A legacy up in smoke?
Explore the hidden truths behind the fable and philosophy of the Playboy empire through a modern-day lens. The documentary series delves into the complex world Hugh Hefner created and examines its far-reaching consequences on our culture’s view of power and sexuality.
DirectorsAlexandra Dean, Arlene Nelson
CreatorAlexandra Dean
The Playboy Legacy
Jan 24, 2022
Hugh Hefner sold himself as a champion of free speech who created the Playboy brand to set off a sexual revolution that would liberate men and women alike, but over the years he used Playboy to manipulate women to compete for his favor and silenced whistleblowers.
The Girl Next Door
Jan 24, 2022
In the 2000s, Hugh Hefner reinvented himself and his brand through the runaway success of the reality show “Girls Next Door,” starring his girlfriends. The series made mansion life seem like a fairytale, but Holly and Bridget reveal the reality.
The Bunnies & the Cleanup Crew
Jan 31, 2022
Playboy hired the most attractive women in the world by promising an environment where they would always be protected, but outside of the Playboy Mansion, the Bunnies faced dangers and abuses that were covered up by the Playboy “cleanup crew.”
The Price of Loyalty
Feb 7, 2022
This episode explores the 1970s DEA investigation into Hefner, Playboy, and drugs through the lens of two women who lived and worked at Playboy: Hefner's right-hand woman Bobbie Arnstein, who committed suicide while being investigated for drug trafficking, and Playboy Bunny Adrienne Pollack, who died of a drug overdose in 1973.
The Circus
Feb 14, 2022
After decades of silence, Hefner's former number one girlfriend Sondra Theodore shares her story detailing how she was groomed by him to participate in his increasingly abusive sex life. Sondra's testimony shines a spotlight on Hefner's mechanisms for controlling and breaking women.
The Corporate Game
Feb 21, 2022
The Playboy corporate world was billed as a welcoming place for women, but Playmate and eventual Director of Playboy Promotions Miki Garcia and Bunny Mother PJ Masten reveal the rampant sexual harassment they faced within it.
The Big Playboy Lie
Feb 28, 2022
A roundtable of Playmates recount how decades of women modelled for the magazine because they believed that becoming a Playmate would lead to a lucrative career in a safe environment; instead, many faced a hostile environment.
Predators' Ball
Mar 7, 2022
Even in the earliest parties at the mansion, celebrities like Roman Polanski and Bill Cosby are a big part of the allure of the Playboy brand, but Hugh Hefner keeps some Hollywood A-listers happy at the expense of the women.
The Shadow Mansions
Mar 14, 2022
During the 1990s, Playmates, including Pamela Anderson and Anna Nicole Smith, reach peak fame and young women flock to Los Angeles in hopes of being the next centerfold; men in Hefner's inner circle set up shadow mansions where women are exploited.
Predator Number One
Mar 21, 2022
In public, Hefner continually professed that he wanted to protect his "girls next door." But he continually failed. Never before heard stories from Playmate Susie Krabacher, mansion employees Stefan and Stella Tetanbaum, and Sondra Theodore reveal the dark truth that Hefner was the Mansion's Predator Number One.
Behind "The Girls Next Door"
Mar 28, 2022
Former girlfriends of Hugh Hefner Karissa and Kristina Shannon, discuss their experience with Hefner and the hit television series "The Girls Next Door," which introduced a new generation to Hefner and the Playboy lifestyle. Telling their emotional story for the first time, Karissa and Kristina reveal that beneath the sugar-coated exterior was a darker world led by Hefner with increasingly stricter rules designed to control the women in order to maintain the Playboy image.
The Aftermath
Apr 4, 2022
Former Playmates, girlfriends, and employees including Sondra Theodore, Susie Krabacher, Lisa Loving Barrett and Audrey Ann Huskey come together to share their experiences and struggles stemming from their time in the Playboy world. Alongside sex and trauma therapist Dr. Kate Balestrieri, the women reflect on the decades of fear and abuse they experienced and how the Playboy legacy has changed as a result of their decisions to come forward.
Unknownian
@Unknownian
This show has only had 3 episodes at this writing, and I'll return after the documentary is complete to make any adjustments. Also, I want to mention that I knew Hef, and had many fun times at Playboy Mansion parties throughout the 80s. The first major flaw of this series is its title. There are no secrets of Playboy here so far, just personal attacks on Hefner from previous girlfriends. It sounds like any interview may sound, with ex-wives or girlfriends of most wealthy men in America: "Bitterness". No one likes moving back into their apartment after living in that mansion, and enjoying the best life has to offer. (duh!) To be fair to Playboy, we must separate Playboy Enterprises from Hugh Hefner. What activities Hefner engaged in at his home behind closed doors with women that decided to walk up those long stairs to find themselves in Hef's bedroom, is a completely different subject and shouldn't reflect on the Playboy Corporation or the magazine itself at all. Many 'wanna be' Playmates were shot at the mansion for two reasons: The Corporation owned the mansion, and the setting there was perfect for variety, and beauty to enhance a test shoot. The tweak in that scenario, and the reason this series exists at all, is the fact that by contract Hugh Hefner was allowed to live in the Playboy mansion. Hefner rarely wandered down to gaze at the test shoots or the actual Playmate centerfold shootings. The models from out of town (which were the majority), where housed in the Guesthouse about 1,000 feet away from the mansion. Their food was delivered, and they had no reason to visit the inside of the mansion unless they decided to wander over there and do a walk through on their own. Once they decided to climb those stairs, we now have to separate Playboy from Hugh Hefner. We now enter a man's private life. Please keep that in mind when viewing this series.
