Dolly ( TV series ) - wikipedia Dolly ( TV series ) For the 1976 TV series also featuring Dolly Parton, see Dolly ! Dolly Dolly Parton and Miss Piggy performing a musical number in a 1987 episode of Dolly Created by Dolly Parton Sandy Gallin Written by John Aylesworth Jack Burns Buddy Sheffield Buz Kohan Fannie Flagg Brett Butler Starring Dolly Parton Country of origin USA No. of episodes 22 Production Producer ( s ) Nick Vanoff Running time 60 minutes ( per episode ) Release Original network ABC Original release September 27, 1987 -- May 10, 1988 Dolly is an American variety show starring Dolly Parton that aired on ABC from September 27, 1987 to May 10, 1988. Contents 1 Overview 2 Partial list of guests 3 References 4 External links Overview The show was an attempt at a traditional variety show, featuring music, comedy skits and various guest stars. It had been roughly a decade since the last successful variety series, The Carol Burnett Show, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and Cher had gone off the air, and it was regarded as a gamble to try to revive the genre. Banking on Parton 's talent and appeal, however, ABC paid the performer a reported $44 million for a two - year contract. It was acknowledged that a great deal of talent and work went into producing the show, but the initially high ratings during the first few episodes steadily declined, and despite many format changes and other attempts to create interest, ratings did not improve. Halfway through the run, Parton, who retained creative control over the show, took command and jettisoned many of the lavish, splashy segments that she felt were not working in favor of a more `` down home '' feel. By this time, however, many of the initial viewers had already stopped watching. To bolster the odds they brought in veteran variety show writers Buddy Sheffield, John Aylesworth, Jack Burns and producer Nick Vanoff. Around this same time, Parton also hired then - relatively - unknown Brett Butler as one of the writers. Bruce Vilanch and Fannie Flagg were also on the writing staff. Guest stars included Tammy Wynette, Merle Haggard, Tyne Daly, Bruce Willis, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Petty, Tom Selleck, the Neville Brothers, Dudley Moore, and Oprah Winfrey. Tyne Daly 's appearance on the show, in which she sang a duet with Parton, directly led to Daly being cast in the lead role in the 1989 Broadway production of Gypsy. The opening theme song was Parton 's 1978 hit, `` Baby I 'm Burning '' ( later to be replaced with `` Hoedown - Showdown '' ) ; as with her 1976 series, Parton closed each week with her signature song, `` I Will Always Love You. '' Though most of the show 's episodes were taped in ABC 's studios in Los Angeles, a number of `` special '' episodes were recorded on location, including one in Hawaii, one in New Orleans, one in Nashville ( featuring most of the cast of the Grand Ole Opry ), and a Thanksgiving episode in Parton 's hometown of Sevierville, Tennessee, featuring most of her extended family. Partial list of guests Tammy Wynette Loretta Lynn Ned Beatty Jackée Harry Jon Lovitz Juice Newton Miss Piggy Jerry Reed Hulk Hogan Ed Koch Dudley Moore Paul Reubens ( as Pee - Wee Herman ) Oprah Winfrey Whoopi Goldberg Burt Reynolds Emmylou Harris Linda Ronstadt Daniel Rosen Bruce Willis Patrick Duffy Christine Ebersole Patti LaBelle Delta Burke The Desert Rose Band Tyne Daly Alabama Tennessee Ernie Ford Lynn Anderson Kermit the Frog Allyce Beasley The Smothers Brothers Willie Nelson Louis Nye Mac Davis Burl Ives Ricky Skaggs Robert Mandan Joe Piscopo The Neville Brothers Tom Jones Lee Majors Paul Rodriguez Brett Butler Tom Petty Glen Campbell Lee Horsley Brenda Lee Barbara Mandrell Smokey Robinson Tom Selleck Terrence Trent D'Arby Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Nell Carter Kenny Rogers Stella Parton Randy Parton References Jump up ^ `` Bruce Vilanch on getting Tyne Daly on Dolly Parton 's show ( Archive of American Television interview ) ''. YouTube. August 2, 2016. Jump up ^ http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tv/dolly-tennessee-ernie-ford/EP000013040004?aid=zap2it Jump up ^ http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tv/dolly-lynn-anderson/EP000013040003?aid=zap2it Jump up ^ http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tv/dolly-the-family-show/EP000013040002?aid=zap2it Jump up ^ http://tvschedule.zap2it.com/tv/dolly-the-family-show/EP000013040002?aid=zap2it This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2016 ) External links Dolly on IMDb Dolly at TV.com Dolly Parton On - Line Dollymania Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dolly_(TV_series)&oldid=866336242 '' Categories : 1987 American television series debuts 1988 American television series endings 1980s American television series American variety television series American musical television series American Broadcasting Company network shows English - language television programs Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from December 2016 All articles needing additional references TV.com template with ID same as Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Edit links This page was last edited on 29 October 2018, at 18 : 59 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: when was the dolly parton show on tv
Answer: from September 27, 1987 to May 10, 1988