Themes from other music

[aaron sica]

Cosby was also a music composer, as he wrote the themes for The Bill Cosby Show (called Hikky Burr), The Cosby Show (Called "Kiss Me Honey"), as well as the theme music for his version of You Bet Your Life, and I believe, his last sitcom, simply called "Cosby" which reunited him with Phylicia Rashad and featured Madelyn Khan in her final role. 

Actually, the theme for The Cosby Show (which was just "Kiss Me", and not "Kiss Me Honey") was co-written by Stu Gardner with Bill Cosby.

[GameShowGuru]

This may not have been inspired per se, but every time I hear Van McCoy's song "Do the Hustle", I am reminded of the theme to "The Cross-Wits".

Speaking of Maynard Ferguson, his rendition of the theme from "Shaft" was used on the unsold game show pilot "Big Spenders", hosted by Pat Harrington (which IMO should have sold, my wife and I absolutely loved the show).  Was that also used as the theme to "Blank Check"?

Speaking of "Shaft", was that the inspiration of the "Second Chance" theme song (and its board rotation SFX)?

[mystery7]

Blank Check was an Alan Thicke theme based on Chump Change (and that was fun to write):

"Chump Change" has the rare distinction of being knocked-off twice. Blank Check used it in the pilot, but were forced to go with a sound-alike for the series after Now You See It beat them to the punch...then NYSI used a sound-alike of its own for a few weeks (which it kept using as a commercial outro cue even after the real "Chump Change" returned).

I think Ferguson's Shaft could have been great as some station's 5:00 news package. You be the judge: