On This Day in 1987: Dolly Parton Dates Burt Reynolds
Remember the short-lived television series, Dolly? It ran for only one season on ABC from September of 1987 to May of 1988 before being canceled. And although it lasted just the one season, Dolly brought in some heavy hitters to the variety show. Stars like Merle Haggard, Tom Selleck, Tammy Wynette, Bruce Willis, Tom Petty, and even Oprah Winfrey shared the stage with Dolly on her weekly show.
The show started off strong in the T.V. ratings but gradually declined in viewership before being pulled the following spring. Thankfully, plenty of old clips are still available online, like the time she had a date with the one and only, Burt Reynolds.
Dolly and Burt had worked together before this. In fact, they played love interests in the 1982 movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which was a big hit for its day, raking in nearly $70 million in the box office.
Judging by this scene, you can tell the two were close friends and admired each other. It's just another piece of nostalgia in the life of Dolly Parton.
When Reynolds died in 2018, Dolly said the two of them were like "brother and sister". Watching these two, side by side all these years later really showcases that.
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