Tip Toe is 'Queer As Folk crossed with Years and Years,' says creator Russell T Davies

Russell T Davies says his forthcoming Channel 4 thriller Tip Toe delivers ‘some of the finest acting’ he has seen, as the writer-producer assembles a high-profile cast led by Alan Cumming and David Morrissey for a five-part series scheduled for 2026. According to the original report, the drama is set in Manchester and centres on Leo (Cumming), the charismatic owner of a bar in the city’s Gay Village, and his ‘unsmiling and troubled’ next-door neighbour Clive (Morrissey).

The series tracks nearly 15 years of neighbourly co-existence that fractures into hostility as ‘words and radicalised opinions’ escalate, transforming the pair into ‘deadly enemies’ in what is billed as a tense suburban thriller that interrogates how formerly safe communities can become volatile. Davies said: ‘This show has some of the finest acting I’ve ever seen, from the most splendid cast, and I can’t wait for it to hit Channel 4.’

Alan Cumming described Tip Toe as ‘prescient and necessary’, framing the story as both timely and provocative, while David Morrissey called it ‘a privilege’ to work on what he termed an ‘astonishing’ production. Those comments were made as part of the cast announcements and promotional statements around the show.

Beyond Cumming and Morrissey, the ensemble includes Denise Welch, Pooky Quesnel, Iz Hesketh, Elizabeth Berrington and Paul Rhys; the series is produced by Quay Street Productions, a division of ITV Studios, with Nicola Shindler named as producer and Peter Hoar attached as director in production notices. Davies, Hoar and Cumming are listed as executive producers.

Davies, best known for reviving Doctor Who and for creating the acclaimed It’s A Sin, emphasised the personal nature of Tip Toe’s storytelling. The creator has previously said projects such as Queer As Folk and Cucumber will form a larger part of his legacy than his tenure on Doctor Who, and he has described Tip Toe as ‘Queer as Folk crossed with Years and Years,’ calling it ‘radical’, ‘savage’ and ‘hilarious’.

Industry reporting notes that Channel 4 commissioned the series in early 2025 and filming began in Manchester later that year; Davies has said the production was in its ‘final days of filming’ as promotional activity ramped up. The company producing the show confirmed a 2026 release window.
[Photograph: Channel 4. L to R, Alan Cumming, Russell T Davies, David Morrissey]
Source: Noah Wire Services