Francine Joy Drescher is an American actress, writer, producer, and trade union leader, currently serving as the national president of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). She is best known for her role as Fran Fine in the television sitcom The Nanny (1993–1999), which she created and produced with her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson.
Joely Fisher is an American actress and singer, the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Connie Stevens, and half-sister of actress Carrie Fisher. Her breakthrough came in 1994, starring as Paige Clark in the ABC sitcom Ellen, for which she received a Golden Globe Award nomination. Fisher later starred in the 1999 comedy film Inspector Gadget and had leading roles in the Lifetime comedy-drama Wild Card (2003–2005), and Fox sitcom 'Til Death (2006–2010).
Robert Walden is an American television and motion picture actor. He is best known for his role as Joe Rossi on Lou Grant, which earned him three nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series; for his role as Joe Waters on Brothers; and as Glenn Newman on Happily Divorced. Walden is also well known for his roles in the films Blue Sunshine, The Hospital, All the President's Men, Audrey Rose, and Capricorn One.
LGBT representation in children's television is representation of LGBT topics, themes, and people in television programming meant for children. LGBT representation in children's programming was often uncommon to non-existent for much of television's history up to the 2010s, but has significantly increased since then.
Historically, the portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in media has been largely negative if not altogether absent, reflecting a general cultural intolerance of LGBTQ individuals; however, from the 1990s to present day, there has been an increase in the positive depictions of LGBTQ people, issues, and concerns within mainstream media in North America. The LGBTQ communities have taken an increasingly proactive stand in defining their own culture, with a primary goal of achieving an affirmative visibility in mainstream media. The positive portrayal or increased presence of the LGBTQ communities in media has served to increase acceptance and support for LGBT communities, establish LGBTQ communities as a norm, and provide information on the topic.
The Dorian Awards are film, television and Broadway / Off-Broadway accolades given by GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, founded in 2009 as the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association. GALECA is an association of professional journalists and critics who regularly report on movies, TV and/or New York City stage productions for print, online, and broadcast outlets mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. As of March 2024, GALECA listed approximately 500 members, including those on its advisory board. The awards recognize the best in film, television and New York City theater, with categories ranging from general to LGBTQ-centric.
Kevin Patrick Mills is a Canadian film director, screenwriter and actor, whose feature film debut Guidance was released in 2015.
Blake Lee is an American actor, known for his roles on Mixology, Parks and Recreation and the Freeform hit Cruel Summer. Blake and his husband Ben Lewis made history starring in The Christmas Setup, Lifetime's first Christmas movie centered around a gay love story.
Happiest Season is a 2020 American romantic comedy film directed by Clea DuVall, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mary Holland. Starring an ensemble cast consisting of Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Daniel Levy, Mary Holland, Victor Garber, and Mary Steenburgen, the film follows a young woman who struggles to admit to her conservative parents that she is a lesbian while she and her girlfriend visit them during Christmas. A semi-autobiographical take on DuVall's experiences with her family, Happiest Season is the first lesbian Christmas rom-com produced by a major Hollywood studio.
Ben Lewis is a Canadian actor known for his role as the adult version of William Clayton in the last two seasons of Arrow. He also played Other Scott in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Bobby Beckonridge in Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Dashing in December is an American romantic holiday drama film directed by Jake Helgren. The film stars Peter Porte, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Andie MacDowell, Caroline Harris, Carlos Sanz, and Katherine Bailess.
The Christmas House is a made-for-television film produced for the Hallmark Channel. A Christmas-themed comedy-drama, it was directed by Michael Grossman. It features an ensemble cast, including Sharon Lawrence and Treat Williams as a wife and husband who invite their two adult sons to come back home for Christmas and recreate a past family tradition. It premiered on November 22, 2020.
Jake Helgren is an American film producer, director and screenwriter.
Single All the Way is a 2021 Canadian Christmas romantic comedy film directed by Michael Mayer and written by Chad Hodge. The plot follows a man who convinces his best friend to pretend to be his boyfriend when he goes home for Christmas, only to be set up on a blind date by his mother. Luke Macfarlane, Barry Bostwick, Jennifer Robertson, and Jennifer Coolidge also star.
Under the Christmas Tree is a 2021 romantic comedy Christmas television film directed by Lisa Rose Snow in her feature film directorial debut. The film premiered on Lifetime on December 19, 2021, as part of the network's "It's a Wonderful Lifetime" holiday movie slate. Telling the story of government worker Charlie attempting to secure a Christmas tree from business owner Alma, the film was Lifetime's first lesbian Christmas movie. It received generally positive reviews and was nominated at the 33rd GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding TV Movie.
The Holiday Sitter is an American-Canadian romantic comedy television film, directed by Ali Liebert and broadcast in 2022. The first LGBTQ-themed film ever broadcast by The Hallmark Channel in its annual lineup of Christmas-themed romance films, the film stars Jonathan Bennett as Sam Dalton, a single and commitment-phobic gay man who is roped into taking care of his sister Kathleen's kids just before Christmas, only to find himself drawn into a romance with Jason DeVito, his sister's neighbour, after asking for his help.
