Gay Lifetime Christmas Movie to Star Marrieds Ben Lewis and Blake Lee
In a strong contender for Perfect Casting of the Year, Ben Lewis (Arrow, Shadowhunters) and Blake Lee (Parks and Recreation, Mixology) — who are married in real life — have been tapped to partake in The Christmas Setup, Lifetime‘s first holiday movie with a lead LGBTQ storyline.
A feel-good LGBTQ holiday romance, The Christmas Setup, which also was written and directed by members of the LGBTQ community, follows Hugo (played by Lewis), a New York lawyer who heads to Milwaukee with his best friend Madelyn (GLOW‘s Ellen Wong) to spend the holidays with his mom Kate (The Nanny‘s Fran Drescher), who is (of course!) also in charge of the local Christmas celebrations.
Ever the matchmaker, Kate arranges for Hugo to run into Patrick (played by Lee), a high school friend and secret crush of Hugo’s who has recently returned after a successful stint in Silicon Valley. As they enjoy the local holiday festivities together, Hugo and Patrick’s attraction to each other is undeniable and it looks as though Kate’s Santa-style matchmaking is a success. But as Hugo receives word of a big promotion requiring a move to London, he must decide what is most important to him.
The Christmas Setup, like the Asian American-led A Sugar & Spice Holiday (get casting news), represents Lifetime’s mission to redefine the traditional holiday movies in its slate with diverse talent in front of, and behind, the camera.
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | December 14, 2020 2:17 AM
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Fran Drescher in charge of Christmas decorations? HAHAHAHAHAHHA!
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | September 15, 2020 12:28 AM
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Lifetime and Hallmark Christmas movies won't work with gays. The ones they dutifully produce with black leads are the lowest rated, because black audiences don't tune in, and white people don't watch those ones. The gays won't either. I'm just saying.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | September 15, 2020 12:30 AM
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Ben is fat and Blake can't act.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | September 15, 2020 12:50 AM
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The one on the left is hideous
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | September 15, 2020 1:51 AM
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Well, good for the frauen.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | September 15, 2020 2:27 AM
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They look like grown-up Ari and Uzi from “The Royal Tenenbaums”.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | September 15, 2020 5:02 AM
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Did you look at the post above yours r12?
December 12th.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | November 14, 2020 7:54 PM
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Fran walks in on her son getting anal.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | November 14, 2020 8:14 PM
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R1, the guy who calls the other "my husband" is always the bottom.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | November 14, 2020 8:14 PM
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R13, Thanks for the date. Video wouldn't play. Still don't know time.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | November 14, 2020 8:18 PM
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I prefer DL's annual Write-Your-Own Lifetime Christmas Synopsis Thread. Usually more entertaining than the real thing.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | November 14, 2020 8:40 PM
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R16 I’m sure you can figure it out in the next month.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | November 14, 2020 8:44 PM
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Watching this now. It is so much better than than Hallmark one, of course that is a low bar.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | December 14, 2020 1:08 AM
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I had never seen Blake Lee act before but he doesn't obviously read as gay, definitely an openly gay actor who could play straight guy roles.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | December 14, 2020 1:12 AM
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Thought it was cute but of course very predictable. I'm just confused why Patrick couldn't move to London with Hugo since he retired young. I guess small town life was what he wanted?
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | December 14, 2020 1:16 AM
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R21 Fran's character likes to hang scissors from the Christmas tree to remind everyone that the baby Jesus was a Jew.
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | December 14, 2020 1:19 AM
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[Quote]. I guess small town life was what he wanted?
Is Milwaukee a small town now r21? Its like 1.5 mil people.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | December 14, 2020 1:47 AM
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R23 For some reason I forgot it was supposed to be Milwaukee. The way it was presented they made it seem like Bumfuck nowhere. I guess it was just the neighborhood they lived in
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | December 14, 2020 1:53 AM
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While it's nice to see hottie Chad Connell, he does not *at all* look like he belongs in the same family as Fran Drescher and Ben Lewis.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | December 14, 2020 2:03 AM
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Yeah, Chad was a bit miscast.
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | December 14, 2020 2:05 AM
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r24 Don't all these movies take place in wither some fictional small town or flyoverstan location?
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | December 14, 2020 2:14 AM
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They typically do have an unnamed or fictional charming smallrown as the setting r27, that's why it stood out to me that this one specifically referred to Milwaukee several times.
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | December 14, 2020 2:17 AM
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