Entertainment

The Girls Next Door: Season Two.

B+

Starring Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, Kendra Wilkinson and Hugh Hefner. 540 mins. on three discs. $29.98

THE SETUP: The Girls Next Door, one of the highest-rated series on E! Entertainment Television, follows Playboy pooh-bah Hugh Hefner and his trio of girlfriends – Holly, Bridget and Kendra – as they navigate the fantasy life that is the Playboy Mansion. Never a day goes by when there's not a party to attend, a pictorial to plan or a trip to take.

It sounds like a view into every teenage boy's fantasy, and yet the show is so incredibly girly that most guys will wonder what they've stumbled into. Because at the heart of the show, it's really about the carefree lives these three women have been granted for the small price of dating a man old enough to be their grandfather.

THE SPECIFICS: Among the adventures that season two looks in on are: Hef's 80th birthday party, a barnstorming trip the quartet takes to Europe and a wild night out in Vegas to celebrate Kendra's 21st birthday. This might be the time to offer a special warning or gift, depending on your perspective: All those naughty things they bleep and blur out for television come through loud and clear on the DVD. So be careful to watch in the proper company.

BEST EXTRA: A commentary with the three women offers insight into how a reality show works. You might be surprised to learn which seemingly off-the-cuff moments aren't so spontaneous.

BOTTOM LINE: An entertaining look into how the other half lives.

Stephen Becker