What’s the Deal with ‘American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story’?

Last August, Deadline reported that Amazon would be creating a docu-series on Playboy founder and living legend Hugh Hefner. Today, all 10 episodes of American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story are now available to watch on Amazon Prime. Much like Playboy’s first 1953 issue, there’s nothing else quite like it.

Half documentary, half scripted re-enactments, the docu-series draws from over 17,000 hours of footage and over 2,600 scrapbooks of Hefner’s personal archive. Though the docu-series sets to retell the legendary media mogul’s rise to prominence and history of activism and controversy, the series also seeks to tell the story of the company at its center as well as the social climate of the time. It’s a series that’s immediately interesting because its subject is so very interesting. Decider had a chance to talk to Cooper Hefner, Chief Executive Officer of Playboy Enterprises and Hugh Hefner’s son, about why the company decided to work on this project now, how involved Playboy was in the final product, and how that involvement affected the docu-series.

When asked why Playboy wanted to make a docu-series about its founder’s life, Hefner first praised the opportunity to work with Stephen David Entertainment. The production company has been behind several re-enacted crime projects such as Roman Empire: Reign of Blood and Shadow of Truth. “The second [reason] is really because there are a whole lot of similarities to what’s happening in our culture now compared to what happened throughout the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s,” Hefner said.

“I think, politically, one can draw a whole lot of comparisons to the conservative movement. Conversations that were really resonating and being debated, from LGBTQ to feminism to first amendment rights, are all somehow on the forefront of conversation again,” he said. “I think the saying ‘history repeats itself’ could not be truer, so it’s an interesting time for us to tell our brand story and really try our best to communicate that these fights and battles were waged long ago.”

Though it’s presented by Amazon and created in part by Stephen David Entertainment, American Playboy was also created by Alta Loma Entertainment and its parent company Playboy Enterprises. According to Hefner, Playboy Enterprises was already talking to Stephen David about working together when the idea for this docu-series came up. “We walked in and met with Amazon, and Amazon said, ‘Absolutely, let’s do a show.’ Now we’re here,” Hefner said.

When asked if American Playboy was a branded docu-series for the company, Hefner confirmed that it was. However, according to Hefner, the only way for the American Playboy to be an authentic look at Hugh Hefner’s life was for the company to be involved in its creation.

“Alta Loma is a production company that we own. You have to understand that if anyone is going to use our IP or want to work with us, Alta Loma is typically involved,” he said. “They were notably involved in The House Bunny with Anna Farris, The Girls Next Door, as well as a piece of their responsibility is adapting short stories from the magazine and from our content library and turning them into feature films with studios or agencies.” One of those short stories, “The Man in the Bomb Suit” became the basis for the Oscar-winning film The Hurt Locker.

Hefner said that since the show wants to use Hugh Hefner’s likeness, it only made sense for Playboy to become involved. “Amazon is not going to move forward with it without the bunny being on it. They want the story to be authentic. They want access to our archives. We obviously want to produce the show with them,” he said.

When asked about how Playboy’s involvement might influence American Playboy‘s take on history, Hefner gave assurances that the docu-series covers the company’s and Hugh Hefner’s scandals along with their accomplishments. “Yes, it is a branded documentary,” he said. “But we wanted to tell a very authentic and real story, warts and all. That is certainly felt and seen in some of the episodes.”

According to Cooper Hefner, his father has seen the warts-and-all docu-series and is “very comfortable with it.” “I think there are a number of other moments where it, I think to a number of people, will outline character flaws while still showing the really fascinating story and creation of the company.”