Now that’s rich: Atherton may get its own ‘Real Housewives’ season

Whether anyone wants it or not, the Bay Area may be getting a Real Housewives franchise of its own. 

A casting agency called Ain’t That Something Entertainment is sending out feelers on Instagram for “fabulous friends and next Gen families” based in or around Atherton. 

It looks legit, too. The agency is responsible for casting the last few seasons of Real Housewives of Orange County and Beverly Hills, among a handful of other reality TV shows about the rich and famous — and anyone aspiring to be both.

Matt Solomon, the founder and CEO of Ain’t That Something, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Gazetteer SF.

Atherton is a natural choice for the Housewives series, which has been on the air since 2006. The city, about 30 miles from San Francisco, boasts the Currys and Becca Bloom as denizens. With around 7,000 residents, Atherton is smaller than other Real Housewives locations, but is arguably the most affluent. 

This wouldn’t be the first time that Bravo has its sights on the Bay Area. In 2011, producers working for the network looked to cast a cadre of “CONFIDENT professionals with BIG PERSONALITIES” for a reality TV show, which ended up becoming Start-Ups: Silicon Valley, executive produced by Randi “Mark’s sister” Zuckerberg. The show, controversial as it was at the time, was canceled after one season due to low viewership. More recently, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City filmed in San Francisco, reportedly hitting such hotspots as Irish Times and Hot Cookie.

The question remains, however: Who would willingly let themselves be a Real Housewife of Atherton, a town where privacy and discretion fuel much of the anti-development sentiment among its moneyed residents? You have to imagine that few wives would be interested in having their quiet, pristine lifestyles be exposed by a camera crew. 

Or maybe not! Perhaps the increased notoriety of avatar of happiness Lauren Sánchez Bezos will inspire more Wives of Tech Execs to aspire to Bravo-lebrity status. The recent exit of some of its most influential tech executives, like Marc Andreesen and ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, may have also opened space for lesser known locals ready for their closeups.