William Hanna and Joseph Barbera AKA Hanna-Barbera Productions created  Top Cat is an American animated sitcom originally broadcast in prime time on the ABC network. It aired in a weekly evening time slot from September 27, 1961, to April 18, 1962, for a single season of 30 episodes. Although the show was a ratings failure in prime time it became very successful upon its time on Saturday morning television. The show also became very popular in Latin American countries (especially Mexico), and the United Kingdom.  Animation historian Christopher P. Lehman says that the series can be seen as social commentary. The cats represent people confined to living in a poor environment. Top Cat's get-rich-quick schemes are efforts to escape to a better life.