DOLLY PARTON VARIETY SERIES DUE

Dolly Parton will star in a weekly variety series for ABC next season, the network said Monday. It will be the first variety series on one of the commercial networks since another country music singer, Barbara Mandrell, shut down her NBC show in 1982.

Despite the absence of variety programming in recent years, ABC said it had given an unusual two-year commitment to “The Dolly Parton Show.”

“There are few stars in the world who have the instant recognition and sheer likability of Dolly Parton, and to say we are delighted that she will be part of our weekly series lineup next fall is the understatement of the season,” said Brandon Stoddard, president of ABC’s entertainment division.

The precise format of the show has not been worked out, but it will feature Parton and guests with music, dancing and comedy, said Sandy Gallin, who will serve as executive producer of the series. He is Parton’s manager and business partner.

Asked why Parton, at this point in her career, wants to devote herself to a TV series, Gallin said, “She wants to utilize her talents. She doesn’t want to sit around waiting for the perfect movie script to come in. She feels she is a performing talent and should be in front of an audience entertaining people. What better platform to do that than a weekly variety show?”

Except that there hasn’t been a successful one in so long--a fact with which Gallin is familiar. He tried to get one off the ground in 1983, co-producing and hosting three specials for NBC called “Live . . . and in Person.” Despite a sterling lineup of guests, the shows garnered dismal ratings.

“I’m certainly no Dolly Parton,” he joked in a telephone interview Monday, comparing that show to the new one. “That’s sort of a major difference.”

In another scheduling announcement Monday, CBS said that its news series “West 57th” will rejoin the prime-time lineup April 6 and will stay on the air for at least 26 weeks.

The fast-paced magazine series had a six-week run in 1985 and a 13-week stint in 1986. It will be anchored this time out by John Ferrugia, Bob Sirott, Meredith Vieira, Jane Wallace and Steve Kroft.

CBS said that “West 57th” will be seen during April on Mondays at 10 p.m., temporarily preempting “Cagney & Lacey.” In May it will move to Tuesdays at 8 p.m. A summer time slot will be set later.

Also planned for the summer, the network said, is a revival of a “Person-to-Person”-type interview series, with Diane Sawyer as host.