Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
| The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Also known as | 'MDA Labor Day Telethon Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon MDA Show of Strength' |
| Created by | Jerry Lewis |
| Presented by |
Jerry Lewis (1966–2010) Nigel Lythgoe (2011) Jann Carl (2011–2014) Alison Sweeney (2011–2014) Nancy O'Dell (2011–2014) |
| Narrated by |
Johnny Olson (1966–1970) Ed McMahon (1973–2008) Shawn Parr (2009–2014) |
| Opening theme | "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin (1966–2012) "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" (Instrumental version) by Kelly Clarkson (2013) |
| Ending theme | "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Rodgers and Hammerstein (1966–2010) "God Bless America" by Irving Berlin (2011) "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King (2012) "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers (2013) "Give" by LeAnn Rimes (2014) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 46 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | R. A. Clark (2012–2014) |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 1290 minutes (1966–2010) 360 minutes (2011) 180 minutes (2012) 120 minutes (2013–2014) |
| Production company(s) |
Muscular Dystrophy Association (national segments) Various local stations (local segments; 1968–2012) |
| Release | |
| Original network |
WNEW-TV (1966–1967) Syndication (1968–2012) ABC (2013–2014) |
| Picture format |
National segments: 480i (SDTV; 1966–2010) 720p/1080i (HDTV; 2011–2014) Local segments: Varied by station (local segments discontinued starting in 2013) |
| Original release | September 4, 1966 – August 31, 2014 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Production website | |
The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon was an annual telethon held each (night before) and Labor Day in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The show was founded and hosted by actor and comedian Jerry Lewis, who hosted the broadcast from its 1966 inception until 2010. The history of MDA's telethon dated back to the 1950s, when the Jerry Lewis Thanksgiving Party for MDA raised funds for the organization's New York City area operations. The telethon was held annually on Labor Day weekend beginning in 1966, and would raise $2.45 billion for MDA from its inception through 2009.
A telethon would broadcast for up to 21½ hours, starting on the Sunday evening preceding Labor Day and continuing until late Monday afternoon on the holiday itself. MDA called its network of participating stations the "Love Network". The show originated from Las Vegas for 28 of the years it was broadcast.
Beginning in 2011, coinciding with Lewis's controversial departure, MDA radically reformatted and shortened the telethon's format into that of a benefit concert, shortening the length of the special each successive year. The 2011 edition was seen on the Sunday evening before Labor Day for six hours. This edition was syndicated to approximately 160 television stations throughout the United States on September 4, 2011.Nigel Lythgoe, Jann Carl, Alison Sweeney and Nancy O'Dell were brought on as co-hosts. shared hosting duties for the 2011 edition.
Successive telethons from 2012 to 2014 ran under the new title MDA Show of Strength and further reduced the show's airtime. The 2012 edition aired on Sunday, September 2, 2012; the job of renaming the new show was given to MDA's advertising agency E.B. Lane (now LaneTerralever). Executive creative director Mark Itkowitz came up with the name MDA Show of Strength, and it quickly gained internal approval. The 2012 edition was reduced to three hours as a primetime-only broadcast. The telethon aired at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time, and was seen live in the Eastern and Central time zones.
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