🎄 The Christmas Setup Review: Fran Drescher Plays Cupid in Milwaukee
My Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 4.6/5
A buttoned up New York lawyer.
A best friend who never stops teasing him.
A matchmaking mom with a plan.
And the high school crush who just moved back to town.
Welcome to our The Christmas Setup Review. This 2020 Lifetime movie blends romance, comedy, family drama, holiday cheer, and LGBT representation into one sweet Christmas package. It stars real life husbands Ben Lewis and Blake Lee, with Fran Drescher as the meddling mom.
The Christmas Setup made history. It was the first holiday movie on Lifetime built around an LGBTQ romance. It premiered on December 12, 2020, as part of the network’s It’s a Wonderful Lifetime lineup.
It could have been a simple milestone and nothing more. Instead, it turned out to be a genuinely good movie. It is funny, warm, and full of heart.
Fran Drescher alone is worth the price of admission. And the chemistry between the two leads is the real deal, because they are married in real life.
This The Christmas Setup Review stays spoiler free. How the setup turns out is yours to unwrap.
The Christmas Setup Review: Home for the Holidays in Milwaukee
Hugo Spencer is an uptight corporate lawyer in New York City. He works hard, plays it safe, and keeps his heart tucked away.
For Christmas, Hugo heads home to Milwaukee. His best friend Madelyn comes along for the trip.
Waiting for them is Hugo’s mom, Kate. Kate is in charge of the local Christmas celebrations. She is also a born matchmaker, and she has her eye on her son’s love life.
Kate arranges for Hugo to run into Patrick Ryan. Patrick was Hugo’s high school friend and his secret crush. Now Patrick is back in town after a successful run in Silicon Valley.
Sparks fly. But there are complications.
For starters, Patrick briefly thinks Hugo is married to Madelyn. Then there is a beloved local building facing demolition. And Hugo has just been offered a big promotion at his firm’s office in London.
Suddenly Hugo has to figure out what he really wants. A fast track career overseas? Or a second chance at love back home?
How he answers that question stays wrapped under the tree.
A Holiday Romance With Real Chemistry
The heart of The Christmas Setup is its romance.
Hugo and Patrick are classic holiday movie sweethearts. They share a past, a little awkwardness, and a whole lot of unspoken feelings.
What makes this romance special is the casting. Ben Lewis and Blake Lee have been together since 2010 and married since 2016. Their real life bond shines through on screen.
Every glance, every nervous laugh, and every quiet moment feels natural. You never have to wonder whether these two like each other. It is obvious.
Lee said the producers had hoped to cast a real life couple. Pandemic safety rules made that idea even more appealing. The result is some of the most believable chemistry in any holiday TV movie.
The love story follows the usual holiday romance beats. There are misunderstandings, sweet surprises, and a ticking clock. But the leads make every beat land with real warmth.
It is the kind of romance that makes you sigh, smile, and reach for another cookie.
Comedy and Charm From Fran Drescher
The Christmas Setup is also a genuinely funny comedy, and much of the credit goes to Fran Drescher.
Drescher will forever be Fran Fine from The Nanny, which ran for six seasons in the 1990s. That famous laugh, that famous voice, and that famous sense of timing are all here.
Less than a year after this movie aired, Drescher was elected president of SAG-AFTRA, the actors union. She led it through the long 2023 strike. Seeing her here as a cozy holiday mom is a fun contrast.
As Kate, she is a whirlwind of holiday energy. She runs the town’s Christmas festivities, pokes her nose into everyone’s business, and schemes to get her son a boyfriend.
But Drescher does more than play for laughs. She gives Kate real warmth and depth. Kate is a mother who simply wants her son to be happy.
Critics noticed. TVLine gave Drescher an honorable mention as a Performer of the Week. They praised her for making Kate feel like an actual human being instead of a cookie cutter holiday mom.
Ellen Wong adds plenty of laughs as Madelyn, Hugo’s best friend and sidekick. Her playful teasing keeps Hugo humble and keeps the comedy bubbling.
The script also sprinkles in light, knowing humor throughout. It is the classic Lifetime holiday style with an extra wink.
A Family Drama Wrapped in Tinsel
Under the jokes and romance, there is a sweet family drama.
Hugo’s relationship with his mother is one of the movie’s strongest threads. Kate is supportive, loving, and fully accepting of her son. She simply wants him to stop working long enough to be happy.
Hugo’s brother Aiden is also home for the holidays, rounding out the Spencer family Christmas.
Then there is the big career decision. Hugo’s promotion to London would be a major step up. But it would also take him far away from his family and from Patrick.
That choice gives the story real emotional weight. It is a question many adults face: career or home, ambition or love?
The subplot about the threatened local building adds community stakes, too. Saving it becomes part of saving the town’s holiday spirit.
These family and community threads make the movie feel fuller than a simple rom com.
A Landmark in LGBT Holiday Movies
The Christmas Setup holds a special place in LGBT holiday movie history.
For years, holiday TV movies faced criticism for their lack of diversity. Gay couples were almost never at the center of the story.
The 2020 holiday season changed that. Hallmark released The Christmas House. Hulu released Happiest Season. And Lifetime released The Christmas Setup, its first holiday movie with an LGBTQ romance in the lead.
Lifetime worked with the LGBTQ media advocacy group GLAAD on the film. The movie was also written and directed by members of the LGBTQ community.
Ben Lewis said the most progressive thing about the movie was how ordinary it felt to have two men in the lead roles. That is exactly its strength.
There is no coming out drama and no disapproving relative to win over. Hugo’s family loves him, and his romance is treated like any other holiday love story.
The film earned a 2021 GLAAD Media Award nomination for Outstanding TV Movie. It was also nominated for a Canadian Screen Award.
For many LGBT viewers, The Christmas Setup was the holiday movie they had waited their whole lives to see.
The Cast: Real Life Husbands and a TV Legend
The cast is a big reason this movie works so well.
Ben Lewis plays Hugo Spencer, the uptight lawyer learning to loosen up. The Canadian actor is known for Arrow, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Blake Lee plays Patrick Ryan, Hugo’s high school crush. TV fans know Lee as Derek, April’s boyfriend on Parks and Recreation.
Fran Drescher plays Kate Spencer, Hugo’s matchmaking mom. Drescher is a television icon from The Nanny and steals nearly every scene she is in.
Ellen Wong plays Madelyn McKay, Hugo’s best friend. Wong is known for the Netflix series GLOW and for playing Knives Chau in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. That makes this a fun little Scott Pilgrim reunion with Ben Lewis.
Chad Connell plays Aiden Spencer, Hugo’s brother.
Pedro Miguel Arce and Peter Nelson round out the supporting cast.
Watch for drag artist Lucinda Miu in a special appearance, too.
Behind the Scenes of a Lifetime First
The Christmas Setup was directed by Pat Mills, an LGBTQ filmmaker from Ottawa. Mills was best known for his 2017 indie comedy Don’t Talk to Irene.
Ben Lewis has said he admired Mills’ work. He felt Mills could balance heart and humor without becoming too sugary.
The script was written by Michael J. Murray. Michael Richard Plowman composed the music, and Shane Boucher produced.
Although the story is set in Milwaukee, the movie was filmed in Ontario, Canada. Production took place in Almonte, Ottawa, Carleton Place, Arnprior, and Smiths Falls.
Almonte is a favorite for holiday movies, thanks to its old fashioned small town look. Ottawa’s Glebe neighborhood even stood in for New York City.
The movie was shot in the fall of 2020, during the pandemic. The cast and crew worked inside a tight production bubble to stay safe.
After its Lifetime premiere on December 12, 2020, it debuted in Canada on CTV Drama Channel on December 18.
A Midwest Christmas Feel
Here in Southwest Iowa, we love a good Midwest Christmas story.
The Christmas Setup is set in Milwaukee, and it captures that cozy heartland holiday feeling. Festive streets, local traditions, friendly neighbors, and a hometown that rallies together all feel familiar.
Kate’s role as the leader of the town’s Christmas celebrations is pure Midwest. Every small town seems to have a Kate who organizes everything and knows everybody.
The movie also taps into a feeling many Midwesterners know well. You leave for the big city, but home always pulls you back at Christmas.
That hometown warmth gives the film a lot of its charm.
Christmas Cheer in a Hard Year
It is worth remembering when The Christmas Setup arrived.
December 2020 was a tough holiday season for many families. The pandemic kept people apart. Travel plans were canceled, and many holiday gatherings moved to video calls.
Holiday TV movies became a comfort for millions of viewers stuck at home. They offered warmth, familiar traditions, and happy endings when real life felt uncertain.
The Christmas Setup fit that moment perfectly. It is a story about going home, reconnecting with family, and finding love where you least expect it.
Director Pat Mills said he hoped the film would be a fitting holiday treat after such a chaotic year. For many viewers, it was exactly that.
Watching it now still brings back a little of that 2020 comfort. It is a reminder of how much a cozy Christmas movie can mean when people need it most.
Where It Stumbles
The Christmas Setup is a delight, but it is not perfect.
The plot follows the familiar holiday movie formula. Big city professional comes home, meets old flame, rethinks career. You can guess most of the turns.
The demolition subplot feels a bit tacked on. It is a common holiday movie trope that does not add much new.
Some supporting characters, including Hugo’s brother Aiden, could have used more screen time and development.
The pacing occasionally sags in the middle, and a few jokes land softly.
And like most TV movies, the production looks modest in places.
Still, these flaws barely matter. The cast’s warmth and chemistry carry the movie right past them.
Is The Christmas Setup Worth Watching?
Absolutely. It is one of the best LGBT holiday TV movies ever made.
Fans of Lifetime and Hallmark Christmas movies will feel right at home. The formula is familiar, but the execution is genuinely charming.
LGBT viewers will appreciate a sweet, joyful gay romance treated with the same warmth as any other holiday love story.
Fans of The Nanny will love seeing Fran Drescher in full holiday mode. Fans of Parks and Recreation and Scott Pilgrim will enjoy spotting familiar faces.
It is also a great choice for families. The romance is gentle, the humor is light, and the message about love and family is universal.
It also makes a perfect double feature with other LGBT holiday favorites from the same era.
The Kilroy Verdict on The Christmas Setup
The Christmas Setup is a warm, funny, and heartfelt holiday movie.
What works best is the cast. Ben Lewis and Blake Lee share real chemistry because they share a real life together. Fran Drescher is an absolute joy. Ellen Wong adds plenty of sparkle.
The film blends romance, comedy, family drama, holiday spirit, and LGBT representation with ease. None of it feels forced.
What could have been better? A fresher plot and more for the supporting characters would have pushed it even higher.
Still, the recommendation is easy. Make some hot cocoa, curl up on the couch, and let Fran Drescher set you up for a wonderful holiday evening.
Final Thoughts 4.6/5
This one earns a 4.6 out of 5 from Kilroy. Wrapping up this The Christmas Setup Review, it is a milestone movie that also happens to be a genuinely lovely watch. It proves that holiday romance belongs to everyone.
“Fran Drescher delights in a charming holiday romance bursting with real chemistry.”
ML Lamp, Kilroy Was Here Shop
It made history as Lifetime’s first LGBTQ holiday romance. More importantly, it gave viewers a warm, funny love story they will want to revisit every December.
Real chemistry, a legendary TV mom, and a cozy Midwest Christmas make it a holiday treat.
So this Christmas, if your mom suddenly insists you help with the town’s holiday celebration, be suspicious. You might be getting set up.
