It’s pegged as the documentary event of the season, and quite rightfully so. Premiering on Fox Docos on Foxtel on Sunday, April 24 at 8.30pm, 10-part docu-series Secrets Of Playboy is set to expose the iconic empire.
Using a modern-day lens to explore the fable and philosophy of the brand that became a coveted lifestyle since its inception in 1957, with Marilyn Monroe glam on the first cover and naked inside, Secrets Of Playboy will deep-dive into the complex world founder Hugh Hefner created.
More than just that, though, it will examine the brand’s impact and far-reaching consequences on our culture’s view of sexuality and power.
Hefner posed himself and his nude “Bunnies” as icons of the sexual revolution, but the truth behind that airbrushed veneer was often darker than what was presented to a public eager to believe in the fantasy.
As the magazine’s success grew and the empire expanded across the globe, Hefner created the Playboy Mansion in the hills of California. Presented as a magnet for non-stop good times, it was viewed as a debauched party central, where the cocktails flowed and the woman were all smiles.
With his pipe and maroon robe, plus ever-revolving roster of younger girlfriends, often centre folds from the magazine, Hefner presented himself as the living embodiment of the Playboy lifestyle.
Now, four years after his 2017 death, many of these women, as well as Playboy insiders, are lifting the lid on what life was really like.
Interviews include former girlfriends Holly Madison (of Girls Of The Playboy Mansion), Bridget Marquardt and Sondra Theodore.
There will also be members of Hefner’s staff and inner circle, including his personal bodyguard and butler, as well as former Director of Playmate Productions Miki Garcia, Hefner’s “personal valet” Stefan Tetenbaum, “Bunny Mother” PJ Masten, and Playboy Mansion West resident Jennifer Saginor.
Screening weekly or watch series On Demand on Foxtel, Secrets Of Playboy goes behind the gloss to reveal the secrets of a world many aspired to but few truly understood.
