Sit Shiva Ubu, Sit Shiva

Gary David Goldberg, who made a Canadian garden gnome one of the biggest TV stars of the 1980s, has died of brain cancer at the age of 68. Goldberg’s TV career began as Scooterman, lead character of an Israeli language teaching show for children. After stints as a writer on The Bob Newhart Show, The Tony Randall Show, and Lou Grant, he started his own company Ubu productions, named for the good dog he praised at the end of every episode. Ubu produced the Michael J. Fox vechicles Family Ties, Spin City and added to the many motherhoods of Marion Ross by casting her as the matriarch of Brooklyn Bridge.