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The poster of Strange Brew, a 1983 movie

Odd news reported by Beernews website, according to which the Fox is apparently planning a television series set in a craft brewer. Strange Brew – the temporary title – recounts the adventures of a small but successful family-owned microbrewery, around which the lives of family members are intertwined, committed to tackling the problems associated with work and cohabitation. For the record, the name is the same as a 1983 movie, of which you find the poster beside.

The series is still in an embryonic stage, so it is possible that will never be brought to light. However the project is planned in detail and has a good chance of reaching the TV in the upcoming season. First, the authors are not newcomers, as they are the same people who created the sitcom Will & Grace. Moreover, behind the project, there is Warner Bros, which has previously expressed interest in the craft beer topic having supported the making of Beer Wars feature.

Director of the series will be Marc Buckland, Emmy awarded for My Name is Earl and nominated for Scrubs. The father and chairman of the brewery, will be played by Jere Burns, while the role of the mother will be for Laurie Metcalf, three-time Emmy award winner. The two are parents of three children, while it is not yet clear who will be the head-brewer.

The American brewing community has received the news with different reactions. The main doubt lies in the ability of authors to propose a realistic representation of the life in a microbrewery, without falling into clichés and without damaging the image of craft beer. In this regard, the Brewers Association director Paul Gatza, expressed himself in these terms:

My gut reaction is that this isn’t good news and won’t help craft brewing’s image. [...] Somehow I think operating a small brewery on TV is going to be easier than in real life.

To better understand these concerns, it must be underline that the film from which the television series borrows the name had a decidedly crazy approach, telling the story of the McKenzie brothers and fictitious Elsinore Brewery. The suspicion is that even the TV sitcom will follow the same path of the feature film of the 80s.

Beyond opinions it is interesting to note how television is increasingly showing interest in microbreweries, and vice versa. TV production and film dedicated to our drink are several, but that’s another story we’ll see in the future. Meanwhile, tell me: what do you think about this Strange Brew?