In a headline-making move that has electrified fans around the globe, Dolly Parton has signed an exclusive $14 million deal with Netflix to create a deeply personal seven-episode documentary series. The announcement has sent a surge of excitement through the music industry and beyond, as the legendary “Queen of Country” prepares to take viewers on the most intimate journey of her life yet.
The series, titled Light of the Smokies: The Dolly Parton Story, will offer a never-before-seen look into the highs, the heartbreaks, and the human spirit behind one of the most iconic women in entertainment history. From her dirt-poor upbringing in the hills of Tennessee to her rise as a global superstar, the series promises not just glitz and glamour—but grit, grace, and grit again.
“Dolly Parton is more than a music legend,” Netflix said in a statement. “She is a cultural force. A living symbol of perseverance. This series will pull back the curtain in a way fans have never seen before.”
At the core of Light of the Smokies is Dolly herself—not just the rhinestone-studded performer, but the daughter, the dreamer, the entrepreneur, and the quiet giver. The show will trace her journey from writing songs in a one-room cabin to becoming one of the most powerful women in business and philanthropy. Her decades of chart-topping hits, public victories, and private struggles will all be laid bare, painting a portrait not just of a legend, but of a life lived fully.
What makes this project even more remarkable is the access granted. The production team, led by an Oscar-winning director known for emotional storytelling, has been given full access to Dolly’s personal archives—rare home videos, handwritten letters, personal journals, and unreleased footage from the past fifty years. Fans will finally get to witness the real woman behind the wigs, the sequins, and the spotlight.
The documentary is expected to delve into both triumph and turmoil—from her early days on The Porter Wagoner Show, to building her Dollywood empire, and her behind-the-scenes efforts to support children’s literacy, disaster relief, and families in crisis. “We’re not just telling a story of music,” said the director. “We’re telling the story of America’s heart.”
With Light of the Smokies, Dolly Parton is opening her life like never before—and in doing so, she’s inviting the world to see that behind every rhinestone is a woman who never stopped dreaming, even when the world told her not to.
Coming soon to Netflix, this series is poised to become one of the most powerful documentaries of the decade—and a reminder that true greatness comes not from fame, but from authenticity.
