TNT Pays Month-Long Tribute to Beloved LAW & ORDER Detective Lennie Briscoe
Every October Episode of Blockbuster Series LAW & ORDER To Feature Jerry Orbach�s Long-Running Character
Daytime Episodes Oct. 2-6 Focus on Key Moments in Det. Briscoe�s Career
In honor of what would have been the actor�s 71st birthday on Oct. 20, TNT is paying a month-long tribute to actor Jerry Orbach and the beloved character he created for LAW & ORDER, Det. Lennie Briscoe. The I ? LENNIE celebration kicks off Monday, Oct. 2, and runs throughout the month, with every episode of the series airing on TNT in October featuring the three-time Emmy� nominee, including back-to-back episodes airing Mondays 8-11 p.m. and Tuesdays 8 p.m.-midnight. In addition, daytime episodes running Oct. 2-6 at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. will focus on crucial moments in Lennie Briscoe�s life and career, including his first and last appearances on the series, his bout with alcoholism, his defense after being falsely accused of corruption and three episodes about his drug-addicted daughter.
Jerry Orbach portrayed the veteran Detective Lennie Briscoe on LAW & ORDER for 12 years, then reprised the role for the first few episodes of Law & Order: Trial By Jury before he passed away suddenly in 2004. Through 274 episodes of the original series, the character he created demonstrated a keen mind for investigation and an extremely dry wit. His pithy and sometimes off-color comments, often at the expense of the deceased, became his character trademark.
Born in the Bronx, Orbach graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., and went on to study with famed acting teacher Lee Strasberg. His professional acting career began in the theater, doing summer stock at the age of 16 before making his first New York stage appearance at the age of 21 in The Threepenny Opera as Mack the Knife. In 1960, he created the role of El Gallo in the Off-Broadway milestone The Fantasticks and was the first to record the show�s signature song �Try To Remember.� Orbach made his Broadway debut in 1961 in David Merrick�s production of Carnival and received his first Tony nomination for his portrayal of Sky Masterson in the City Center revival of Guys and Dolls. He won a Tony for his starring role in Promises, Promises and has also appeared in such shows as The Cradle Will Rock, Scuba Duba, 6 Rms Riv Vu and Chicago. It was in the latter production that Orbach met his first wife, Elaine Cancilla, who replaced Chita Rivera as his co-star.
Orbach toured with the national company of Neil Simon�s Chapter Two for nine months and was last seen on Broadway in the original production of 42nd Street. He was inducted into the Broadway Hall of Fame in 1999.
No stranger to film, Orbach�s extensive credits include creating the role of Lumiere in Walt Disney�s animated classic Beauty and the Beast. He also co-starred in such films as Postcards from the Edge, Woody Allen�s Crimes and Misdemeanors, Dirty Dancing, Someone to Watch Over Me, F/X, Brewster�s Millions, Prince of the City and The Gang That Couldn�t Shoot Straight.
In addition to LAW & ORDER, Orbach�s television credits include Emmy�-nominated appearances in Neil Simon�s Broadway Bound and The Golden Girls. He also made appearances in Empty Nest and Murder, She Wrote and played Harry McGraw in the 1988 series The Law and Harry McGraw. Orbach received his third Emmy� nomination in 2000 for his work on LAW & ORDER.
The following is the line-up for LAW & ORDER daytime episodes airing Oct. 2-6, focusing on key moments in Lennie Briscoe�s life and career:
Monday, Oct. 2
2 p.m. �Point of View� (ep. 68012) � Lennie Briscoe makes his first appearance, taking over for Det. Ceretta, played by Paul Sorvino.
3 p.m. �Aftershock� (ep. K0125) � Lennie�s alcoholism is addressed after he is among the witnesses to an execution.
Wednesday, Oct. 4
3 p.m. �Corruption� (ep. K1101) � Briscoe is investigated for allegedly stealing evidence from a police lockup.
Thursday, Oct. 5
2 p.m. �Bad Girl� (ep. K2524) � Lennie�s daughter Cathy, played by Jennifer Bill, is arrested for dealing drugs.
3 p.m. �Damaged� (ep. 2522) � Briscoe is devastated to learn that his daughter Cathy has died.
Friday, Oct. 6
2 p.m. �Monster� (ep. K2527) � A snitch offers Lennie a chance to avenge his daughter�s death.
3 p.m. �C.O.D.� (ep. E4319) � Briscoe bids farewell to the 27th Precinct.
Turner Network Television (TNT), a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., is television�s destination for drama and one of cable�s top-rated networks. It offers original movies and series, including the blockbuster detective series The Closer, starring Emmy�, Golden Globe� and Screen Actors Guild Awards� nominee Kyra Sedgwick; Saved, a new character-driven drama starring Tom Everett Scott; and this summer�s four-week television event Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King. TNT is also home to powerful one-hour dramas, such as Without a Trace, Law & Order, Las Vegas, Cold Case, ER, Charmed and Judging Amy; broadcast premiere movies; compelling prime-time specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards�; and championship sports coverage, including NASCAR and the NBA. TNT is also available in high-definition.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and a leading provider of programming for the television industry.
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