Finally, Hallmark's holiday fare makes a gay couple 'part of the family'

When Jonathan Bennett was first sent the script for "The Christmas House," his initial thought was, "Who's my love interest? Who's my girl?"

It's an understandable instinct. After all, the project hails from Hallmark Channel, whose annual "Countdown to Christmas" lineup of original movies — a seasonal mainstay both lucrative and beloved — included 23 titles in 2019, none featuring a gay couple. (Prior years' holiday slates, both on Hallmark Channel and its sister network, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, were similarly