They deserve!!
Raffy ErmacOne of our favorite, super cute gay-themed holiday movies in recent years is getting some of the awards season recognition it so rightfully deserves!
The nominations for the upcoming 10th annual Canadian Screen Awards (honoring both film and television) were just announced earlier today, and Lifetime's queer-inclusive, 2020 holiday flickThe Christmas Setup (which was filmed in Canada's capital city of Ottawa) got some love and recognition from the prestigious awards show, which is often called the Canadian equivalent/mix of the Emmys and the Oscars.
Receiving a nod for Best TV Movie and for lead star Ben Lewis' performance as a Best Lead Actor in a TV Movie, The Christmas Setup came out at the tail-end of 2020 and starred Lewis alongside fellow actor/real-life husband Blake Lee alongside TV icon Fran Drescher, and was a fan-favorite amongst the many queer, Christmas-themed movies that came out that year.
The film tells the story of a stuffy, New York lawyer named Huge (Lewis) who "heads to Milwaukee with his best friend Madelyn (Ellen Wong) to spend the holidays with his brother Aiden (Chad Connell) and his mom Kate (Fran Drescher), who is also in charge of the local Christmas celebrations," the film's official description reads. "Ever the matchmaker, Kate arranges for Hugo to run into Patrick (Blake Lee), Hugo’s high school friend and secret crush, 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 made headlines upon its release since it was the first holiday movie in Lifetime's history with a lead LGBTQ+ storyline.
Ben Lewis took to Twitter earlier today to celebrate The Christmas Setup's noms.
But if you thought The Christmas Setup was the only chance you'd get to see Lewis and Lee play-up their real-life romantic dynamic (Lewis and Lee married in January 2016 after meeting in 2010) in an on-screen project, think again!
Just last month it was announced that CBS is developing a new multi-camera sitcom inspired by Lee and Lewis's love story, starring themselves in the main roles! Written by Julia Meltzer with In the Dark's Corinne Kingsbury showrunning, Deadline describes the series, tentatively titled Married With Friends, as "an ensemble show about a millennial friend group navigating life, friendship, and romantic relationships (or lack thereof) with Arthur and Bo – a gay, married couple played by Lee and Lewis – as the glue that holds them all together."
The Christmas Setup is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
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0Lifetime's The Christmas Setup Just Got Some Awards Season Recognition
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