The BEST episodes of American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story

Every episode of American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story!

The Amazon Original Series draws from unprecedented access to more than 17,000 hours of footage and over 2,600 scrapbooks from Hefner's personal archives, chronicling the life of an American icon and the history of the brand he created.

Last Updated: 3/30/2026Network: AmazonStatus: Ended

7.71

309 votes

#1 - Before the Bunny: Marilyn Monroe

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 4/7/2017

The surprising story of how Marilyn Monroe became Playboy's first pin-up.

7.57

107 votes

#2 - Sex, Drugs and DEA Investigations

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/7/2017

Hugh Hefner's secretary and close friend, Bobbie Arnstein, finds herself at the center of a conspiracy to take down the Playboy empire and her loyalty to Hefner proves deadly.

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7.56

91 votes

#3 - My Way

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/7/2017

With Playboy on the brink of bankruptcy, Hefner sacrifices friends and leans on family to secure the brand's future.

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7.49

172 votes

#4 - Becoming Mr. Playboy

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/7/2017

During the mid-1950s, Hugh Hefner and Playboy gain national success, giving Hefner an opportunity to speak out about social issues while enjoying the perks of being Mr. Playboy.

Birth of the Centerfold: The Girl Next Door

7.49

191 votes

#5 - Birth of the Centerfold: The Girl Next Door

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 4/7/2017

Hugh Hefner convinces his new subscription manager to pose as the magazine's first centerfold and "the girl next door" becomes Playboy's formula for success.

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Below the Belt: Playboy and the Pubic Wars

7.42

103 votes

#6 - Below the Belt: Playboy and the Pubic Wars

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 4/7/2017

While Hugh Hefner finds love and success in Hollywood, Playboy fights Penthouse in the pubic wars.

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Down the Rabbit Hole: The Dorothy Stratten Murder

7.32

99 votes

#7 - Down the Rabbit Hole: The Dorothy Stratten Murder

Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 4/7/2017

After the death of Bobbie Arnstein, Hugh Hefner retreats permanently to his Los Angeles mansion, only to face the murder of Playmate Dorothy Stratten.

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The Playboy Interview ("I Read the Magazine for the Articles")

7.29

113 votes

#8 - The Playboy Interview ("I Read the Magazine for the Articles")

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/7/2017

Hugh Hefner creates the Playboy Interview, giving a platform to cultural leaders to discuss pressing social issues, and publishes a controversial interview with Malcolm X.

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7.22

147 votes

#9 - Members Only: The Playboy Club

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 4/7/2017

To bring Playboy's bachelor lifestyle to the public, Hugh Hefner opens the Playboy Club in Chicago and creates the perfect nightlife hostess - the bunny.

Rebel with a Cause: Civil Liberties and Government Crackdowns

7.13

122 votes

#10 - Rebel with a Cause: Civil Liberties and Government Crackdowns

Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 4/7/2017

Hefner becomes addicted to an amphetamine drug that lets him work around the clock, using the pages of the magazine to fight for civil rights and ultimately publish what would become Martin Luther King Jr's final written words.