American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story
2017 · Miniseries · TV-MA · 46 min · ★ 5.7 · 48% critics
This docuseries traces the rise of a magazine founder and the brand he built, using personal archival footage, interviews, and reenactments. It follows how the publication grew into a cultural force while reflecting shifting attitudes around sexuality, celebrity, and social change in mid-century America.
Where to watch
Watch free on Amazon Prime Video — also streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
7 hours to watch · 10 episodes.
Stream (included)
Streaming availability and prices may be inaccurate or change — verify with the provider before subscribing.
unSUB's subscription recommendations are informational only, not financial advice.
More value for your money
Similar titles, ranked by watch-hours per subscription dollar.
Details
- Years
- 2017
- Release date
- 2017-04-07
- Network
- Prime Video
- Language
- English
- Rated
- TV-MA
- Runtime
- 46 min
- Max quality
- UHD
- Critic score
- 48/100
- TMDB rating
- 5.7/10 (38 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a fast-moving, archive-driven look at a major pop-culture brand and its era-spanning influence; Not for you if you want a balanced takedown or dislike reenactments.
Pros: engaging archival footage; brisk, bingeable pacing; cultural history context | Cons: can feel one-sided; reenactments feel corny; includes nudity
Themes
- sexual abuse
- perversity
- sexual revolution
- playboy
- perversion
- sexual fantasy
- sexual humiliation
- docudrama
- perverse sex
- sexual sadism
- substance abuse
- sexual attitudes
- +10 more
Cast & crew
Hugh Hefner
as Himself
Matt Whelan
as Hugh Hefner
Shara Connolly
as Barbi Benton
Joy Buckle
as Marilyn Cole
- AS
Adam Jonas Segaller
as A.C. Spectrosky
Ella Becroft
as Millie Hefner
Laura Thompson
as Christie Hefner
Ian Bell
as Art Paul
Dominique Bela
as Betty Conklin
Beth Kayes
as Grace Hefner
Episodes1 season · 10 episodes
Season 110 episodes
- S1E1Before the Bunny: Marilyn Monroe40mAmazon Prime Video
- S1E2Birth of the Centerfold: The Girl Next Door43mAmazon Prime Video
- S1E3Becoming Mr. Playboy42mAmazon Prime Video
- S1E4Members Only: The Playboy Club41mAmazon Prime Video
- S1E5The Playboy Interview41mAmazon Prime Video
- S1E6Rebel with a Cause: Civil Liberties and Government Crackdowns40mAmazon Prime Video
- S1E7Below the Belt: Playboy and the Pubic Wars41mAmazon Prime Video
- S1E8Sex, Drugs and DEA Investigations39mAmazon Prime Video
- S1E9Down the Rabbit Hole: The Dorothy Stratten Murder43mAmazon Prime Video
- S1E10My Way47mAmazon Prime Video