Christmas just came early, y’all! Dolly Parton continues her long tradition of creating fun and exciting holiday content thanks to her multi-development deal with NBC. The network giant just announced that the country music legend will headline Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas later this year.
The full description from the network reads:
“A modern-day movie musical about the making of a network TV special, Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas is the frenetic backstage story and delightful on-camera results of Dolly’s desire to uplift an exhausted world’s spirits by sharing the unique ‘mountain magic’ she has always found in and around Dollywood at Christmas. Throughout the movie’s production numbers and rehearsal chaos, Dolly finds herself taking a private journey into her past, guided by the mysterious appearances of her personal Three Wise Men.
When it’s time for her big special to air live, a renewed and inspired Dolly goes rogue and shows the world that the real magic of Christmas lies in the hearts of the children we all once were, the realization that Christmas is about the people we share it with, and how her faith remains the common thread between Christmases past, present, and future.”
Warner Bros. Television will be producing in association with Magnolia Hill Productions and Sandollar Productions. In addition to starring in this movie musical, Parton is also co-writing with Magnolia Hill’s Sam Haskell and co-executive producer David Rambo. Haskell has previously worked with her on four other TV specials, while Rambo is best known as a producer and writer for the hit shows Empire and CSI. Other notable names include co-executive producer Hudson Hickman, and producers Billy Levin and Bob Kelly — all three are associated with Magnolia Hill.
Dolly Parton and Christmastime
This is Parton’s third holiday movie with NBC since 2015, when she starred in Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors. She then returned the following year with Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love. In addition to her ongoing deal with the network giant, she’s also released Christmas at Dollywood on the Hallmark Channel and starred in Netflix’s Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square, which won an Emmy in 2021 for Outstanding Television Movie.
Like many popular artists, Parton has also released regular holiday music throughout most of her decades-long career. In 1984, she paired up with the late Kenny Rogers for their collaborative album Once Upon a Christmas and CBS’ Kenny and Dolly: A Christmas to Remember. Her next holiday album, 1990’s Home for Christmas, was accompanied by yet another TV special, ABC’s Dolly Parton: Christmas at Home. And 2020 saw yet another chart-topping album and successful CBS special, both entitled Holly Dolly Christmas.
Furthering her holiday credentials, Parton's Tennessee-based theme park, Dollywood, consistently outranks Disney World as the Best Theme Park Holiday Event in America.
This Holiday Season On NBC
Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas is just one of many exciting holiday specials coming to NBC later this year. In fact, Parton’s goddaughter Miley Cyrus is returning to host Miley’s New Year's Eve Party for the second year in a row. And, of course, there’s the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade followed by Christmas in Rockefeller Center less than a week later.
There’s no set date or time on this new meta movie musical just yet. But when it does air, the Elf Squad will be ready to sing along with our favorite country music superstar.