Muppets and Bear on 2007 MDA Telethon!

Jerry Lewis’ annual Labor Day Telethon to raise money and awareness for Muscular Dystrophy will begin on Sunday September 2 and will continue for 21.5-hours. The exact broadcast times vary, so check local listings.

MDA national chairman and telethon star Jerry Lewis will be joined by anchor Ed McMahon and co-hosts, Jann Carl, Tom Bergeron, Alison Sweeney, Tony Orlando, Billy Gilman, Norm Crosby, Bob Zany and the Muppets. This year’s on-air talent includes Celine Dion, Montgomery Gentry, Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, Tony Danza, Ivanka Trump, John Madden, Vanessa Williams, Michael Urie, Ace Young, The Commodores, George Wallace, John Tess, Lance Burton, Louie Anderson, Maureen McGovern, Ronn Lucas, the casts of Grease and Legally Blonde, Bear (from Bear in the Big Blue House), and many more.

That’s right folks, The Muppets will be co-hosting a block of the telethon! Plus Bear (from Bear in the Big Blue House) will be performing! Although this won’t be their first time on the telethon -- Kermit the Frog performed on the telethon in 2002; Bear sang a few song in 2003, Statler and Waldorf popped in throughout the 2005 telethon and Johnny Fiama and Sal co-hosted and performed in 2003 and 2005. We don’t know when the Muppets or Bear will appear during the 21-hour show, nor do we know exactly what surprises they will bring with them – you’ll just have to tune in for the whole show to see.

The telethon raises funds - just a tad more than $61 million last year - for the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s programs of research and health-care services for children and adults affected by one of more than 40 neuromuscular diseases in MDA’s program.

So get ready to stay-up late, or to set up multiple VCRs so you can catch all 21-hours, or program your TiVo to pull some overtime- simply put, just be sure to tune in to for the 2007 MDA telethon – which will feature the Muppets co-hosting, Bear performing and many other surprises. For more information on the telethon and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, visit MDA.org.