The Iconic TV Show You Never Knew Dolly Parton Was Involved With

How much do we love Dolly Parton? Let us count the ways. As if her singing and songwriting talents weren't enough to make Parton a legend, there are her performances in films like "9 to 5" and "Steel Magnolias." Meanwhile, the country icon's Imagination Library, which was created to boost childhood literacy, sends more than 3.4 million free books every month to young children around the world. The Dollywood theme park offers just as many thrills and family memories as the Orlando Amusement-Parks-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named too. Parton even has a children's hospital named for her in gratitude for her immense financial support. Oh, and let's not forget Dolly Parton helped create the COVID-19 vaccine offered by Moderna! 

If you need even more proof of the "Jolene" hitmaker's awesomeness, she had a hand in an iconic TV series, and most fans probably don't even realize it. Along with all of her other accomplishments, Parton also owns her own production company, Sandollar Productions, which she founded with her former manager Sandy Gallin. They produced the 1992 film "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," about a high school student who learns she's been chosen to take on the forces of evil. The movie wasn't a box-office success, but Sandollar executive Gail Berman thought it might work as a TV series. "Buffy" took off in a major way, turning Sarah Michelle Gellar into a household name and making vampires sexy again ("Buffy" walked so "Twilight" could run). 

Sandollar produced spinoff series "Angel," starring David Boreanaz as the titular vamp, too. Parton could easily have claimed bragging rights for her part in helping to create a beloved fantasy series, but true to her modest nature, she left her name off the credits of both "Buffy" and "Angel." Only in later years have insiders shared stories of her big heart. 

It might seem out of character for a star-spangled country superstar to have a hand in a teen show about vampires, but when you consider Dolly Parton's body of work, it makes perfect sense that she produced "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." After all, her films and music are all about female empowerment and standing up for what's right. Consider Parton's hit song "Jolene," told by a mousy narrator who dares to tell a femme fatale to steer clear of her man. Buffy Summers may look like just another cute blonde high-schooler, but once she learns that only she can save Sunnydale from a demonic invasion, she (ahem) stakes her claim as the chosen Slayer.

In a 2023 appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, confirmed to the host that "the legend" Parton was, indeed, behind the show. "And, you know, we never saw her," Gellar dished (via YouTube). "Like, we'd get Christmas gifts in the beginning that would have our name, and I would think, 'She doesn't know who I am.' And then one day somebody asked her about it, and she complimented the show and my performance. And I was like, 'Oh, I can die now. Dolly Parton knows who I am and thinks I'm good.'"

The Grammy winner's generosity extended far beyond the cast members. After "Buffy" became a ratings hit, the "9 to 5" hitmaker learned that Sandollar executive Gail Berman had gotten a far smaller cut of the royalties than her male coworkers. An outraged Parton invited Berman out to lunch and presented her with a hefty check to make up the difference. Talk about slay!