In the mid-1970s, Parton was approached by Bill Graham, president of Show Biz, Inc., the same company that produced The Porter Wagoner Show (on which Parton had co-starred for seven years). The syndicated variety show Dolly was created soon afterwards.
Production
The pilot episode with Ronnie Milsap was filmed on February 4, 1976, at Opryland Studios. The series began production of the next four episodes the week of April 26–30.[1] The first 11 episodes had been filmed by July and production was scheduled to resume on October 4, according to an article in Billboard.[2] At the time of the article, the series was committed to 71 stations and was expected to reach 130 stations before its premiere in September.[2] The show boasted a budget of up to $100,000 per episode, an impressive sum for a syndicated series, making it the most expensive show to be produced out of Nashville at the time.[2] A variety of celebrities appeared on the show, including Karen Black, Tom T. Hall, Emmylou Harris, The Hues Corporation, Captain Kangaroo, Lynn Anderson, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Ronnie Milsap, Anne Murray, Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, KC and the Sunshine Band, and Anson Williams. According to a 1978 biography by Alanna Nash, Parton spoke to Bob Dylan and he initially agreed to do the show, but eventually bowed out due to his discomfort with the television medium at the time.
Among the more well received installments, was one featuring the first televised performance of the Trio: Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, a full decade before they released the first of their two critically acclaimed albums.
The show was also the first time Parton and Kenny Rogers worked together; the two would top the country and pop charts in 1983 with their mega hit "Islands in the Stream".
Despite the work that went into the show and the diverse collection of guests, Parton was said to have been less than pleased with the end product, as she found herself singing standards like "My Funny Valentine", which she felt didn't suit her voice or musical style, and interacting with guests with whom she had little in common. She told Nash during a 1977 interview:
"I liked all of the people that were on...but I would have had a totally different lineup of guests myself. It was really bad for me, that TV show. It was worse for me than good, because the people who didn't know me who liked the show thought that's how I was...I mean, I still come through as myself, even with all the other stuff, but not really like I should. Not my real, natural way. And the people who did know me thought I was crazy. They knew that wasn't me. Including me. I didn't know that woman on TV!"
The show lasted only one season despite very high ratings, falling apart when Parton asked out of her contract for a variety of reasons, including the toll that eighteen-hour days were taking on her vocal cords.
Opening and closing themes
The show's opening theme was "Love Is Like a Butterfly". During the opening credits, Parton emerges on a swing and then comes down to sing the opening song, either a cover of a then-current hit, or occasionally one of her own hits.
At the closing of the show, Parton speaks the recitation from "I Will Always Love You", "And I hope life treats you kind, and I hope that you have all you ever dream of. I wish you joy and lots and lots of happiness, but above all this, I wish you love, I love you" and then she says "Goodnight" and sings the rest of the song and the closing credits roll.
Episodes
Dolly originally aired in first-run syndication, meaning its broadcast rights were sold to various television stations around the country. These stations could then choose their own day and time to air the show, as well as what order to air the episodes. Due to this fact, the show aired on different days and times around the county and episodes were shown in various orders. The episodes are presented here in the order they were originally broadcast by WNGE-TV Channel 2 in Nashville on Mondays at 6:30 PM.
Songs: "Let Me Be There" (Dolly); "The Battle of New Orleans" (Dolly); "Blue Finger Lou" (Anne Murray); "Tennessee Born" (Randy Parton); "All I Can Do" (Dolly with Anne Murray and Randy Parton); "Drift Away" (Dolly with Anne Murray and Randy Parton); "Golden Oldie" (Anne Murray); "I Will Always Love You" (Dolly)
Songs: "Proud Mary" (Dolly); "Rhinestone Cowgirl" (Dolly); "I Hope We Get to Love in Time" (Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo); "Love Is Like a Butterfly" (Dolly); "You Can Change My Heart" (Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo); "Take These Chains from My Heart" (Dolly, Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo); "You" (Dolly); "I Will Always Love You" (Dolly)
Songs: "That'll Be the Day" (Dolly and Lynn Anderson); "Sweet Talkin' Man" (Lynn Anderson); "Swanee" (Dolly); "Cry" (Lynn Anderson); "Gettin' Happy" (Dolly); "Taking Care of Business" (Dolly and Lynn Anderson); "We Used To" (Dolly); "Dumb Blonde" (Dolly and Lynn Anderson); "I Will Always Love You" (Dolly)
Songs: "China Grove" (Dolly with Rod McKuen), "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" (Rod McKuen), "Feelings" (Dolly and Rod McKuen), "The World I Used to Know" (Rod McKuen); "My Funny Valentine" (Dolly), "All I Can Do" (Dolly and Rod McKuen), "Every Loner Has to Go Alone" (Dolly and Rod McKuen); "I Will Always Love You" (Dolly)
Songs: "Gypsy Fever" (Dolly); "Let's Do It Again" (The Staple Singers); "The House of the Rising Sun" (Dolly); "Love Me, Love Me, Love Me" (The Staple Singers); "Love with Me" (Dolly); "Highway Headin' South" (Dolly); "The Seeker" (Dolly and the Staple Singers); "I Will Always Love You" (Dolly)
Songs: "Slippin' Away" (Dolly); "Two Lane Highway" (Pure Prairie League); "Down from Dover" (Dolly); "Gypsy Fever" (Dolly); "Afternoon Delight" (Dolly with Debbi Jo and Richard Dennison); "Dance" (Pure Prairie League); "Bye Bye Love" (Dolly and Pure Prairie League); "I Will Always Love You" (Dolly)
Songs: "Sneaky Snake" (Dolly with Tom T. Hall); "Coat of Many Colors" (Dolly); "Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine" (Tom T. Hall); "Cracker Jack" (Dolly); "I Love" (Dolly and Tom T. Hall); "I Care" (Tom T. Hall); "I Will Always Love You" (Dolly)
Guest(s): The Parton Family (Dolly's parents, Robert Lee Parton and Avie Lee Parton; and siblings, Willadeene Parton, Stella Parton, Cassie Parton, Randy Parton, Floyd Parton, Freida Parton, and Rachel Parton)
Songs: "Old Black Kettle" (Dolly and the Parton Family); "I'm Not That Good with Goodbye" (Stella Parton); "Down" (Randy Parton); "Brand New Key" (Dolly and Stella Parton); "Morning" (Willadeene Parton); "In the Pines" (Dolly and the Parton Family); "In the Sweet By-and-By" (Dolly and the Parton Family); "I Will Always Love You" (Dolly)
Songs: "Gettin' Happy" (Dolly); "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (Dolly); "Satin Sheets" (Karen Black); "What Ain't to Be Just Might Happen" (Dolly); "Did You Ever Wonder" (Karen Black); "Me and Bobby McGee" (Dolly and Karen Black); "I Will Always Love You" (Dolly)
During the late 1970s and into the early 1980s, as Parton's popularity grew, Dolly was seen widely in reruns.
On February 27, 2007, six episodes of the series were released on DVD under the title Dolly Parton & Friends.
GetTV began airing select episodes of the series in 2015.
Time Life released the 19-disc box set Dolly: The Ultimate Collection – Deluxe Edition in September 2020 and it features a selection of six episodes of the series, two of which had previously been released on the Dolly Parton & Friends DVD in 2007. Five of the six episodes on the box set are heavily edited due to copyright issues. To date 10 of the series' 26 episodes have been released on DVD.
Title
Episodes
Bonus features
Disc(s)
Ref.
Dolly Parton & Friends
Disc one:
"Featuring Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt"
"Featuring Anne Murray and Randy Parton"
"Featuring Ronnie Milsap"
Disc two:
"Featuring Rod McKuen"
"Featuring Kenny Rogers"
"Featuring Billy Davis Jr. and Marilyn McCoo"
Disc one:
"Comin' for to Carry Me Home" (The Porter Wagoner Show, 1971)
Disc two:
"Foggy Mountain Top" (The Porter Wagoner Show, 1969)
