'Dolly Parton's Heartstrings': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and everything you need to know about the country music anthology
Dolly Parton is one of the legendary female country singers of her time. She has made a huge impact on the music industry and has a fan base that stretches across the globe. Her journey through the world of music will be featured on Netflix's new anthology that is based on eight of her most popular songs by the name 'Dolly Parton's Heartstrings'. This new country music series will showcase an indispensable part of her life that the fans will truly enjoy and cherish.
Release date
The show can be streamed on Netflix from November 22.
Plot
The anthology will look into eight of her songs that will each have one episode dedicated to them. The first episode will look into the song 'Jolene' which will have Julianne Hough playing the part of Jolene, along with Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Dallas Roberts, and Parton herself who will help in making the journey of this song come to life. The storyline for this episode follows a free-spirited lady who hopes to leave her hometown of Conventry, Georgia, to fulfill her dream of becoming a singer-songwriter.
The second episode will feature the song 'These Old Bones' which will have Kathleen Turner, Ginnifer Goodwin and Kyle Bornheimer who will bring the song into existence on screen. The storyline here will be based on a young lawyer who returns to her hometown when a mysterious woman from the mountains believed to be a fortune teller by the natives threatens a lumber business company. It is set to be in the 1940s.
The third episode will feature the song 'JJ Sneed' starring Colin O'donoghue, Willa Fitzgerlad, David Denman, Mac Davis, and Vannesa Rubio to depict the storyline of this song which will take you back to the 1880s where a young woman is trapped in her own fantasies of living for more, when a seductive fugitive takes her on an escapade of a lifetime.
The fourth episode based on the song 'If I Had Wings' will tell the story of three siblings who receive an invitation to their distant father's birthday. While they meet him on their Mississippi farm they confront him about all his mistakes. This episode will star Gerald McRaney, Ben Lawson, Brooke Elliott, Michele Weaver, Delta Burke, and Tim Read.
The fifth song is 'Cracker Jack' which tells the story behind how the past and the present intertwine to reveal the unconditional bond and love shared between a girl and her dog. The present time frame has thrown some big life challenges that she will have to face and overcome. This episode will be executed by Sarah Shahi, Rochelle Aytes, Jessica Collins, and Tammy Lynn Michaels.
The sixth episode will go into the journey of the song 'Sugar Hill' which tells the tale of a married couple who relive their love story during a road trip. This will be starring Timothy Busfield and Patricia Wettig star along with Virginia Gardner and Tom Brittney.
The seventh episode will feature the song 'Down From Dover' which explores the life of a pregnant teenager who finds a new home after being shunned by her father while waiting for her the return of her lover, who is a soldier. This will star Holly Taylor, Shane McGhie, Robert Taylor, Bellamy Young, Camryn Manheim, and Mary Lane Haskell.
The last and final episode eight will star Melissa Leo, Ray McKinnon, Andy Mientus, Katie Stevens and Michael Willet. This song's story is based on a family's secret which unfolds during a wedding on New Year's Eve leaving the guests to wonder if the ceremony will carry on.
Cast
Dolly Parton
This anthology stars many actors and actresses throughout the eight episodes. But the main character will remain Dolly Parton. She is an actress, author, businesswoman, humanitarian, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, a record producer who is primarily known for her brilliant work in country music.
Director
Patrick Sean Smith is set to serve as the showrunner and additional executive producer. All episodes were set to be written by Jim Strain except 'These Old Bones' that will be directed by Joe Lazarov. Additionally, 'If I Had Wings' would be directed by Timothy Busfield.
Trailer
The first trailer of 'Dolly Parton's Heartstrings' released November 5 and it gives audiences a sneak peek into the eight different stories the series will feature, inspired by Parton's eight songs. In the trailer, Parton says her songs are stories set to music and that is the core idea of the show.
She says, "Every triumph, every struggle, every smile, every sorrow — it’s the melody of my memories. It’s the sound of my heartstrings." From 'Jolene', 'Down from Dover' to 'If I Had Wings', and 'JJ Sneed' every song has a story.
The most fascinating story is the one that accompanies 'Jolene' which will see Julianne Hough as Jolene. The show will consist of 8 hour-long episodes and we cannot wait to see them unfold.
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