The Girls Next Door

The Girls Next Door was a huge hit for the E! network. The original cast of three girlfriends of Hugh Hefner went from being known solely as eye candy to suddenly becoming major reality show television stars.

Hugh Hefner does not prefer monogamy.

Although Hugh Hefner has been married more than once, the Playboy mogul has made it abundantly clear that his preference is to have more than one woman by his side; sometimes he prefers to have several women who he considers "girlfriends" at the same time. Hefner's girlfriends reside in the Playboy Mansion; some in their own rooms while the preferred girlfriend lives in Hefner's bedroom with him.

The first season of this popular show spotlighted life in the Playboy Mansion for Hefner's three live-in girlfriends: Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt and Kendra Wilkinson. The Girls Next Door viewers were able to get a glimpse at what life is like for one of the most notorious bachelors around while also seeing what it takes to make a group relationship survive.

The Girls Next Door has an ever-evolving cast of people.

Although the show follows the lives of the three ladies, Hugh Hefner steals the spotlight on many episodes. If he isn't ogling other women or wandering around the mansion in his smoking jacket, he's reminiscing about days long past.

Hefner appears to rarely want to leave the house and is very specific about ways he wants things done. He sets curfews for his girlfriends and goes about his editing duties for Playboy with an aggressive vigor. He demonstrates affection for all his girlfriends and is portrayed as a very generous person.

Although there appears to be a veritable revolving door of beautiful women showing up in episodes of this show, the original cast of three was the main focus.

• Holly Madison: Holly was Hefner's #1 girlfriend, a title she appeared to relish and uphold. As the show evolved she began to demonstrate a real talent for editing and producing photo shoots, but her new occupational duties often took her away from her main job: being Hefner's girlfriend.
• Bridget Marquardt: The oldest of the three girlfriends, Bridget enjoyed hosting parties and was not afraid to use her sexuality to get attention. One year on Hefner's birthday she put a lot of effort into putting on a striptease for his party with her as the star.
• Kendra Wilkinson: The youngest of the three girlfriends, Kendra was athletic and impulsive. Her age really showed at times, especially during one interview when she declared that Hefner was her hero, next to her mom and her dog.
• Other Women: The show sometimes showcases the other beautiful women living in the "Playmate House" and those who are visiting for a brief time. Friends and family members of the three women often make appearances on the show as well.

One of the most fascinating aspects for viewers is watching the inner workings of the Playboy Mansion. The huge house is run like a luxury hotel, with room service and personnel poised to handle any request from residents or guests. Above all, the mansion staff ensures that the girlfriends get what they want, as was evident during one episode when the girlfriends decided they wanted the balls being tossed around by the crowd at a jazz concert. The mansion staff scrambled around the crowd, bought the balls from concertgoers and rushed them back to the girlfriends.

All three girlfriends have moved on to different ventures. For some it's a new job while for others it's a new relationship. All three have stated that they will continue to make cameos on this reality show in future episodes.

• Kelly Osbourne Pics
• Kourtney Kardashian Pics
• Lauren Conrad Pics

• What Couples are Still Together from The Bachelor
• Rock of Love Bus
• CBS Survivor Application
• Kate Gosselin
• Jon and Kate Plus Eight

• Real Housewives of Atlanta
• Slideshow:Kendra Wilkinson Gallery
• Make Me a Supermodel
• Main Page
• Category:Reality Show Information