Ubu Productions, Inc., is an independent production company founded in 1981 by television producer Gary David Goldberg. Ubu's notable productions include Family Ties (1982–1989), Brooklyn Bridge (1991–1993) , and Spin City (1996–2002).[1][2]
Ubu co-produced many of its shows with Paramount Television and in later years, DreamWorks Television.
Ubu's mascot is Goldberg's dog Ubu Roi, a black labrador retriever which he had in college and subsequently traveled the world with.[1][2] The closing tag for Ubu's productions is a photograph of Ubu Roi with a flying disc in his mouth.[3] Along with the picture is Goldberg's voice saying "Sit, Ubu, sit! ...Good dog!", followed by the sound of a bark. The dog was named after Ubu Roi, an 1896 play by Alfred Jarry that is considered a precursor to the Theatre of the Absurd. Ubu the dog died in 1984.[3]
The sequence was referenced and parodied in pop culture: for instance, in the Family Guy episode "Running Mates" (2000), Peter Griffin, after saying the opening theme of The Facts of Life as his opening statement, says the line "Sit, Ubu, sit! ...Good dog!"; and in the Robot Chicken episode "Easter Basket" (2006), in the skit "Bad Dog" after the end credits, Seth Green says the line "Sit, Ubu, sit! ...Bad dog!", followed by the sound of a gunshot and a dog whimper.[4] In the television series Dharma & Greg, producer and show co-creator Chuck Lorre ended each episode with a briefly shown "vanity card" really only visible by recording the program with a VCR and then pausing the playback in order to read it.[5] With vanity card #7, shown at the end of Dharma & Greg episode "Dharma's Tangled Web" (1998), Lorre references the sequence "Sit, Ubu, sit" as a possible explanation for the secret of life.[6] In a 2010 episode of the cartoon "Batman:The Brave and the Bold", Batman's sidekick, Robin, overcomes Ras Al Ghul's head henchman, Ubu, and utters the line "Sit, Ubu. Sit". In a 2010 episode of "Psych" a character played by Mena Suvari said "Sit Ubu Sit" while holding the main characters Shawn and Gus hostage. The March 1 (2011) episode of Tosh.0 is closed with Daniel Tosh saying "Sit, Ubu, sit."
Goldberg's 2008 autobiography was titled, Sit, Ubu, Sit: How I Went from Brooklyn to Hollywood with the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair.
Business Lost to Corrupt Competitors
Overall, 43% of respondents believe that they failed to win new business in the last five years because a competitor had paid a bribe, and one-third had lost business to bribery in the last year. Hong Kong was by far the worst affected, with 76% of companies believing that they had lost business in the last five years. Even in the UK, a quarter of UK-based international companies say that they have lost business to corrupt competitors in the last five years.
A sectoral analysis shows that companies in the construction and the oil, gas and mining sectors have been most likely to lose business to corrupt competitors. Two main factors are at play: in both sectors the high value of projects – often running into the hundreds of millions or billions of dollars – increases the temptations of bribery; and both involve negotiations with government officials who have extensive discretionary power and may be susceptible to bribery.
Size of company did not appear to be a major factor: 43% of companies with fewer than 250 employees had lost business to bribery in the last year compared with 44% of companies with between 751 and 1,000 employees, and 46% of companies with more than 1,000 employees.
Limited Recourse
Few companies thought that they could take effective action in cases where a competitor had paid a bribe. By far the largest number of respondents – a total of 41.7% – said that they ‘would avoid working again with the same customer and simply look elsewhere in future’. A second common response – 24% in the case of the UK – was ‘to make no public complaint, hoping to be more successful next time’.
Several respondents said that they would make informal enquiries to find out what happened, and some would seek the help of their embassy. A minority said that they would take action as a matter of principle: 8% said that they would seek an explanation from the tendering authority, 4.5% would lodge an appeal and 6.5% would go to law-enforcement authorities. The Dutch (18%) were more likely to go to the authorities, and the French (10%) were more likely to lodge an appeal.
A German respondent commented that there was little point in reporting bribery in high-risk environments where the authorities themselves are corrupt. A Hong Kong respondent spoke for many when he commented that bribery by competitors was just ‘part of business’. A US businessman suggested that it was ‘best to just accept it [business lost because of bribery] and move on’. Bribery allegations are often based on rumour rather than hard evidence: the perception is that there is little chance of redress.
A Deterrent to International Investment
More than 35% of companies surveyed had been deterred from an otherwise attractive investment because of the host country’s reputation for corruption. By contrast, less than half as many had been deterred by the potential for controversy over each of the other issues cited in the survey – human rights, labour and the environment. This may be because it is easier to address those concerns through good management practices, and because corruption is more likely to have a direct financial impact.
Both the 2006 and 2002 surveys showed a clear hierarchy in the nationalities of companies likely to be deterred. In both years, approximately half of the British companies interviewed had been put off otherwise attractive investments because of concerns about corruption, followed by Germany, the US and the Netherlands. French companies are significantly less likely to be put off by corruption risks. Hong Kong and Brazilian companies are the least likely to be deterred, perhaps in part because they have a narrower range of choices in their geographical regions.
A similar hierarchy applies in the responses of the different sectors. Oil, gas and mining and construction are in the top three because – as noted above – the risks are highest in those sectors. Finance’s high ranking may derive in part from strict anti-money-laundering regulations. The sector breakdown was similar in 2002, with the same three industries ranking high in both years.
It is easier – and less costly – to avoid making an investment than to pull out of an existing relationship either with an individual commercial partner or with an entire country. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of companies had done both. Such withdrawals are rarely announced publicly, presumably for fear of jeopardising future relationships if the situation improves. Again, there is a similar hierarchy of the most sensitive companies, both by country and by sector. The Dutch are the most likely to pull out of an existing commercial relationship or investment, possibly because they are particularly sensitive to reputational concerns. Companies from the oil, gas and mining and the finance sectors were the most likely to have pulled out of existing relationships.
Gary David Goldberg is an award-winning writer of television, film and books. He got his start in television at MTM, first as a writer on The Bob Newhart Show, then as story editor and producer on The Tony Randall Show, producer of Lou Grant, and creator and executive producer of The Last Resort. In 1981, Goldberg left MTM to form his own company, UBU Productions. Nine television shows were created under the UBU Productions banner, including Family Ties, Brooklyn Bridge, and Spin City which was produced in association with DreamWorks.
Goldberg made his feature film debut in 1989, writing the screenplay adapted from William Wharton’s novel, producing and directing Universal Pictures’ Dad. His films also include Bye Bye Love and Must Love Dogs. In 2008, he published his first book, Sit, Ubu, Sit: How I Went From Brooklyn to Hollywood with the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair.
Goldberg is the recipient of numerous awards, including an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award as producer of Lou Grant, an Emmy Award as writer of Family Ties, two Writers Guild Awards, a Peabody Award, and five Humanitas Awards. He also received an additional five Emmy Award nominations, five Writers Guild Award nominations, and five Humanitas Award nominations. He has been awarded the 1991 Producer of the Year Award from the Producers Guild of America, the 1998 Valentine Davies Award from the Writers Guild of America, West for contributions to the entertainment industry and the community-at-large, the Banff World Television Festival’s 2002 Award of Excellence, and the Outstanding Television Writer Award at the 2003 Austin Film Festival. He is a member of the Broadcasting Magazine Hall of Fame.
“Much in the spirit of the late, great Herb Sargent, through his long and accomplished career, Gary David Goldberg has not only shared his creativity and wit with millions of happily entertained viewers, he also has mentored countless colleagues who have been educated and inspired by his example. His life and prodigious body of work make him a noteworthy recipient of this year’s Herb Sargent Award,” says Michael Winship, president of the Writers Guild of America, East.
Ubu co-produced many of its shows with Paramount Television and in later years, DreamWorks Television.
Ubu's mascot is Goldberg's dog Ubu Roi, a black labrador retriever which he had in college and subsequently traveled the world with.[1][2] The closing tag for Ubu's productions is a photograph of Ubu Roi with a flying disc in his mouth.[3] Along with the picture is Goldberg's voice saying "Sit, Ubu, sit! ...Good dog!", followed by the sound of a bark. The dog was named after Ubu Roi, an 1896 play by Alfred Jarry that is considered a precursor to the Theatre of the Absurd. Ubu the dog died in 1984.[3]
The sequence was referenced and parodied in pop culture: for instance, in the Family Guy episode "Running Mates" (2000), Peter Griffin, after saying the opening theme of The Facts of Life as his opening statement, says the line "Sit, Ubu, sit! ...Good dog!"; and in the Robot Chicken episode "Easter Basket" (2006), in the skit "Bad Dog" after the end credits, Seth Green says the line "Sit, Ubu, sit! ...Bad dog!", followed by the sound of a gunshot and a dog whimper.[4] In the television series Dharma & Greg, producer and show co-creator Chuck Lorre ended each episode with a briefly shown "vanity card" really only visible by recording the program with a VCR and then pausing the playback in order to read it.[5] With vanity card #7, shown at the end of Dharma & Greg episode "Dharma's Tangled Web" (1998), Lorre references the sequence "Sit, Ubu, sit" as a possible explanation for the secret of life.[6] In a 2010 episode of the cartoon "Batman:The Brave and the Bold", Batman's sidekick, Robin, overcomes Ras Al Ghul's head henchman, Ubu, and utters the line "Sit, Ubu. Sit". In a 2010 episode of "Psych" a character played by Mena Suvari said "Sit Ubu Sit" while holding the main characters Shawn and Gus hostage. The March 1 (2011) episode of Tosh.0 is closed with Daniel Tosh saying "Sit, Ubu, sit."
Goldberg's 2008 autobiography was titled, Sit, Ubu, Sit: How I Went from Brooklyn to Hollywood with the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair.
Business Lost to Corrupt Competitors
Overall, 43% of respondents believe that they failed to win new business in the last five years because a competitor had paid a bribe, and one-third had lost business to bribery in the last year. Hong Kong was by far the worst affected, with 76% of companies believing that they had lost business in the last five years. Even in the UK, a quarter of UK-based international companies say that they have lost business to corrupt competitors in the last five years.
A sectoral analysis shows that companies in the construction and the oil, gas and mining sectors have been most likely to lose business to corrupt competitors. Two main factors are at play: in both sectors the high value of projects – often running into the hundreds of millions or billions of dollars – increases the temptations of bribery; and both involve negotiations with government officials who have extensive discretionary power and may be susceptible to bribery.
Size of company did not appear to be a major factor: 43% of companies with fewer than 250 employees had lost business to bribery in the last year compared with 44% of companies with between 751 and 1,000 employees, and 46% of companies with more than 1,000 employees.
Limited Recourse
Few companies thought that they could take effective action in cases where a competitor had paid a bribe. By far the largest number of respondents – a total of 41.7% – said that they ‘would avoid working again with the same customer and simply look elsewhere in future’. A second common response – 24% in the case of the UK – was ‘to make no public complaint, hoping to be more successful next time’.
Several respondents said that they would make informal enquiries to find out what happened, and some would seek the help of their embassy. A minority said that they would take action as a matter of principle: 8% said that they would seek an explanation from the tendering authority, 4.5% would lodge an appeal and 6.5% would go to law-enforcement authorities. The Dutch (18%) were more likely to go to the authorities, and the French (10%) were more likely to lodge an appeal.
A German respondent commented that there was little point in reporting bribery in high-risk environments where the authorities themselves are corrupt. A Hong Kong respondent spoke for many when he commented that bribery by competitors was just ‘part of business’. A US businessman suggested that it was ‘best to just accept it [business lost because of bribery] and move on’. Bribery allegations are often based on rumour rather than hard evidence: the perception is that there is little chance of redress.
A Deterrent to International Investment
More than 35% of companies surveyed had been deterred from an otherwise attractive investment because of the host country’s reputation for corruption. By contrast, less than half as many had been deterred by the potential for controversy over each of the other issues cited in the survey – human rights, labour and the environment. This may be because it is easier to address those concerns through good management practices, and because corruption is more likely to have a direct financial impact.
Both the 2006 and 2002 surveys showed a clear hierarchy in the nationalities of companies likely to be deterred. In both years, approximately half of the British companies interviewed had been put off otherwise attractive investments because of concerns about corruption, followed by Germany, the US and the Netherlands. French companies are significantly less likely to be put off by corruption risks. Hong Kong and Brazilian companies are the least likely to be deterred, perhaps in part because they have a narrower range of choices in their geographical regions.
A similar hierarchy applies in the responses of the different sectors. Oil, gas and mining and construction are in the top three because – as noted above – the risks are highest in those sectors. Finance’s high ranking may derive in part from strict anti-money-laundering regulations. The sector breakdown was similar in 2002, with the same three industries ranking high in both years.
It is easier – and less costly – to avoid making an investment than to pull out of an existing relationship either with an individual commercial partner or with an entire country. Nevertheless, a significant proportion of companies had done both. Such withdrawals are rarely announced publicly, presumably for fear of jeopardising future relationships if the situation improves. Again, there is a similar hierarchy of the most sensitive companies, both by country and by sector. The Dutch are the most likely to pull out of an existing commercial relationship or investment, possibly because they are particularly sensitive to reputational concerns. Companies from the oil, gas and mining and the finance sectors were the most likely to have pulled out of existing relationships.
Gary David Goldberg is an award-winning writer of television, film and books. He got his start in television at MTM, first as a writer on The Bob Newhart Show, then as story editor and producer on The Tony Randall Show, producer of Lou Grant, and creator and executive producer of The Last Resort. In 1981, Goldberg left MTM to form his own company, UBU Productions. Nine television shows were created under the UBU Productions banner, including Family Ties, Brooklyn Bridge, and Spin City which was produced in association with DreamWorks.
Goldberg made his feature film debut in 1989, writing the screenplay adapted from William Wharton’s novel, producing and directing Universal Pictures’ Dad. His films also include Bye Bye Love and Must Love Dogs. In 2008, he published his first book, Sit, Ubu, Sit: How I Went From Brooklyn to Hollywood with the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair.
Goldberg is the recipient of numerous awards, including an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award as producer of Lou Grant, an Emmy Award as writer of Family Ties, two Writers Guild Awards, a Peabody Award, and five Humanitas Awards. He also received an additional five Emmy Award nominations, five Writers Guild Award nominations, and five Humanitas Award nominations. He has been awarded the 1991 Producer of the Year Award from the Producers Guild of America, the 1998 Valentine Davies Award from the Writers Guild of America, West for contributions to the entertainment industry and the community-at-large, the Banff World Television Festival’s 2002 Award of Excellence, and the Outstanding Television Writer Award at the 2003 Austin Film Festival. He is a member of the Broadcasting Magazine Hall of Fame.
“Much in the spirit of the late, great Herb Sargent, through his long and accomplished career, Gary David Goldberg has not only shared his creativity and wit with millions of happily entertained viewers, he also has mentored countless colleagues who have been educated and inspired by his example. His life and prodigious body of work make him a noteworthy recipient of this year’s Herb Sargent Award,” says Michael Winship, president of the Writers Guild of America, East.
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