Hallmark isn't exactly known for it's diversity, even with white people. Their plucky, overworked executives, the ones who go home for the holidays, are frequently blonde with the look of a beauty pageant runner's up. The romantic male leads are more diverse in appearance, but very similar in shared heartbreak and blandness.
The last few years, due in part to criticism, the network has attempted to branch out. Despite the fact there seems to be only one set of actors in Vancouver to play the friendly older black couple, there do seem to be more racially diverse leads. This season also marked the networks first same sex couple as leads under the mistletoe.
Back in 2012, the network dipped it's toe into Hanukkah. In Hitched for the Holidays, Joey Lawrence played an actor hired by a Jewish woman to pretend to be her boyfriend. In 2018, the network committed to filming two Hanukkah themed movies. The results were mixed. The films were still really Christmas movies with a few Hanukkah elements thrown in for good measure. One of the fist, was Holiday Date featuring former model and soap stud Matt Cohen.
Much liked Hitched for the Holidays, Cohen plays Joel Parker, an actor hired to play the leads boyfriend when she returns home for Christmas. The fact that Joel is Jewish isn't mentioned until almost mid-way through the movie and is a surprise to both the family, and the audience.
The elements of Hanukkah weaved in are a bit basic, but that might be a good thing given I'm guessing most of the films viewers are not well versed on the traditions and history of the Jewish holiday. Unlike Christmas, which you can't escape if you tried, information about Hanukkah everywhere you turn in December and unless your Jewish, you have to look to learn.
Not being Jewish, I remember knowing almost nothing about Hanukkah until I researched Jewish holidays for JR High School project. I remember being surprised with how little most people knew about the holiday and how at the time, school's and public areas like stores and commercial spaces did little or nothing to note the holiday.
I watched some of Holiday Date last year, but DVR'd it to watch fully when it recently aired again. Matt Cohen makes a engaging lead and it was nice to see Bruce Boxleitner as the female leads father. I don't watch General Hospital, and never saw Matt on the soap, but from the caps below, it appears they frequently got him out of his clothes.
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