Lifetime Announces ‘The Christmas Setup’ and ‘A Sugar & Spice Holiday’ Casts

Real-life couple Ben Lewis (“Arrow”) and Blake Lee (“Fam”) have been cast in “The Christmas Setup,” Lifetime’s first-ever LGBTQ-lead original holiday movie, while Jacky Lai (“V-Wars”), Tony Giroux (“Motherland: Fort Salem”) and Tzi Ma (“Mulan”) will star in “A Sugar & Spice Holiday,” centered on an Asian American Family, the network announced Monday.

Lifetime also said it is working with GLAAD and CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment), on the respective movies, to ensure they represent the communities depicted accurately.

“The world we create on camera should reflect the world we live in. ‘The Christmas Setup’ and ‘A Sugar & Spice Holiday’ are important additions to the It’s a Wonderful Lifetime slate because they continue our effort to tell the stories of the diverse communities represented by our viewers,” said Amy Winter, executive vice president and head of programming, Lifetime and LMN. “Our hope with these inclusive films and others is that people will see themselves while enjoying universally relatable holiday romances.”