“Tip Toe”: Russell T Davies Offers a Darker, More Tense Take in New LGBTQ+ Drama
Russell T Davies, the acclaimed creator behind Queer as Folk and It’s a Sin, is set to return to Channel 4 with a bold new five-part drama titled Tip Toe. This latest project promises to be a tense, character-driven thriller exploring the subtle and dangerous rise of prejudice within modern communities.
A Suburban Story with a Dangerous Edge
Set in Manchester, Tip Toe tells the story of two neighbours – Leo, a bar owner on Canal Street, and Clive, an electrician and father of two teenage boys. What begins as an ordinary relationship in a close-knit neighbourhood slowly spirals into a chilling feud. As opinions grow more extreme and boundaries are pushed, their interactions evolve into a deadly confrontation.
Channel 4 has described the series as “a timely and unsettling examination of how the most corrosive forces facing the LGBTQ+ community today can emerge in everyday life.”
Russell T Davies on the Urgency of the Story
Davies, who has long been known for blending sharp political commentary with compelling human drama, described Tip Toe as a necessary project in a world that is “getting stranger, tougher and darker.” He said:
“It’s my honour to combine my old home, Channel 4, with my second home, Canal Street. This is a show I had to write because the world is getting stranger, tougher and darker, and frankly, the fight is on.”
The drama draws on the realities of rising polarisation, social media radicalisation, and the reemergence of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in public life, issues Davies has spoken about candidly in recent years.
Behind the Scenes: A Powerhouse Creative Team
Tip Toe is produced by Red Production Company, reuniting Davies with longtime collaborator Nicola Shindler, and is directed by Peter Hoar, known for his work on It’s a Sin and The Last of Us. The series will be filmed in Manchester, adding to Davies’ ongoing commitment to regional representation in British drama.
Shindler called the project “urgent yet gripping,” adding:
“Russell has created a story which is full of tension, exploring how seemingly small differences can escalate with devastating consequences.”
What to Expect
While Queer as Folk broke new ground in portraying LGBTQ+ life in the 1990s, and It’s a Sin delivered a heart-wrenching portrait of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Tip Toe brings Davies’ storytelling into the present. It reflects the growing tensions in society and how divisions can fester behind closed doors, even in progressive communities.
The series is expected to premiere on Channel 4 in 2025, and will almost certainly generate conversation about the political and emotional cost of rising extremism.
