Last July, country music sensation and icon Dolly Parton, added yet another arrow to her illustrious quill of accolades. A third Emmy nomination for the singer with These Old Bones, an episode from her Netflix series Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings, is a major milestone for the performer’s film and television career.
Heartstrings is an anthology series of eight movies based on the songs and life stories of Dolly Parton, executive produced by Parton, Sam Haskell, and Patrick Sean Smith. The episode These Old Bones, which stars Kathleen Turner, Ginnifer Goodwin, Kyle Bornheimer, Tyler Crumley, and Mary Donnelly Haskell, is Dolly’s favorite of the series.
The song is based on a real person from Dolly’s childhood, who correctly predicted that she would go on to be a music star one day. Set in the 1940s, the story centers on a determined D.C. lawyer who returns to her small Smoky Mountain hometown to prove herself professionally. When a mysterious old mountain woman, who locals believe to be a fortune teller, threatens a lumber company’s business, a test of faith along with shocking secrets from the past are revealed. The episode was written by Jim Strain and directed by Joe Lazarov.
The last time Sam Haskell and Dolly Parton had a project for television, she and Sam’s team at Magnolia Hill were nominated at the Emmys for Outstanding Television Movie. That bid in 2017 was for “Christmas of Many Colors – Circle of Love,” a story based on her early life in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
While an Emmy nomination is the pinnacle of honors for television, These Old Bones has also recently won a Christopher Award and has received the Movieguide Faith & Freedom Award for TV. Moreover, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings, was honored by the 2020 PaleyFest as one of the best television series of 2019. Dolly, Sam, Kathleen Turner, and Ginnifer Goodwin were all featured panelists for the Paley Center, sharing their insights and experiences from the show. It can be watched here:
In terms of the amazing cast for both the episode and the series, Haskell said during the PaleyFest panel, “These two ladies said yes first. Kathleen and Ginnifer Goodwin set the bar really high in terms of the kind of actors that we wanted to put into our show. We ended up with 40 top actors – Emmy winners, Golden Globe winners, Oscar winners, Grammy winners, and Tony winners.” Dolly echoed that same sentiment to panel host Jim Halterman, “Who better to play Old Bones than Kathleen Turner? She’s just the greatest!”
As Dolly’s producing partner, this is Haskell’s second nomination as an executive producer. Prior to his producing career, he spent 27 years at the William Morris Agency as Executive Vice President and Worldwide Head of Television.
In an interview with Chris Beachum from Gold Derby last June, Haskell said “We should all walk humbly through this life, but if there’s ever been anyone who deserves a ‘thank you’ or pat-on-the-back, it’s Dolly Parton. Dolly is beloved by the world because she loves the world back.” The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on September 20, 2020. The category for Outstanding Television Movie for which These Old Bones is nominated, will be presented on September 19, 2020 at the Creative Arts ceremony.
