Playboy's Penthouse is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 variety / talk television show hosted by Playboy

Playboy

Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...

 founder and then-editor/publisher Hugh Hefner

Hugh Hefner

Hugh Marston "Hef" Hefner is an American magazine publisher, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Playboy Enterprises.-Early life:...

. It was first broadcast on October 24, 1959 and ran in syndication for slightly more than one year with a second season starting on September 9, 1961 with Jack E. Leonard

Jack E. Leonard

Jack E. Leonard was an American comedian who made frequent appearances on television variety and game shows.-Biography:...

, Anita O'Day

Anita O'Day

Anita O'Day was an American jazz singer.Born Anita Belle Colton, O'Day was admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances shattered the traditional image of the "girl singer"...

, Buddy Greco

Buddy Greco

-Biography:He was born Armando Greco in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Greco began playing piano at the age of four. His first professional work was playing with Benny Goodman's band. Most of Greco's work has been in the jazz and pop genres...

, and George Wein

George Wein

George Wein is an American jazz promoter and producer who has been called "the most famous jazz impresario" and "the most important non-player... in jazz history"...

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Development

The show was designed as a way to spread Playboy magazine's influence beyond the printed page and to help non-readers get to know Hefner.

The show, recorded at Chicago station WBKB-TV

WBBM-TV

WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...

, was set up as if it were a party at Hefner's own apartment, with many Playboy Playmates and bunnies in attendance. Celebrity guests would engage in conversation with Hefner and then perform, as well. The theme was written by Cy Coleman

Cy Coleman

Cy Coleman was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist.-Life and career:He was born Seymour Kaufman on June 14, 1929, in New York City to Eastern European Jewish parents, and was raised in the Bronx. His mother, Ida was an apartment landlady and his father was a brickmason...

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Legacy

In 1969, Hefner launched a show in a very similar style, Playboy After Dark

Playboy After Dark

Playboy After Dark is an American television show hosted by Hugh Hefner. It ran in syndication through Screen Gems from 1969 to 1970 and was taped at CBS Television City in Los Angeles....

 which was taped in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

. Episodes of Playboy's Penthouse were included in the DVD release of Playboy After Dark in 2006 and footage from the show has been used on Hefner's most recent program, The Girls Next Door

The Girls Next Door

The Girls Next Door, also known as The Girls of the Playboy Mansion, is an American reality television series broadcast on the E! cable television network...

.