RICH LITTLE BAILS OUT MIKE HAMMER

When actor Stacy Keach was thrown into an English prison on a cocaine smuggling charge, plans for the final three episodes of the “Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer� TV series were thrown into chaos.

Keach didn’t escape from prison, but his voice found its way back to the set, thanks to impressionist Rich Little. And the show went on.

Little, who has done similar work in the past for actors who died or got sick before their work was completed, said Thursday he was used only for Keach’s narration, a distinctive feature of the series.

“Stacy had done all the dialogue but not the narration,� Little explained. “I had to learn to do his voice in three days.

“All three shows have been on the air and nobody complained, so I guess it worked OK.�