Sit, Ubu, Sit
by Gary David Goldberg
Published by Harmony Books
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Reviewed by Connie Anderson
Subtitled: How I went from Brooklyn to Hollywood with the same woman, the same dog, and a lot less hair
Gary David Goldberg ended his active TV life with a bunch of industry awards–and from the public forever thanks because he selected Michael J. Fox to BE Alex Keaton in the “Family Ties” sitcom. Every show ended with a picture of his black lab Ubu and the words, “Sit, Ubu, Sit!
Today Goldberg and his wife Diana live quietly in Vermont with five dogs–and long way from his Jewish upbringing in the Jewish/Italian section of Brooklyn. Their two daughters are now grown.
Gary and Diana lived on food stamps for years until he took a college class in writing (he attended numerous college, but never got a degree), and the professor told him he was a natural writer.
We follow Gary as he writes script after script and meets with people to get that first break. We learn just how hard they work, the non-stop nights of writing to have scripts written or rewritten for the next day’s shoot. Anything to keep the stars, the producers and the money people happy!
Mind you, this is a memoir, but Gary sounds like a real nice guy who worked the TV system to take really care of his writers and his stars. There is not one negative word or thought expressed about anyone—and his honesty was most refreshing.
Of course Gary is a great writer of comedy scripts (Family Ties, Spin City, Brooklyn Bridge and many more), but he also tells his own story very well–his humanness, love of family and friends, his protectiveness of his stars, and his Jewish culture and extended family.
This is not only Gary’s story but that of Michael J. Fox’s as well. Gary and Michael had the most wonderful relationship for a long time, followed by some rough spots created by misunderstandings, and then an endearing friendship. Gary was one of the few who knew of Fox’s Parkinson’s illness that they kept from everyone, even rest of Spin City cast, for quite some time.
If you enjoy good writing, wonderful stories and a behind-the-scenes look at a TV sitcom, you’ll love this book. I DID! It lacks any mean spiritedness prevalent in the entertainment business today, so it was a refreshing breath of air.
Armchair Interviews says: A nice-guy-finished first story about a successful Hollywood writer and TV producer–the kid from Brooklyn.
Author’s Web site: http://www.GaryDavidGoldberg.com