If you grew up anywhere near a television set in the 1980s or 90s, those four words are burned into your brain. You've heard it. Sit, Ubu, sit. Good dog. It’s followed by a single, sharp bark. It’s iconic. Honestly, for a lot of us, that brief clip of a black dog holding a frisbee in his mouth meant one thing: the show is over, and it’s time to go to bed or change the channel.
It’s weird how nostalgia works. We remember the dog, but most people don’t actually know who Ubu was or why a guy named Gary David Goldberg decided to put his pet at the end of every episode of Family Ties and Spin City. It wasn't just a random production logo. It was a tribute.
The Real Ubu Roi
Ubu wasn't some studio-hired canine actor. He was a real-life black Labrador Retriever belonging to Gary David Goldberg, the powerhouse producer who founded Ubu Productions. Goldberg didn't just find Ubu at a breeder; he found him during a period of massive personal transition. Back in the late 1960s, Goldberg and his wife, Diana Meehan, were traveling the world. They were basically living the classic bohemian lifestyle. While they were in the Virgin Islands, they encountered a dog.
Ubu Roi—named after the absurdist play by Alfred Jarry—became their constant companion.
This dog traveled across the globe. We aren't just talking about a trip to the park. Ubu went from the Caribbean to Berkeley, California, and eventually to the high-pressure world of Hollywood. He was there before the fame, before the Emmys, and before the massive syndication deals. When Goldberg started his production company in 1981, he didn't name it after himself in some ego-driven move. He named it after the dog that had been by his side through the lean years.
Why Sit Ubu Sit Good Dog Became a Cultural Phenomenon
The "vanity card"—that’s the industry term for the little logo at the end of a show—is usually boring. It’s a corporate symbol or a static image. But sit ubu sit good dog felt personal. It felt human. The photo used in the tag shows Ubu in the grass at the Tuileries Garden in Paris. That’s a specific detail most people miss. It’s not a backyard in Burbank. It’s a moment from Goldberg’s travels.
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The voice you hear? That’s Gary David Goldberg himself.
He’s the one telling Ubu to sit. The "woof" that follows wasn't a stock sound effect from a library. It was Ubu. There’s something deeply authentic about a creator ending his work by essentially saying "Good job" to his dog. It resonates because it's a universal interaction. Every dog owner has said those exact words. It stripped away the Hollywood gloss.
It also served a practical purpose in the world of television. In an era of "appointment viewing," those logos were signals. If you heard Ubu, you knew Family Ties was done. It was a sonic cue that became part of the rhythm of American life. You've probably found yourself saying it to your own dog at some point, maybe without even realizing where it came from.
The Legacy of Ubu Productions
Goldberg’s company wasn't just a one-hit wonder. Through Ubu Productions, he gave us Family Ties, which arguably made Michael J. Fox a superstar. He gave us Brooklyn Bridge and later Spin City. Every single one of those shows ended with that same photo of Ubu.
Ubu Roi passed away in 1984.
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Think about that for a second. Family Ties ran until 1989. Spin City ran well into the early 2000s. That means for decades, millions of people were seeing a dog that had already passed on. It’s a bit bittersweet, isn't it? Goldberg kept his friend alive through the medium of television. It’s one of the longest-running tributes in entertainment history. It’s a testament to the bond between a person and their pet.
The industry eventually moved toward "split-screen" credits where they cram the production logos into a tiny corner so they can show a preview for the next show. It’s annoying. It killed the personality of the vanity card. But Ubu survived that transition for a long time. Even today, on streaming services like Netflix or Paramount+, when the "skip intro" or "next episode" button pops up, many viewers wait just to hear that bark.
Technical Trivia and Misconceptions
There are a few things people get wrong about the Ubu tag.
- The Breed: Some people swear he was a Pitbull or a mutt. Nope. He was a purebred black Lab.
- The Voice: No, it wasn't a professional announcer. It was Goldberg.
- The Bark: There is a persistent myth that the dog in the photo isn't the one barking. In reality, while the photo was taken in Paris years prior, the audio was recorded specifically to capture Ubu’s essence for the logo.
The simplicity of the production is what makes it work. There are no flashy graphics. No 3D animation. Just a photo, a voice, and a dog. It’s a masterclass in branding by accident. Goldberg didn't set out to create a "brand." He just wanted to honor Ubu.
Why We Still Talk About a Dog from 1984
In the 2020s, we are obsessed with "authentic" content. Influencers try so hard to look like they aren't trying. But Goldberg did it effortlessly forty years ago. Sit ubu sit good dog is the ultimate example of authenticity. It’s a private moment shared with millions.
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It’s also about the era. TV used to be a shared experience. We all watched the same shows at the same time. That shared experience included the "stings" at the end. Whether it was the MTM cat meowing, the Stephen J. Cannell typewriter, or Ubu, these were the signatures of our childhoods. Ubu felt like the friendliest of the bunch. He wasn't a corporate lion roaring at you. He was just a good dog.
When Gary David Goldberg passed away in 2013, the tributes didn't just mention his talent as a writer or his success as a producer. They mentioned Ubu. The man and the dog were inextricably linked in the public consciousness.
Actionable Takeaways for the Curious
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this slice of TV history, there are a few things you can do to see the impact of Ubu Productions.
- Watch the credits: Next time you’re binging a classic sitcom on a streaming platform, don't skip the last ten seconds. Look for the different versions of the card; while the photo stayed the same, the quality of the film grain changed over the years as technology evolved.
- Read "Sit, Ubu, Sit": Gary David Goldberg actually wrote an autobiography with this exact title. It’s a fantastic look at the 1970s and 80s TV landscape. It’s less about "how to be a mogul" and more about the philosophy of storytelling and staying true to your roots.
- Explore the "Vanity Card" subculture: There is a whole corner of the internet (specifically sites like the CLG Wiki) dedicated to the history of these production logos. You’ll find that Ubu is widely considered one of the "Mount Rushmore" logos of the industry.
- Observe your own branding: If you're a creator, think about what your "Ubu" is. What is the one personal, quirky thing you can include in your work that makes it undeniably yours?
The story of Ubu isn't just about a dog. It’s about how the most personal things we do often end up being the things that connect with the most people. Goldberg loved his dog, and because he shared that love in a simple, unpretentious way, we all ended up loving Ubu too. Good dog.