Dolly Parton’s America Podcast Review

The Pitch:

A 9-part journey into the Dollyverse.

The Product:

If you hadn’t noticed, Dolly Parton is basically a god-like figure in society today, pretty much worldwide, despite the American-centric title of this brilliantly-made podcast.

At a tense and divided time, she unites people of each gender, of differing religious and political beliefs, and even gets sane people in the same room as those who think guns are cool and necessary.

Jad Abumrad, creator of Radiolab, is your host, and this goes some way to explaining a) how it got made, and b) how it is produced to such a high standard.

The episodes have a lot going on. And for me that works. There are clips from the archives, interviews with Dolly and some of those closest to her, deep dives into the music and experiences that inspired her, and personal anecdotes from the host. Including a chance encounter between Dolly and the host’s dad, that set a lot of this in motion.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t listened to all the available episodes yet. I’m saving them. Savouring them. I’m making this sweet…