Dolly is an American variety show starring Dolly Parton broadcast in first-run syndication from September 13, 1976, to March 7, 1977. Background 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. The first 11 episodes had been filmed by July and production was scheduled to resume on October 4, according to an article in Billboard. 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. 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. 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