The plots of the Top Cat shows are generic Bilko-type escapades, with the occasional "doing a good deed" plot common to shows looking to temper the farcical element. Car 54 was faced with similar issues because of the objections of various critics to the absurdity of the situations in the show. The usual stolen diamond capers and similar archtypical Hanna Barbera plot devices were present, however, there were other shows in the canon which concerned romantic misadventures of Top Cat and Choo Choo (along with running gags about Fancy Fancy's love life). The one hallmark of the shows I noticed going through them was that the writing was definitely on a higher plane than most Hanna Barbera shows, and unlike the Flintstones and Jetsons, the adult appeal is still definitely palpable.

The big test of this was of course my young'uns. They haven't started getting the adult jokes in Rocky and Bullwinkle yet (nor for that matter Sponge Bob; they couldn't understand my disappointment in the recent feature when I noted that Squidward's part was nonexistent). My brood has quite embraced Top Cat, liking the "gang" comedy and its gentle urban humor. As for me, it was a great blast from the past watching this, and I didn't find myself tiring of it quickly, as so many boxed sets of childhood favorites have done to me (the most amazing example of which for me was Fireball XL5, a show I positively drooled over as a kid, along with the rest of the Gerry Anderson canon; I got through about five episodes of it before fading out).

Recommended.