Kevin Hart's 'Muscular Dystrophy': Release date, plot, host, trailer and all you need to know about the legendary telethon

In 2020, comedian and actor Kevin Hart is looking forward to filling some very large shoes as the show makes a comeback
Kevin Hart (Getty Images)
Kevin Hart (Getty Images)

In June 1950, Paul Cohen, a prominent New York business leader living with muscular dystrophy, focused on the urgent need to raise funds to advance research seeking treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy. One of the newly created Muscular Dystrophy Association's first goals, when it started in 1950, was to recruit celebrities who could help promote them to the American public.

On June 29-30, 1956, renowned comedians Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis co-hosted their first MDA telethon from New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall. On May 16, 2011, Jerry Lewis announced his retirement as host of the annual MDA Labor Day Telethon. In 2020, comedian and actor Kevin Hart is looking forward to filling some very large shoes as the show makes a comeback.

Release date

The special will stream live Saturday from 8-10 p.m. ET on Hart's LOL Network and its YouTube and Pluto TV channels, as well as on TikTok, Triller and Twitch. SiriusXM will air an encore of the show on its Laugh Out Loud Radio channel on October 26 at 4 p.m. ET and October 27 at 10 am ET. 

Plot

Throughout the decades, the legendary Labor Day broadcast originated from different locations, including New York, Las Vegas and Hollywood. The telethon will look dramatically different in its newest iteration. The ongoing coronavirus necessitates it being a virtual event, it obviously falls later than Lewis' Labor Day weekend event; and Hart's version will only last two hours as opposed to Jerry's scheduled 21½ hours of running time.

Cast

Kevin Hart is a stand-up comedian, actor, and producer. His career suffered a slow start, as he was booed off stage several times, once even having a piece of chicken thrown at him. Hart came to prominence from his guest appearance in 'Undeclared'. He made his film debut in the film, 'Paper Soldiers'. Hart then gained further recognition from his other films such as the 'Scary Movie' franchise, 'Soul Plane', 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin', 'Death at a Funeral' and 'Little Fockers'.

Trailer



 

Kevin Hart did a promotional video for the telethon where he can be seen receiving phone calls from famous celebrities.

If you like this, you'll love these:

‘The Graham Norton Show’

‘My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman’

‘60 Minutes’

‘A Little Help with Carol Burnett’

‘The Daily Show'

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

The limited series will follow Myra Massey as she secretly investigates the suspicious disappearance of a childhood friend
2026-10-28T02:53:37.000Z
Julia Garner leads Apple TV’s 'Guilty Creatures', a true-crime thriller about a forbidden romance, murder, religious faith with a deadly secret.
2026-10-27T19:52:41.000Z
MGM+ adapts horror podcast 'The Black Tapes' into a supernatural investigation drama about paranormal cases, mysterious recordings, and conspiracy.
2026-10-27T16:58:11.000Z
The 'Landman' star explores the Mayflower voyage and its aftermath in a three-part historical docudrama for Fox Nation.
2026-10-27T16:24:18.000Z
Wanda seeks a new ally as Leon’s clinic comes under threat ahead of ‘The Drop’ Season 1 finale.
2026-10-27T15:42:37.000Z
Mia Perry Bowick explains her father’s absence and shares family memories in Netflix’s new documentary.
2026-10-27T14:18:03.000Z
'The One About Matthew Perry' sheds light on the circumstances that led to the 'Friends' actor's death
2026-10-27T10:03:46.000Z
The director revealed that the ‘Friends’ cast members were approached for the Netflix documentary
2026-10-27T09:01:08.000Z
‘Line of Fire’ Episode 6 delves deeper into Brandon and Russ’s complex dynamic
2026-10-27T06:23:16.000Z
‘Task’ will not feature several characters from the first season
2026-10-27T04:28:40.000Z