Dolly Parton Dominates: '9 to 5' Airing Becomes Most-Watched Broadcast Movie in Over 3 Years

The passing of beloved music icon Dolly Parton in late August prompted a surge in viewership for tribute specials across four major broadcast networks: ABC, CBS, NBC, and The CW. These quickly-scheduled programs, airing during a typically quiet period for television ratings, attracted substantial audiences, underscoring Parton's lasting impact and appeal.

Among the notable broadcasts, ABC aired a repeat of the classic 1980 film “9 to 5” on Sunday, August 30. This rare broadcast of an older film garnered an impressive 4.275 million viewers in live+same day (L+SD) ratings, making it the most-watched film on a broadcast network in over three and a half years, specifically since December 2022. It was also ABC's most-watched film in nearly six years, since December 20, 2020, which featured “The Sound of Music.”

On the day of Parton's death, August 25, ABC also broadcast the ABC News-produced “Dolly Parton: An American Original – Special Edition of 20/20.” Hosted by “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir, this special averaged 4.051 million total viewers in L+SD. It secured the No. 1 spot in its 10 p.m. time slot, outperforming CBS’ Parton special airing concurrently, and marked the best non-sports telecast in that 10 p.m. slot in three months, since NBC’s “Chicago P.D.” season finale in May. The initial airing of “Dolly Parton: An American Original” subsequently saw its multiplatform viewing audience grow to 6.556 million across ABC, Disney+, Hulu, and other digital platforms. On August 26, it became the most-viewed title on Disney+ and Hulu during its first day of streaming.

CBS News also contributed to the tributes with “A CBS News Special: Dolly Parton—An American Idol,” which aired on the evening of August 25. Anchored by Gayle King of “CBS Mornings,” Tony Dokoupil of “CBS Evening News,” and CBS News senior culture and senior national correspondent Anthony Mason, the special attracted 2.085 million viewers.

On Wednesday, August 26, NBC presented “Dolly: An NBC News Special,” anchored by Lester Holt. This program initially drew 3.952 million viewers, with its audience expanding to 4.5 million viewers when Peacock streaming numbers were included. Concurrently on Wednesday, The CW aired an encore presentation of its special “Dolly Parton: Here I Am,” which achieved a significant 1.299 million viewers, a high number for the network.

The Sunday following her death saw further tribute broadcasts. Besides the “9 to 5” rerun, ABC rebroadcast “Dolly Parton: An American Original,” which captivated an additional 3.566 million viewers. On CBS that same evening, benefiting from a strong “60 Minutes” lead-in, the “Entertainment Tonight” special “Remembering Dolly: A Rhinestone Life” averaged an impressive 5.326 million viewers. Hosted by “ET” anchors Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner, this special featured interviews with Parton dating back to her first chat with the newsmagazine in 1982, up to her final conversation with the show. It also included heartfelt interviews and tributes from other prominent figures such as Dionne Warwick, Melissa Etheridge, Diane Warren, Debbie Allen, and Jennifer Nettles.

Dolly Parton's passing also had a noticeable effect on standard news broadcasts. On August 25, the day of her death, “World News Tonight with David Muir” averaged 9.2 million viewers. For that entire week, “World News Tonight” recorded its largest weekly viewership in five months, demonstrating the widespread public interest and emotional response to the news of her death.