The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon individual stations, airing on ABC on Sunday, September 1, 2013, and running two hours. The final edition aired on ABC on August 31, 2014, again as a two-hour special, beginning at 9PM ET/PT. It was announced on May 1, 2015 that the MDA would be discontinuing the annual event for good. Jerry Lewis began hosting telethons to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Associations of America (MDAA) in 1952 after a plea from a staff member who worked with Lewis and Dean Martin on "The Colgate Comedy Hour". Lewis had previously taken part in what has been described as the very first
Jerry Lewis watching a virtuoso pianist at the keyboard". Lewis was the subject of a documentary "Jerry Lewis: Method to the Madness". Peter Chelsom, director of "Funny Bones" wrote, "Working with him was a masterclass in comic acting – and in charm. From the outset he was generous." "There's a very thin line between a talent for being funny and being a great actor. Jerry Lewis epitomised that. Jerry embodied the term "funny bones": a way of differentiating between comedians who "tell" funny and those who "are" funny." Director Daniel Noah recalling his relationship with Lewis during production of "Max Rose" wrote,