Lifetime’s first LGBTQ Christmas film airs in the UK today – and stars a real-life couple

Words: Jamie Tabberer; pictures: Lifetime

The Christmas Setup – the first LGBTQ Christmas movie from American basic cable channel Lifetime – airs in the UK for the first time today (Thursday 17 December 2020).

Viewers can catch the movie at 3.15pm on Channel 5, following its debut in America earlier this month.

You can catch it on My5.tv after it airs this afternoon.

The festive flick stars real-life married couple Ben Lewis and Blake Lee, who tied the knot in 2016, with Fran Drescher co-starring.

“I feel so proud of this movie”

The plot of The Christmas Setup follows main character Hugo, who heads to Milwaukee to spend the holidays with his best friend and family, only to reconnect with a childhood crush.

However, when Hugo receives word of a big promotion requiring a move to London, he must decide what is most important to him. 

On Instagram this week, actor Blake said in a post: “I feel so proud to be part of this movie, a movie I could only wish existed when I was a little kid, too nervous to come out.

“I hope this is just the beginning of LGBTQ+ people being represented in holiday films. My hope is that next year we have holiday movies centered around queer people of color, trans people, non-binary people.

“Everyone deserves to see themselves represented with a happy ending.” 

The Christmas Setup follows other recent inclusive Christmas movies including The Christmas House and Happiest Season.

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