The Fabulous Beekman Boys was a reality television show produced in the United States by World of Wonder Productions. The series followed Josh Kilmer-Purcell

Josh Kilmer-Purcell

Josh Kilmer-Purcell is an American writer. In 2006 Harper Perennial published I Am Not Myself These Days: A Memoir, a tragicomic account of Kilmer-Purcell's early days in New York City, living as an advertising art director by day and a drag queen named "Aquadisiac" by night...

 and his partner Brent Ridge

Brent Ridge

Brent Ridge is an American physician, business owner and reality television participant. He was formerly the Vice President of Healthy Living for Martha Stewart Omnimedia....

 as they learned how to become farmers and launched their lifestyle brand, Beekman 1802. Brent, a physician who later worked for Martha Stewart Omnimedia, lives at the farm full time, while Josh, a New York Times

The New York Times

The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

bestselling author, commutes from their apartment in New York City on the weekends. The show aired on Planet Green, one of the Discovery Networks.

Touted as a "gay Green Acres", the series chronicled the couple's trials and tribulations as novice farmers, aided by their caretaker and resident farmer John Hall, or "Farmer John." Hall brought his goats to the Beekman Farm shortly after Ridge and Kilmer-Purcell purchased it in 2007. Also featured was Polka Spot, the farm's llama. Other residents of Sharon Springs, New York

Sharon Springs, New York

Sharon Springs is a village in Schoharie County, New York, United States. The population was 547 at the 2000 census. Its name derives from the hometown of the first Colonial settlers, Sharon, Connecticut, and the important springs in the village...

 were also included in the cast, including Doug Plummer and Garth Roberts, owners of the American Hotel

American Hotel (Sharon Springs, New York)

American Hotel is a historic hotel located at Sharon Springs in Schoharie County, New York. It is a large, -story wood frame structure built between 1847 and 1851 in the Greek Revival style. It features a recessed 2-story porch with a colonnade of eight pillars with Doric order capitals...

.

On August 9, 2010, Planet Green announced that The Fabulous Beekman Boys had been renewed for a second season of ten episodes. In announcing the renewal, Laura Michalchyshyn, President and General Manager of Planet Green, noted that the series "has quickly established itself as a cornerstone franchise for Planet Green". The second season began on March 22, 2011.

Overview

Season one follows what Josh and Brent call the "year of sacrifice" with Brent living full time at the farm while Josh works in the city during the week and commutes to the farm on weekends. The season follows the couple's attempts to build their brand, including attaining wider exposure for their goat milk soaps and cheeses, and to deal with the stress that the long separation puts on their relationship. The season closes with the opening of their first store, the couple's celebration of their tenth anniversary and their agreement to extend the "year of sacrifice".

Season two opens with Josh's growing increasingly frustrated over deferring his dream to be a full-time farmer and the couple's setting a goal of generating one million dollars in revenue to allow Josh to move to Beekman Farm permanently. The supporting cast expands with the introduction of three Beekman 1802 employees: Stephane the comptroller; Megan, chief operating officer; and Maria, the director of resources.

Season one

Title	Original air date	Synopsis
"When Pigs Fly"	June 16, 2010	Josh and Brent work the farm with the help of Farmer John, adding pigs to the range of animals they are raising. Josh wants to let the "pigs be pigs" and let them wallow, but Brent wants everything to be perfect. Josh is hurt when Brent declines to come to the city for Josh's first reading from his new book. The couple clash over the strain being apart during the week and working all weekend puts on their relationship.
"Beekmanpalooza"	June 16, 2010	Brent organizes the first Harvest Weekend to draw attention to Sharon Springs Sharon Springs, New York Sharon Springs is a village in Schoharie County, New York, United States. The population was 547 at the 2000 census. Its name derives from the hometown of the first Colonial settlers, Sharon, Connecticut, and the important springs in the village...  and the variety of local produce available from area farmers. The three-day event includes a garden party, a harvest festival and a gourmet meal prepared from local ingredients. Josh is dismayed when Brent makes him dress in a colonial-era costume for the debut of the farm's new goat milk cheese.
"Unhappy Birthday"	June 23, 2010	Josh is upset that Brent booked the farm for a wedding the same weekend as Josh's 40th birthday. Rain threatens to wash out the wedding but at the last moment the skies clear and the wedding is a success. The boys find the occasion bittersweet as they had always thought theirs would be the first wedding at Beekman Farm. Brent throws Josh a birthday party and later surprises him with a dining room table that Josh had designed years earlier and Brent has built.
"Suds & Studs"	June 30, 2010	Breeding season leaves Brent and Farmer John dealing with a herd of horny goats. Meanwhile, Brent struggles to fill an order for 14,000 bars of soap. He finishes with help from Doug, Garth and friend Michelle and a surprise assist from Josh.
"Bringing Home the Bacon"	July 7, 2010	Brent and Josh have their pigs, Porky and Bess, slaughtered and discuss how grateful they are for their "sacrifice." While Brent promotes Beekman 1802 at a cheese event by Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising... , Josh spends the week at the farm to help him "connect" to it. The boys have their first meal made from their slaughtered pigs and ponder whether to raise pigs again next season.
"The Haunting of Beekman Farm"	July 15, 2010	It is halfway through the year that Brent and Josh have dedicated to establishing the Beekman 1802 brand and they are worried about the strain running the farm is putting on their relationship. The boys carve turnips into jack-o'-lantern Jack-o'-lantern A jack-o'-lantern is typically a carved pumpkin. It is associated chiefly with the holiday of Halloween and was named after the phenomenon of strange light flickering over peat bogs, called ignis fatuus or jack-o'-lantern... s for Halloween Halloween Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...  with their goth Goth subculture The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...  neighbors Kat and Douglas, who discuss "Mary," a ghost who allegedly haunts the Beekman house. Brent and Josh call in the North East Paranormal Society for a consultation. The boys attend a fundraiser for the medical center founded by Brent and Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising... ; after, they express their relationship concerns. On Halloween night, the ghost hunters return and claim to find evidence of spirits.
"Turkey a la Queens"	July 22, 2010	Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...  at the Beekman brings visits from Josh's parents and Brent's mother, triggering Brent's anxiety that he is a disappointment to her because he's gay. Brent and Josh differ over the meaning of Thanksgiving, with Brent focusing on family and Josh working to make the perfect meal. Farmer John, Doug, Garth and Michelle join the family to share the meal.
"Three Men and a Baby Goat"	July 29, 2010	Following hip replacement Hip replacement Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi replacement. Such joint replacement orthopaedic surgery generally is conducted to relieve arthritis pain or fix severe...  surgery, Farmer John returns to the Beekman to convalesce. After a day under Brent's care John calls his boyfriend to take him away. In his absence the boys have trouble handling the herd. With goat birthing imminent, John returns to assist with difficult births.
"Le Grand Fromage"	August 4, 2010	Josh stresses over creating sample cheese dishes for possible inclusion on the menu of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Jean-Georges Vongerichten Jean-Georges Vongerichten is a French chef. He was born in Alsace, France, in 1956 and now resides in the United States of America. Vongerichten commands restaurants in culinary capitals Las Vegas, London, Paris and Shanghai, as well as New York's Jean Georges restaurant...  new restaurant. Farmer John tries to come up with names for all of the new baby goats but won't let Josh help until he learns all the goat breeds. Jean-Georges is impressed by Josh's dishes and agrees to put the cheese on his menu.
"Trouble in Store"	August 11, 2010	Without consulting Josh, Brent signs a two year lease on a store in Sharon Springs to sell Beekman 1802 merchandise. He takes time off from opening preparations to surprise Josh in the city for their tenth anniversary. Josh grants Brent an extension on their "year of sacrifice" but warns him that it is not indefinite. At the grand opening, Brent and Josh are gratified that the people of the village come to support them.

Title	Original air date	Synopsis
"The Fabulous Beekman Boys' Holiday Special"	December 8, 2010	Josh and Brent host a one-hour retrospective of season one, including the top five viewer-selected favorite moments and never before seen footage. The boys answer viewer questions and offer a preview of season two.

Season two

Title	Original air date	Synopsis
"Llama Drama"	March 22, 2011	Farmer John decides that he can quit his day job and work full time at the farm. Josh is irritated since he feels that he is stuck working 60-80 hour weeks in the city while everyone else is living his dream of being a full-time farmer. Polka Spot frustrates Brent when she repeatedly jumps the pasture fence. Josh expects him to solve the problem without spending any money or else get rid of the llama. Despite Josh's wishes, Brent and John buy a tall electric fence to keep Polka Spot penned in since she's "part of the family." Brent and Josh set a goal of earning one million dollars from the Beekman brand to allow Josh to quit his job.
"Black Sheep of the Family"	March 22, 2011	Josh is pleased when Brent offers to plan a road trip, only to learn to his dismay that it's a working vacation to pick up sheep for their and Martha Stewart's farms. Brent hires two locals to cover the store but frustrates them with his micro-management. The couple fly to Brent's home state of North Carolina, pick up four Black Welsh Mountain sheep Black Welsh Mountain sheep The Black Welsh Mountain sheep is a colour type of the Welsh Mountain sheep. It occurs occasionally in flocks of other colours, but is now often maintained as a separate strain. Like other Welsh Mountain sheep it is found mainly on the hills in Wales, but is also kept elsewhere.Introduced into...  and begin the drive back. When Josh realizes they are only a short drive from Brent's family he suggests they visit, only for Brent to insist they don't have time. Josh accuses Brent of not wanting him to meet Brent's family, but Brent advises that it's his family who doesn't want to meet Josh. The couple spends the night at a bed and breakfast and sneak the sheep into the room under a liberal interpretation of the "pets welcome" policy.
"A Martha Makeover"	March 29, 2011	The boys continue their road trip, dropping off the lambs at Martha Stewart's Bedford estate. Martha's barn inspires Brent to hold a "barn raising Barn raising A barn raising is an event during which community men come together to assemble a barn for one or more of its households, with the support of women. The event was particularly common in 18th- and 19th-century rural North America. In the past, a barn was often the first, largest, and most costly... " at Beekman Farm, really a barn repairing and painting. Friends and neighbors drop by to help with the work and the boys thank them with a communal dinner.
"Food and Whine"	April 5, 2011	Brent works to expand the Beekman product line by developing a spicy cajeta Cajeta Cajeta is a Mexican confection of thickened syrup usually made of sweetened caramelised milk.According to chef Rick Bayless, the name for cajeta came from the Spanish phrase al punto de cajeta, which means a liquid thickened to the point at which a spoon drawn through the liquid reveals the bottom... and preparing the farm for a photoshoot with Food & Wine Food & Wine Food & Wine is a monthly magazine published by American Express Publishing. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and seasonal/holiday content and has been credited by The New York... magazine. Josh is offered a new opportunity at work which will require him to be away from the farm for weeks at a time and may require a future relocation to San Diego. The photoshoot goes well, culminating in a banquet with the boys and some of the village merchants. Brent has a tasting with chef Marcus Samuelsson Marcus Samuelsson Marcus Samuelsson is a Swedish chef and co-owner of Aquavit restaurant in New York City and C-House Restaurant, located in the Affinia Hotel in Chicago.-Early life and career:...  and decides the new cajeta is ready to go into production.
"Store Wars"	April 12, 2011	Brent and Josh each have a promotional event and they compete with each other to see whose will be more successful. Brent debuts a new product, "Milk Shake" brand bath soak, at the Vogue Vogue (magazine) Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began... magazine "Fashion Night Out" and makes Josh serve real milk shakes to the crowd. Josh does a cooking demonstration at Bloomingdale's Bloomingdale's Bloomingdale's is an American department store owned by Macy's, Inc. .Bloomingdale's started in 1861 when brothers Joseph and Lyman G. Bloomingdale started selling hoop-skirts in their Ladies Notions' Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side...  department store and sells his new book and farm products. Josh sells out of product but Brent still declares victory. Back at the farm Brent surprises Josh by telling him that Brent's grandmother requested a copy of Josh's book. Brent calls her and Josh and she speak for the first time.
"Beekmanpalooza Redux"	April 19, 2011	The village of Sharon Springs gears up for the second annual Harvest Festival and the boys are excited when Rosie O'Donnell Rosie O'Donnell Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell is an American stand-up comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family...  emails that she plans to attend. Everyone at the store is worried that they may not have enough inventory but Brent is unconcerned. The Harvest Feast goes well and Brent and Josh actually get to eat at this one, unlike last year. They promise not to argue during the Festival weekend. While Brent minds the store, Josh, Farmer John and his boyfriend Jason give farm tours. Everyone is pleased that the Festival is again a success.
"Recipe for Disaster"	April 26, 2011	Brent formulates the idea of an "heirloom recipes" cookbook and Josh insists on being in charge of the project. When a publisher suggests changing "heirloom" to "heritage", Brent struggles with his decision to give up creative control of the project. In conjunction with Sotheby's Sotheby's Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish... , Brent coordinates an auction of heirloom vegetables to benefit small farms. Resource director Maria's reluctance to confront her friend Deb, the Beekman's soap maker, leads to a shuffling of business responsibilities and Megan's bid to be given more control at the store.
"Beek-Men Boys"	May 3, 2011	Josh's parents, Dave and Jackie, come from Wisconsin for a visit. Jackie spends the week in the city with Josh while Dave and Brent work on the farm. Dave's presence leads Brent to reflect on his growing up without a father figure, having lost his father at age 10. Josh's parents separately ask the boys if they have given any thought to becoming parents themselves. They have but both feel the time is not right.
"Blaak Friday"	May 10, 2011	In hopes of meeting their million dollar goal, Brent and Josh organize Sharon Springs's first Victorian Victorian era The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...  Festival. While it is successful it doesn't bring in as much revenue as they had hoped. Josh and Jason plan a surprise party for Farmer John's birthday. Brent's secretive nature regarding how near the boys are to the million dollar goal begins stressing Josh. When Brent finally tells him he doesn't think they will make it, Josh wonders whether keeping the farm is still a good idea.
"Paging Dr. Brent"	May 17, 2011	With the outcome of the million dollar challenge before them, Brent finds himself with a new opportunity. Los Angeles-based couple Susan & Yvonne buy a historic property in Sharon Springs to transform into a health care facility, and ask Brent to become their resident physician. Josh is thrilled at the prospect of Brent taking on a medical position and making a salary once again. But when Brent is reluctant to take any time away from the business, even though it would mean Josh could move to the farm full time, the situation between the two becomes tense.

Critical response

The New York Times finds the show "less fabulous" than 1960s sitcom Green Acres

Green Acres

Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...

 citing its emphasis on arguments between the couple (Brent & Josh) over "fish-out-of-water rural humor". The Times concludes that "the audience that fiercely defends all things purporting to be fabulous" will enjoy the series' "moments of sylvan burlesque".

Salon.com

Salon.com

Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...

 found Brent and Josh to be "uniquely charming" and the show a "voyeuristic treat".

External links

• Beekman 1802 and Beekman Farm site
• The Fabulous Beekman Boys on Planet Green
• The Fabulous Beekman Boys at the Internet Movie Database
  Internet Movie Database
  Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...