Dec.15

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Dem 51

   

GOP 49

I Read The News Today, Oh Boy: Star Trek

Most people know that the original Star Trek has a theme song, alternatively titled "Star Trek," or "Theme from Star Trek" or "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Considerably fewer people know that the song also has lyrics (although it's possible that we've mentioned it before; if so, sorry). Anyhow, here they are:

Beyond
The rim of the star-light
My love
Is wand'ring in star-flight
I know
He'll find in star-clustered reaches
Love,
Strange love a star woman teaches.
I know
His journey ends never
His star trek
Will go on forever.
But tell him
While he wanders his starry sea
Remember, remember me.

They were not meant to be performed; producer Gene Roddenberry only wrote them so he'd get half the music royalties anytime an episode of the show was aired.

That pretty much tells you what last week's theme was, but to spell it out fully, we turn it over to reader J.N. in Zionsville, IN:

The headlines commonality this week is that each was once the theme song for a TV show:

1. "Falling": Theme to Twin Peaks
2. "We Used to Be Friends": Theme to Veronica Mars
3. "Good Ol' Boys": Theme to The Dukes of Hazzard
4. "Welcome Back": Theme to Welcome Back, Kotter
5. "Emergency!": Theme to Emergency!
6. "Love Is All Around": Theme to The Mary Tyler Moore Show
7. "Way Down in the Hole": Theme to The Wire
8. "Think!": Theme to Jeopardy!
9. "Where Everybody Knows Your Name": Theme to Cheers
10. "Those Were the Days": Theme to All in the Family

This e-mail was typed in front of a live studio audience.

Thanks, J.N.!

We're still thinking about a better way to choose the "winners"; for now we're just going to expand the Top 10 to a Top 20:

1. J.T. in Philadelphia, PA
2. R.L.D. in Sundance, WY
3. R.W. in Bensenville, IL
4. J.H. in Sturbridge, MA
5. A.W. in Brooklyn, NY
6. J.H. in Lake Forest, CA
7. S.F. in Hutto, /TX
8. I.G. in New York City, NY
9. N.S. in Los Angeles, CA
10. J.N. in Zionsville
11. M.B. in Albany, NY
12. A.J. in Baltimore, MD
13. D.S. in Chantilly, VA
14. K.H. in Golden, CO
15. J.S. in Springboro, OH
16. J.H. in El Segundo, CA
17. J.E. in Gilbertsville, PA
18. D.L. in Uslar, Germany
19. K.W. in Lafayette, IN
20. J.W. in Pomona, CA

This week's theme, largely by accident, is also TV-related. Obviously, each headline has the name of a TV show in it. Those shows have something in common; it's also common to hundreds of other shows, but the shows that appear here are particularly notable examples. As a hint, we will tell you that among the notable shows that DO NOT qualify for today's headline theme are Seinfeld, The Simpsons, The Wire, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 30 Rock and Mad Men. Maybe The Sopranos, too, although that one's up for debate.

Send your guesses here! (Z)