ever made. Earl Kress did a fantastic job on Top Cat's DVD box set as well. The interviews and bonus material are the finest you will find on any set. You could tell that he was a real fan of the show. Also, "Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats" was released through the Warner Archive in August.

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  2. Personally, I've never really become a fan of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons in the late 1950's and 1960's, but I'm a huge fan of their work in MGM like "Tom and Jerry".

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  3. I watched H-B's late 50's early 60's cartoons as they debuted. They spoke to me as a viewer of that era. I was their target audience and they hit a bull's-eye for me. I found them funny and silly and goofy and I liked the character designs and I loved them. I loved Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies (Bugs, Daffy, Porky) as well, but I never loved the Tom and Jerry cartoons. Too repetitive for me.

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  4. Congratulations to Top Cat on his 50th anniversary! I only hope WB will do something for the "Animaniacs" 20th in 2012. Like maybe release a compilation album including not only songs previously on CDs, but also songs from the show never before on an album like the songs from "Hooray For North Hollywood" for example. Either that or finally release "Animaniacs Volume 4" and "Wakko's Wish" on DVD. Which ever comes first.

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  5. Greg...Animaniacs debuted in 1993 so its 20th anniversary will be in 2013.

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  6. Oops. I meant to say 2013. I miscalculated there. By the way, I'm not Greg and I was the one who posted that as Anonymous, not Greg.

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  7. Top Cat was one of my favorites as a kid, too.

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  8. Top Cat is a fashion icon by cartoon standards. Well dressed to a T.

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  9. Wait, I know "Top Cat" was filmed in color, but I thought it was broadcast in black and white originally.

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  10. **Charlie -- you're right! I am mistaken. I know Top Cat was B&W at my house -- we had no color TV. I just assumed it was broadcast in color, since it was shot in color.

    I borrowed this explanation from bgrauman at http://youwpyowp.blogspot.com/

    bgrauman said...

    "What nobody mentioned in any of those 1961 articles was that "TOP CAT" was NOT going to be telecast in color. Why? ABC wasn't telecasting ANYTHING in color at the time, because they had neither the technology or money to do so- until September 1962, when their first color series were "THE FLINTSTONES" and "THE JETSONS"...the season after "TOP CAT" went from prime-time to repeats on their Saturday morning schedule."

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  11. hey Tom!, long time without posting!, but, !wait a minute!, if Animaniacs 20th aniversary will be in 2013, !let's keep fingers crossed!, I hope WB makes the tribute they deserve!

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