For more than two decades, Jerry Lewis...

For more than two decades, Jerry Lewis has had a goal: to help the Muscular Dystrophy Assn. A key part of that commitment is Lewis’ annual Labor Day Telethon, which gets under way for the 23rd year Sunday at 6 p.m. on Channels 5, 39 and 42. It will continue until 5 p.m. Monday.

Originating from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the telethon will have Ed McMahon as anchorman (for the 16th year). Lewis’ co-hosts will include Sammy Davis Jr., Casey Kasem and Julius LaRosa. Norm Crosby will be a co-host from Los Angeles.

The telethon plays a major role in funding MDA’s effort to find treatments and cures for 40 neuromuscular diseases and provide help for those afflicted by them.

Goals of another sort also will be flooding the TV airwaves starting this week as the football season gets going in earnest. CBS and NBC will broadcast games Sunday as the NFL season begins, and Monday will bring the start of ABC’s “Monday Night Football” schedule.

On Saturday, two local college teams--USC and UCLA--also will be on ABC (Channels 7, 3, 10, 42). The Trojans play Stanford in a 12:30 p.m. game, then at 5 p.m. the Bruins take on Nebraska in a nationally televised game from the Rose Bowl. Overlapping the Bruin game will be CBS’ telecast of Michigan vs. Notre Dame, starting at 6 p.m. (Channels 2 and 8).