Dolly Parton’s Company Produced ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ And Fans Are Stunned By Claire Spellberg
April 24, 2020 // 2:30pm
Dolly Parton; Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy Photos: Getty Images/Everett Collection Does it still count as working “9 to 5” if the world doesn’t know about it? This week, the Independent reported that Dolly Parton was partially responsible for hit drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as she owns the company that executive produced the show, Sandollar Entertainment. Longtime fans were floored by the surprise Dolly-Buffy crossover, with one even tweeting that they’ll be “booking a trip to Dollywood to show some gratitude” after the coronavirus lockdown ends. As we all should.
According to the Independent, Parton and her business partner Sandy Gallin co-founded Sandollar Entertainment in 1986. The company produced a number of films throughout the ’80s and ’90s, including Father of the Bride the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. While Buffy received mixed reviews from critics, Sandollar executive Gail Berman believed strongly in the property and pitched it as a television show, which proved far more successful. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer series ran from 1997 to 2003 on The WB/UPN and quickly became a cult classic, not to mention a critical darling.
While Gallin and Berman are both credited as executive producers on Buffy as well as spinoff series Angel, Parton is not explicitly credited for the series. The only indication that the legendary singer was involved comes at the end of each episode, when the Sandollar Entertainment logo flashes onscreen.
If Parton is upset about the lack of recognition, she doesn’t seem to show it. In fact, in a 2016 New York Times profile, Berman revealed that Parton once wrote her a check when she learned that “men at the company had given Ms. Berman a less-than-generous share of Buffy royalties.”
Parton’s 20-year secret stunned Buffy fans. “I was today years old when I found out that Dolly Parton was an uncredited executive producer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” tweeted the user who kickstarted Dolly-mania. “Here’s another reason I love Dolly Parton,” added another passionate fan. “She help[ed] give us the greatest show about female empowerment since the dawn of television.”