American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story: Season 1

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Mixed or average reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews

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Generally unfavorable reviews based on 13 Ratings

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3.8	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 13 Ratings

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American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story

Now Playing: American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story

Season Details & Credits

Amazon Prime | AMAZON | Season Premiere Date: April 6, 2017

Summary: The docuseries features interviews, archival footage and dramatizations to tell the story of Hugh Hefner's magazine.

Genre(s): Drama, News/Documentary, Documentary

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Season 1 Episodes

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Critic Reviews

David Hinckley

Apr 7, 2017

The series doesn’t go too deeply into several issues raised about Playboy over the years, like exploitation, objectification, and elitism. Instead, when it comes to controversy, American Playboy seems to focus primarily on the accusation that because it flaunted naked women, Playboy was obscene. Read full review

Matthew Gilbert

Apr 6, 2017

Based on the first two episodes available for preview, the biography, authorized by the 90-year-old Hugh Hefner, unfolds like a bland, hagiographic promotional tool or an affectionate eulogy for the magazine, it’s hard to tell which. Read full review

David Wiegand

Apr 6, 2017

What’s missing, at least in the first two episodes, is a deeper conversation about Playboy’s cultural role. ... Otherwise, American Playboy is eminently watchable and generally informative, the kind of look at an enormous cultural icon that PBS might do if “American Masters” included naked women. Read full review

Rob Lowman

Apr 7, 2017

Don’t expect “American Playboy” to stray beyond its message. It’s not exactly “Masters of Sex” in examining the nuances in sexual revolution, and there is little depth to its approach. Nevertheless, the docu-series is pretty watchable if for no other reason than to remind us how crazy those times could be. Read full review

Scott Von Doviak

Apr 7, 2017

An attempt at fusing those two approaches, the 10-part hybrid series American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story weaves archival footage, new interviews, and dramatic re-enactments into a shoddy tapestry. Read full review

Daniel Fienberg

Apr 7, 2017

[A] sniggering white-wash. Read full review

The Daily Beast Kevin Fallon

Apr 7, 2017

Its examination of the events and of Hefner itself is so transparently revisionist and positive, at least in the two episodes given to critics to screen, that you don’t feel compelled to open your mind at all. Read full review

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EludiumQ36

Jul 2, 2017

"American Playboy" is a broad docu-drama of Hefner's life and the Playboy enterprise. The 10-ep series also documents significant events in recent American history that Playboy either influenced or responded to. I wondered half-way through the series if they would only cover up to the 70s,"American Playboy" is a broad docu-drama of Hefner's life and the Playboy enterprise. The 10-ep series also documents significant events in recent American history that Playboy either influenced or responded to. I wondered half-way through the series if they would only cover up to the 70s, for instance, and leave later decades for future seasons. But no, though the series spends a lot of time in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, they covered all subsequent decades in the final episode, which was not really fair or true to its storytelling. In other words, why spend so much episode time in the other decades but give short shrift to the next four decades?! I'm thinking they were originally hoping for a go ahead for subsequent seasons but late in the production were told, nope, this is only a one-and-done venture, so they condensed an entire season's worth of timeline into one final episode and that was a real let down. Now, I had never thought long enough about this or read up on Hefner but the series made it clear that he's an ultra liberal progressive. I'm sure that comes as no surprise but it's just clearly evident now. And that's not to say it's bad, it's just recognition that he's one of the significant forces that moves portions of society to a more progressive position, and the series celebrates that. I came away from watching the series with much more respect for his efforts and accomplishments. Yes, he made mistakes and has a list of regrets, but every larger than life titan does. He seems to have acted much more with compassion than malice in business and personal relationships, and he's lived a life most men can only imagine - he's an alright guy.… Expand

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Seasons & Episodes

43

Series Overview
Season 1

43
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: April 6, 2017
- No episode information is currently available for this season