This past week's Secret Theme rounds

Every team that played at Ray's this past week figured out the Secret Theme in their contest. Only two of the Frank's teams - the first and second place teams - did the same. How would you have done?

For the new visitor, the Secret Theme round consists of 10 questions worth 5 points each which can be on any topic. There is a theme running through the 10 answers known only to me at the beginning of the quiz, and if you figure out the thread those ten answers have in common, I award you 8 additional points. Remember that if you figure out the theme you can often use that to work out answers to questions you missed the first time 'round.

Ray's:

1) In the movie Cast Away, what name does Tom Hanks give his volleyball friend?
2) Name the martini-drinking dog on the TV show Family Guy.
3) In Inyo National Forest you can see bristlecone pines believed to be the world's oldest living creatures. In what US state is this forest?
4) What eponymous electric musical instrument, used to make spooky sounds in movies, was invented in Russia in 1919?
5) On the show Laverne & Shirley, when the girls move out to California what is the first name of their new ditzy blonde neighbor?
6) What long-running newspaper comic was created by Hank Ketcham in 1951?
7) What '60s American rock band, fronted by Arthur Lee, released the critically acclaimed album Forever Changes in 1967?
8) What was the code name of the nuclear fusion weapon first tested by the US in 1952?
9) What classic '60s sit-com revolved around comedy writers for the fictional Alan Brady Show?
10) What word associated with travel in Africa is from the Swahili word for "journey," which in turn comes from the Arabic verb to travel?

... and what's the theme?

Frank's:

1) What jazz legend composed the song "Round Midnight" and the album Brilliant Corners?
2) What cocktail, when first invented in 1874, was a mixture of sweet vermouth and rye (there are now a number of variations)?
3) What famous figure of ancient history had a horse named Bucephalus?
4) What political scandal involving anti-Semitism famously divided France in the 1890s?
5) Tiffany Pollard is a very famous woman these days - by what name do we know her better?
6) If your birthday is August 1, what astrological sign are you?
7) What American saint is considered to be the father of American parochial schools?
8) What toy was accidentally invented in a General Electric lab in 1943?
9) What WWF wrestler was paired with Tiger Ali Singh in the late 1990s?
10) What TV network is 80% owned by General Electric?

... and what's the theme? It's coincidental that two of the questions mention G.E.; that's not what I'm looking for.