Mrs Playmen: A Fascinating Biopic?

Mrs Playmen (Season 1/Italy/2025) is a biographical series inspired by the dramatic life of an Italian publisher, Adelina Tattilo. Season 1 of this biopic picks up her historical life story when the opportunist husband of Adelina Tattilo (Carolina Crescentini) leaves her in charge of the Italian erotic magazine Playmen.

Focus: Mrs Playmen (Season 1/Italy/2025) Series

Age Restrictions: TV-MA | "Mature Audience Only" (18+)

Spoiler-Free Series Review

Synopsis (official)

Inspired by true events.
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Betrayed by her husband, a woman, Adelina Tattilo (Carolina Crescentini), must step up and run an erotic magazine that becomes a symbol of empowerment in 1970s Rome.
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So, thereafter, Adelina, head of the infamous Italian erotic magazine "Playmen," challenged conservative norms through elegant nudes, daring topics promoting female desire, and intellectual discourse, amid backlash in religious 1960s-70s Italy.
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There was a woman who laid Italy bare: her name is Adelina Tattilo, and you are not ready for her story. 

Her Story

Right at the beginning of this 7-part series, the female protagonist Adelina Tattilo is introduced to the viewers by a newsreader:

“Italian Adelina Tattilo, the controversial publisher of the erotic magazine “Playmen”, has been included by the UN in the list of the world’s 30 most influential women. Tattilo, the only Italian to ever receive that recognition, joins other women as illustrious as Indira Gandhi and Simone de Beauvoir. The decision split the public, as some believe that Tattilo solely publishes pornography, while others credit her with a minor revolution in the customs and morals of our country (Italy).”

Mrs Playmen

In 1967, Adelina Tattilo and her husband, Saro Balsamo, founded and started the Italian erotic magazine “Playmen” in Italy. Notably, this Italian series showcases her success as the publisher of “Playmen”, in addition to offering insights into her personal life and the betrayal by her husband.

So, her biographical drama transports us back to the 1960s-1970s era in the city of Rome, Italy. It is worth mentioning that not only is this city, Rome, historically associated with Christianity, but it is also the centre of the Roman Catholic Church. No wonder, in those historical eras, Italy was still a society immersed in religious conservatism. Moreover, the rights of women were certainly not on par with those of men in Italy. Given this kind of traditional and old-fashioned society, it is unimaginable that Adelina led an intelligent and unprecedented transgression in a very religious and conservative Italy.

Poster (official)

Adelina Tattilo (November 13, 1928 – February 1, 2007) was an Italian publisher, journalist, film producer, and a trailblazing individual in the realm of erotic magazines in Italy.

Fascinating Character

✅ The real-life story of Adelina Tattilo is indeed fascinating. She came from a humble and conservative background. Despite the several setbacks, she remained a smart fighter who was a strong believer in family, feminism, sisterhood and women’s rights.

✅ Even after the dishonesty and unfaithfulness of her husband, she does not break down. She emerges stronger and takes the reins of her publishing business into her control. Surrounded by male colleagues in offices and outside, she often makes smart decisions.

✅ When she learned that the police in particular cities would carry out a monthly mass confiscation of the magazine. So, she cleverly made sure that her magazine “Playmen” stayed available to the public. So, it often sold like hot cakes from the news-stand.

However, the said adult magazine rarely remained on newsstands for over 48 hours before being sold out or taken by the law enforcement authorities.

✅Although in this biographical show, Adelina Tattilo is shown as some kind of liberal but a flawed heroine. As a publisher, she made quite a few questionable decisions. However, let us not forget the era in which she was born and worked. It was not easy being an independent woman, as Elsa’s tale showed.

And to err is human. Isn’t it?

Positive Points

➕ Before watching this show, we did not know anything about the protagonist Adelina Tattilo and her “Playmen” magazine. So, it was captivating to watch her character arc. Her transition from a homemaker to a bold publisher was remarkable.

She really took on the world dominated by menfolk and the orthodox old guard.

➕ The Italian lead actress, Carolina Crescentini, has injected a lot of style and vigour while portraying Adelina Tattilo in this series. She is engrossing to watch on-screen as she takes on the chauvinist pigs (MCPs) of the world, on her own terms.

➕ The almost parallel story of another small-town lady, Elsa, was equally absorbing. Her transformation from a timid and helpless young girl to a strong and independent lady is worth watching. Another Italian actress, Francesca Colucci, has played Elsa quite well.

➕ This anti-conservative Italian story also takes a closer look at quite a few bold issues in those historical times in Italy, Europe. So, in this adult (18+) series, you are going to find stories focusing on gays, closeted gays, gigolos, nude models, etc. {And the conservatives may not like it at all}

➕ We also liked the performances of the rest of the ensemble cast. However, we especially appreciate the performances of Filippo Nigro, Francesco Colella, Giuseppe Maggio, Cecilia Dazzi, etc.

FM Rating

The Conclusion

These European series are digging and bringing up the modern historical tales to non-European viewers like us are doing a wonderful job. We did not know about all of these Italian facts. We think Mrs Playmen is a well-made series that deals with adult subject matters, maturely.

It is a fascinating biopic indeed. And, why does its open-ended first season finale suggest that there is much more material available to further explore Adelina Tattilo’s life story? Is her magazine “Playmen” going to challenge the might of “Playboy” in America?

Well, that is definitely a possibility.

Also, read the FM Series Review of another Historical drama from Europe, "The New Force (Season 1/Sweden/2025) Series" in our Focus Magazine.

Key Details

Trailer (official)

Bonus YouTube Video Link: Mrs Playmen | Official Teaser | Netflix.

Episodes Summary | Spoiler-Alert

Adelina Tattilo is betrayed by her husband, leaving her in charge of his erotic magazine - and responsible for its sudden entanglement with the law.

Thrust into her new role, Adelina faces money troubles at home and at work, and must decide whether to exploit a tragedy to keep the magazine afloat.

As the magazine battles stiff competition, Adelina targets a demure TV host to be its new cover star. Chartroux takes a meeting behind the editor's back.

A new kind of model in the office catches Adelina's eye. Elsa tries to promote a product that could get Playmen into even more trouble with the law.

A journalist touts photos of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, which could destroy her reputation, but secure Playmen's future. Both Adelina and Elsa go on dates.

Divorce papers in hand, Adelina travels to Nice to ask Saro for help. Over dinner, she encounters a famous face featured in her own magazine.

The future of Playmen hangs in the balance. As Elsa desperately looks for a new angle to use in the trial, Adelina gets distracted by a family emergency.

Poster and Featured Image of the Mrs Playmen (Season 1/Italy/2025) Series | Pictures Credit: Netflix.