In the highly competitive world of streaming services, Tubi has made a name for itself. It’s a weird name, sure, but it’s a name. Tubi is free with commercials, which companies like Netflix probably think is madness, but more importantly it’s packed with movies and TV shows that pretty much all the other streamers don’t give a crap about.

You can find big releases licensed from major studios, but you can get those anywhere. Try finding the 1988 Canadian TV series “T and T” — about Mister T working as a legal aid — on Netflix or Disney+. They would never. Tubi is the equivalent of the quirky mom and pop video store located just down the street from a parasitic Blockbuster that can’t quite put them out of business, because Blockbuster doesn’t carry esoteric oddities like the 1990 ultra-low budget compilation video “That’s Action” hosted by Robert Culp.

Harriet Halpern Beck, a veteran attorney and TV executive who represented Laugh-In producer George Schlatter and worked on deals for Saturday morning kids shows, died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness, a publicist announced. She was 80.

Upon graduation from Loyola Marymount University law school in 1980, Beck landed a job as a business affairs attorney for Filmways, then moved into children’s television as vp business affairs for Ruby-Spears Productions.

There, she helped shape Saturday morning TV as the company supplied such shows as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Mister T, Rambo, Punky Brewster, Dragon’s Lair and Rubik, the Amazing Cube to networks.

She later worked ...

Harriet Halpern Beck, a veteran attorney and TV executive who represented Laugh-In producer George Schlatter and worked on deals for Saturday morning kids shows, died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness, a publicist announced. She was 80.

Upon graduation from Loyola Marymount University law school in 1980, Beck landed a job as a business affairs attorney for Filmways, then moved into children’s television as vp business affairs for Ruby Spears Productions.

There, she helped shape Saturday morning TV as the company supplied such shows as Alvin and the Chipmunks, Mister T, Rambo, Punky Brewster, Dragon’s Lair and Rubik, the Amazing Cube to networks.

She later ...

Scooby-Doo co-creator Ken Spears died on Friday, November 6. He co-founded Ruby-Spears Productions with Joe Ruby, who died in August. Spears was 82.

Spears’ son Kevin confirmed his death to Variety, saying that he died from complications related to Lewy body dementia.

A Los Angles native, Spears co-created the iconic animated series Scooby Doo with Ruby. He was born Charles Kenneth Spears in L.A. on March 12, 1938. He befriended the son of animation producer William Hanna of Hanna-Barbera fame. This was his way into the animation space.

In 1959, he was hired to work at Hanna-Barbera Productions as a sound editor. It was here he met Ruby and they forged a bond and became writing partners. They wrote teleplays for projects at Hanna-Barbera as well as Sid and Marty Krofft Television Productions and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises.

In addition to Scooby-Doo, the duo created Dynomutt, Dog Wonder, Jabberjaw and other programs. While at Depatie-Freleng, they...

Ken Spears, co-creator of the beloved animated series “Scooby-Doo” and co-founder of Ruby-Spears Productions along with the late Joe Ruby, died Friday. He was 82.

Spears’ son, Kevin Spears, tells Variety that he died from complications related to Lewy body dementia.

“Ken will forever be remembered for his wit, his story-telling, his loyalty to family, and his strong work ethic,” Kevin Spears says. “Ken has not only made a lasting impression on his family, but he has touched the lives of many as co-creator of ‘Scooby-Doo.’ Ken has been a role model for us throughout his life and he will continue to live on in our hearts.”

Born Charles Kenneth Spears on March 12, 1938, Spears grew up in Los Angeles, Calif., where he befriended the son of animation producer William Hanna. Spears was later hired at Hanna’s company, Hanna-Barbera Productions, in 1959 as a sound editor. While working in the editing department,...

Joe Ruby, best known for co-creating the cartoon Scooby-Doo, died of natural causes at his home on Wednesday Aug. 26, according to Variety. He was 87.

Ruby along with his partner Ken Spears, also made Dynomutt and Jabberjaw, and the 1988 animated Superman series, as well as making cartoons out of Pac-Man, Rubik The Amazing Cube, Donkey Kong. They masterminded Space Ace, Dink the Little Dinosaur, It’s Punky Brewster, and TV movies Bunnicula, the Vampire Rabbit and The Cabbage Patch Kids First Christmas.

Joseph Clemens Ruby was born on March 30, 1933. He grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from Fairfax High School. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. Ruby trained as a music editor at the Walt Disney Studios animation program in the 1950s. He became a sound editor at Hanna-Barbera Productions, where he first partnered with Spears. They wrote a spec script and were hired as staff writers in the 1960s.

Animator and Scooby Doo co-creator Joe Ruby has died. The co-founder of production company Ruby-Spears passed away in Westlake Village, CA on Wednesday. He was 87.

A rep for Ruby told Deadline that the animator died of natural causes after years of dealing with health issues.

The animator, who teamed with Ken Spears to create Dynomutt, Dog Wonder and Jabberjaw, was born in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 30, 1933. He began his animation career under Walt Disney Productions before shifting his focus to editing and producing.

After serving in the U.S. Army, Ruby met soon-to-be collaborator Spears at Hanna-Barbera Productions, where the two worked together to create multiple animated and live-action titles, including cartoon juggernaut Scooby Doo.

Ruby and Spears’ group of crime-solving teens and their anthropomorphic mascot first hit the screen on CBS in 1969. The series introduced Velma, Daphne, Shaggy, Fred and the beloved Scooby Doo to kids and cartoon enthusiasts across America,...

Animation writer and executive Joe Ruby, who created cartoon series including “Scooby-Doo” along with his partner Ken Spears, died of natural causes Wednesday in Westlake Village, Calif. He was 87.

At Hanna-Barbera, Ruby and Spears created series including “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?,” “Dynomutt” and “Jabberjaw.”

“He never stopped writing and creating, even as he aged,” said his grandson Benjamin Ruby.

“Scooby-Doo” launched on CBS in 1969 after going through a number of versions. It was launched as a gentler series partly in response to complaints about violence in cartoons such as “Space Ghost.” Together with character designer Iwao Takamoto, Ruby and Spears tried a number of titles and approaches, such as making the characters part of a rock band, before settling on the now-classic combo of Freddie, Velma, Daphne, Shaggy and a Great Dane named Scooby-Doo.

Ruby and Spears wrote the first five episodes, supervising and story editing the rest of the first season.

Apple would have had to stop importing and selling the iPad 1 and 2 for At&T and the iPhone 4 for At&T and T-Mobile, among other products, if U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman hadn’t stepped in today to veto a U.S. International Trade Commission ban on them. The Itc ruled on June 4 that Apple had infringed on Samsung patents dealing with 3G transmissions. It would have taken effect after a 60-day waiting period if the Obama administration didn’t overturn it. Froman did so, he said, based on the order’s impact on “competitive conditions in the U.S. economy and the effect on U.S. consumers.” He added, though, that the veto “is not an endorsement or a criticism” of the Itc. It also leaves open the opportunity for Samsung to “continue to pursue its rights through the courts.” This is one of several patent infringement...

A Short Shout! of the day from Christopher and Leizelle Guiness, titled Captain T And T. In the film, 6-year-old “Thin Foot” strives to become the hero in his own life. It stars: Kden Hee Chung, Blair Cameron, Sherwin Marcelle, Lucille Poon Kwong, Arlene Simon, Jabari Mcqueen, Niall Royal, Runty Magic, Rizario St Cyr, Wayne Burgess, Mark Wallace and Zeek Loregnard. Watch the 12-minute short below (h/t Afrofurist Affair):...

At&T and T-Mobile took a major step backward in their attempt to merge, announcing Thursday that they have withdrawn their application to the Federal Communications Commission for approval of the $39 billion deal. The move comes after FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski indicated on Tuesday that he did not approve of the deal, informing other commissioners that the matter should be sent to an administrative hearing. That is the first step towards blocking the proposal. The agency typically makes such referrals in cases where it cannot find a public benefit to a deal,...

Updated: The merger of the wireless companies was already on the ropes after August when the Justice Department said it would challenge the deal in court on antitrust grounds. Now FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is circulating a draft order that would add an important additional barrier to the deal: It would ask an administrative law judge to consider whether the combo would serve the public interest — after the end of the Justice trial, due to begin in February. That would significantly delay and complicate the At&T and T-Mobile’s merger plans. The last time the FCC did this — in 2002 when Echostar wanted to merge with DirecTV — the companies scrapped their plan. Genachowski’s proposal follows a conclusion by FCC staff that consumers would be harmed if At&T and T-Mobile merge. “The record clearly shows that — in no uncertain terms — this merger would result in a massive loss of U.