Amazon Readies 'American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story' Documentary Series for Prime Video

The new docuseries about the Playboy founder is set to premiere in 2017.  

Amazon has greenlit its latest original show, 'American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story.' The 13-episode documentary series will feature a combination of archival footage, interviews, and cinematic reenactments.

"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, Head of Unscripted, 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."

Produced by Stephen David Entertainment and Alta Loma Entertainment, American Playboy 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. As he built his empire, Hefner became both a social justice advocate and a target of the conservative movement, battling with the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover while becoming an outspoken defender of civil rights. With unprecedented access to more than 17,000 hours of never-before-seen footage from the Playboy archives and Hefner's personal scrapbooks (which number more than 2,600 and constitute a Guinness World Record), American Playboy will be the Hugh Hefner story in his own words. The 90-year-old Hefner has been deeply involved in the development and production of American Playboy, imbuing the series with rich first-person accounts and never-before-told stories.

Though an exact release date has not been announced, 'American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story' is set to premiere in 2017 exclusively through Amazon Prime Video in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, and Japan.

"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 Hugh 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."

A current Amazon Prime subscription costs $99 per year or $11 per month. Likewise, Prime Instant Video is available as a standalone service for $8 per month.

Source: Amazon