Amazon Greenlights American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story

SEATTLE: The new Amazon original docuseries American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story will make use of archival footage, interviews and cinematic reenactments to tell the story of Playboy magazine’s founder.

Produced by Stephen David Entertainment and Alta Loma Entertainment, the 13-episode series begins in post-war America and takes us through the launch of Playboy magazine in 1953 and the next six decades of Hefner’s life and career. The series draws from unprecedented access to more than 17,000 hours of footage and 2,600-plus scrapbooks from Hefner’s personal archives.

American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story will premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Austria and Japan in 2017, and be available via the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, mobile devices and online.

“Although Hugh Hefner is an iconic figure known worldwide, most people may not be aware of the impact he has had on some of this country’s most important social revolutions,” said Conrad Riggs, the head of unscripted at Amazon Studios. “We are excited to bring Prime members the untold story of Mr. Hefner’s remarkable life and his contributions to modern American history.”

“It has been a long road in finding the right partners to tell the full story of Playboy as it has unfolded over these past 63 years, and I believe we have found them in the collaborative team of Stephen David Entertainment and Amazon,” said Hefner. “I’m pleased that this docuseries will shed light on what has been an incredible journey and the voice Playboy has had in the discussion of our ever-changing culture. Just as importantly, my hope is that it will inspire others to pursue their dreams.”

“To say that Hugh Hefner has lived a ‘full life’ is an incredible understatement,” added Stephen David, executive producer and president of Stephen David Entertainment. “Hefner created more than a magazine—Playboy became a thrilling lifestyle, one that Hef has embodied for the better half of a century. Bringing Hef’s world to life has been an adventure for SDE, and we cannot wait to share it with Prime members.”