Russell T. Davies to Helm New Five-Part Queer Drama 'Tip Toe'
Russell T. Davis in a Channel 4 press shot
(Photo: Channel 4)
Not content to simply travel through time and space in the TARDIS these days, current Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies is now also working on a brand new LGBTQ+ drama for the British network Channel 4 that sounds almost painfully timely in its subject matter. Titled Tip Toe, the series promises to explore "the most corrosive forces facing the LGBTQ+ community today".
No stranger to making shows that wrestle with complex and occasionally controversial topics, Davies has done some of his best work with Channel 4 in recent years, including the gut-wrenching (and award-winning!) AIDS drama It's a Sin, and Cucumber, a story about life as a middle-aged gay man.
With Tip Toe, Davies will return to Manchester’s iconic Canal Street, made world-famous by his 1990s Channel 4 hit Queer as Folk. The five-part drama will follow the story of Leo and Clive, neighbors who live next door to one another. Leo runs a bar on Canal Street and Clive's an electrician with two teenage sons. But as the world around them becomes increasingly radicalized, tensions rise between the two men. Words become weapons, opinions become fixed beliefs and, gradually, two neighbors become deadly enemies.
“It’s my honor to combine my old home, Channel 4, with my second home, Canal Street," Davies said in a statement. "This is a show I had to write because the world is getting stranger, tougher, and darker, and frankly, the fight is on."
The cast of "It's a Sin"
(Photo: Ben Blackall/HBO Max)
“I am so pleased to be back working with Russell at Channel 4, and to be given the chance to tell such an important story," Davies' frequent producing partner Nicola Shindler, said in a statement. "Tip Toe is not just a timely drama, but a captivating story shot through with Russell’s brilliant wit, warmth and devastating poignancy.”
There's no casting information as yet. But during a Channel 4 showcase in London, Davies said the series' leads, who he described as “big names,” are “lined up just not quite signed yet.”
Davies is the series creator and writer, with Peter Hoar (The Last of Us) directing. Tip Toe was commissioned by Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, and Gemma Boswell, Commissioning Editor for Drama at Channel 4. It will be produced by Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios), with Davies, Hoar, and Shindler serving as executive producers.
“It is a huge privilege to back this remarkable new series from Russell, one of the greatest writers of our time, and the man behind some of our most era-defining hits, including Queer as Folk and It’s A Sin," Madden, said in a statement. We couldn’t love Tip Toe more: it is funny, gripping, full of heart, and an urgent call to arms. It perfectly represents what we’re about at Channel 4, and we are beyond thrilled to be working with Nicola, Russell, and Peter again on this very special show.”
Tip Toe has no broadcast date or American distributor at the moment, but it seems most likely it'll arrive on our screens in 2026.
