Orbach Lives!

From Rush & Malloy, gossip columnists in the NY Daily News:

Jerry Orbach died in December - yet the commercials he made for a mortgage company continued to run in New York and nationally.

They went on despite promises from David Peskin, president of the Senior Lending Network, to immediately halt the promos the day after Orbach's death.

Elaine Orbach, the widow of the "Law & Order" star, is unhappy about it and considering her legal options, according to The News' Deborah Kolben.

"It was spooky," one viewer told us. "It was like he was selling mortgages from beyond the grave."

Reps for the beloved New York actor, a former Broadway musical star, would not comment.

But Peskin spokeswoman Laura Bennett told us: "Yes, it's true that one or two ran as many as 10 more days [after Orbach's death]. But we asked the stations to pull them, and they told us they couldn't be pulled out of rotation.

"We never heard from the Orbach family. We're very sorry if they are upset. It was a real blow. He was very easy to work with and he was tremendously successful."

Bennett added that the company will announce a new spokesman next week.

A Toobworld Note:

That's bullbleep that they only ran for 10 days after Orbach's death. I saw one at 9:15 am on January 27th [on CNN]. So that's about a full month since his death. I've got nothing against seeing his actual performances, especially as Lennie Briscoe, even though he's passed on. In fact, I can't wait until 'Trial By Jury' finally debuts so we can see his final two episodes as Lennie.

But schilling mortgages from the afterlife? There was only one thing creepier I've seen in a similar vein: seeing Phil Foster ('Laverne & Shirley') hawking for a New York local furniture store many years after his death!