Mark Wahlberg Is Producing a Reality Show Starring MIT Students

A&E ordered the pilot, and it will be called The Big Brew Theory.

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It’s not even a joke anymore: A&E is gradually turning into the Wahlberg Network. Deadline has reported that Mark Wahlberg is producing yet another Boston-set reality show with a pilot order by A&E called The Big Brew Theory.

The name is obviously a play on CBS’s sitcom The Big Bang Theory, a show that’s a combination of funny, smart, and nerdy. Wahlberg’s series will follow “four quirky and highly intelligent MIT grad students who have pooled their life savings to achieve their dream of creating a home-grown microbrewery and team up with a beautiful MIT undergrad to launch their business.”

Basically, the show sounds like a “reality” take on HBO’s new Silicon Valley series—smaht kids hoping to make big bucks for smaht ideas.

The Big Brew Theory marks Mark Wahlberg’s fourth Boston-based reality pilot ordered by A&E. Among his others are Wahlburgers, which he stars in and produces with brothers Paul and Donnie; Breaking Boston, a show about struggling female 20-somethings that was axed after one episode, and Teamsters, which never aired.

So, Wahlberg is 1-for-3 right now in terms of successful reality shows. The odds aren’t in his favor here, but this show has a fresh take on the people of Boston. Last year, it seemed like Boston was becoming the new New Jersey as we found ourselves bombarded with “trash TV.” That said, Wahlberg is pretty smart himself for looking into the students and intellectuals around these quarters. The take is not only a faithful one, but it’s refreshing as well.