I know, I know, you’re sick of blog entries about my DirecTV viewing.

Anyway, Fine Living Network now carries episodes of the original Japanese “Iron Chef,” which I used to love on the Food Network. That show was never originally intended for foreign consumption. Instead of commissioning theme music for the show, Fuji TV borrowed some existing music — specifically, the soundtrack to the firefighter movie “Backdraft.” When the show began airing on American TV, Universal Studios took notice of this. Some sort of arrangement was worked out, and a reference to the theme music was added to the closing credits of the English-dubbed version aired here in the U.S.

But apparently, that arrangement only applied to the show’s original run on Food Network. The episodes now airing on FLN have had every note of the original soundtrack replaced. It feels so strange to see the familiar opening segment, or traditional parts of the show such as the unveiling of the theme ingredient, and hear a completely different soundtrack. The “Backdraft” music, by Hans Zimmer, really did work beautifully in the context of the show.

“Iron Chef America” has its own music, which I assumed was commissioned for the show, and therefore isn’t involved in the situation.