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Real-Life Married Couple to Star in Lifetime's LGBTQ Christmas Movie

Keeping the yuletide gay!

Hang that mistletoe because it's almost time for some Christmas kisses.

According to TV Line, Lifetime has announced that real-life married couple Ben Lewis (Arrow, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and Blake Lee (Parks and Recreation, Mixology) will star in the network's first LGBTQ holiday movie, The Christmas Set-Up.

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 17: Blake Lee (L) and Ben Lewis attend the opening of Center Theatre Group's "Falsettos" at Ahmanson Theatre on April 17, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)

Last month, Lifetime unwrapped the plot details for The Christmas Set-Up. The movie will tell the story of Hugo and Patrick, two former high school friends who fall for each other when Hugo returns to his hometown, Milwaukee.

The plot details from the Lifetime press site read:

Hugo, a New York corporate lawyer and his best friend Madelyn head to Milwaukee to spend the holidays with his mom Kate, who is also in charge of the local Christmas celebrations. Ever the matchmaker, Kate arranges for Hugo to run into Patrick, 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 well-intentioned 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.

“We are thrilled to continue our legacy of creating a holiday destination that is welcoming to all at Lifetime,” Lifetime and LMN programming EVP Amy Winter said in a statement. “With more new movies than any one cable network for streamer, I couldn’t be prouder of the incredible talent joining us in front of, and behind the camera, on these new holiday movies.”

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 20: Actor Jonathan Bennett (R) attends Hallmark Channel's 10th Anniversary of "Countdown To Christmas" screening and party at 189 by Dominique Ansel on November 20, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

As NewNowNext previously reported, Hallmark Channel, the other Christmas-obsessed network, recently came under fire when it announced a slate of 40 new original holiday movies that will hit cable later this year, but none of the titles featured an LGBTQ lead character or storyline.

According to Newsweek, Hallmark will be making announcements in the near future about “projects featuring LGBTQ storylines, characters, and actors.”

“Diversity and inclusion is a top priority for us and we look forward to making some exciting programming announcements in the coming months, including announcements about projects featuring LGBTQ storylines, characters, and actors,” said George Zaralidis, vice president of network program publicity at Crown Media Family Networks, Hallmark’s parent company. “We are committed to creating a Hallmark experience where everyone feels welcome.”

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