Two Networks, One Time Slot: ABC and CBS Air Rival Dolly Parton Tributes
On 25 August 2026 at 10 p.m. ET/PT, two of America's biggest broadcast networks will air rival hour-long Dolly Parton tributes in the exact same time slot — a head-to-head scheduling decision that leaves viewers with a choice to make.
ABC's '20/20' will broadcast 'Dolly Parton: An American Original,' a 60-minute special edition presented by ABC News (The Hollywood Reporter). CBS will counter with 'A CBS News Special: Dolly Parton — An American Icon,' also running an hour and also starting at 10 p.m. (The Hollywood Reporter). ABC's own schedule page lists the special under its full title, 'Dolly Parton: An American Original – Special Edition of 20/20' (ABC.com).
The CBS special will be presented by 'CBS Mornings' co-host Gayle King and 'CBS Evening News' anchor Tony Dokoupil, and will draw on excerpts from Parton's interviews across the years (The Hollywood Reporter). ABC News contributor Chris Connelly, whose reporting credits for the network include 'Good Morning America,' '20/20' and 'Nightline' and who has covered subjects ranging from Parton to the band Queen to Stan Lee, is listed among the bios at ABC News's press site (ABC News Press).
For viewers who want to watch the ABC special live without a cable package, the episode can be streamed through services that carry ABC, such as DirecTV and Fubo, both of which offer free trial periods (The Hollywood Reporter). It will also be available on demand from Wednesday, 26 August 2026, with a Disney+ or Hulu subscription (The Hollywood Reporter).
What makes the scheduling stand out is how deliberate it is. Networks occasionally programme competing content in the same slot, but two tributes to the same person, on the same night, at the same hour, is rare. Each network is making a bet that its own framing of Parton's story will be the one viewers choose.
The titles themselves signal slightly different pitches. ABC calls her 'An American Original.' CBS calls her 'An American Icon.' Both are an hour. Both air at 10 p.m. on 25 August 2026. The remote control, as ever, decides the rest.
