Happy's Place Pays Tribute to Dolly Parton in Day of the Dead Episode

NBC's Happy's Place will pay tribute to Dolly Parton in its next episode, which airs on Friday, October 30 at 8 p.m. ET.

The episode is called "Skeletons in the Closet." It centres on Día de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday also known as Day of the Dead, when families remember people they have lost.

Star Reba McEntire said the cast was filming the episode on the day Parton died. "It just felt like the right thing to do as our way of honoring her," she said in comments published by Deadline.

In the story, Bobbie, played by McEntire, and Isabella, played by Belissa Escobedo, place a photo of Happy on their ofrenda, the home altar families build for the holiday. Justina Machado returns as Maritza, Isabella's mother, in a guest role.

The episode carries a dedication to Parton that reads, "In memory of Dolly Parton. We will always love you." McEntire said the episode is about remembering loved ones who have died. "We will always love and remember Dolly," she said.

The tribute follows a gesture on set earlier in the year. In September, NBC Insider reported that the production served a "Dolly Day" menu built around Parton's favourite recipes.

McEntire has also spoken about the days after Parton's death. When colleagues offered their condolences, she told them not to apologise. "Don't say you're sorry," she said, according to People.

For viewers, the episode is a single hour that looks back rather than forward. For the cast and crew, it is also a way of marking a loss that landed in the middle of a working week.

Parton's death came while the show was in production, and the episode was built around that timing. The dedication will appear on screen when the episode airs.