New images have been released from Tip Toe, a forthcoming “suburban thriller” written by Russell T Davies.
The five‑part Channel 4 drama centres on two men whose lives become dangerously entangled: Clive, an electrician raising two teenage sons, and Leo, who runs a bar on Manchester’s Canal Street, the heart of the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
According to Channel 4, the series examines the “most corrosive forces” facing the LGBTQ+ community today, exploring what happens as prejudice “creeps back into our lives”. The broadcaster has described Tip Toe as a “tense suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe”.
Davies said he felt compelled to write the series because “the world is getting stranger, tougher and darker – and frankly, the fight is on”.
The drama follows Davies’ acclaimed work on It’s a Sin, his award‑winning series about a group of friends living through the HIV/AIDS crisis in 1980s London, and Queer as Folk, which was also set in Manchester.
It’s a Sin, starring pop star Olly Alexander, became an instant hit on Channel 4’s streaming service. Sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust previously reported a significant rise in HIV testing following the show’s broadcast.
A newly released clip from Tip Toe features Alan Cumming as Leo and David Morrissey as Clive. The cast also includes Luyanda Unati Lewis‑Nyawo as Judy, the manager of Leo’s bar, and Paul Rhys as Melba, a long‑standing figure on Canal Street. New images also show Shakeel Kimotho and Iz Hesketh, who star in the series.
Tip Toe will air on Channel 4 later this year.
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