Renowned screenwriter and executive producer Russell T Davies is speaking out about the North American arrival of his dark Channel 4 drama Tip Toe, which is making its way to audiences through Starz. The five-part thriller, which originally debuted in the United Kingdom, has drawn widespread attention for its unflinching look at rising social tensions, online misinformation, and hostility directed toward marginalized communities.
Set in Manchester-a city deeply connected to Davies through his breakthrough 1999 series Queer as Folk-the drama centers on a volatile feud between two longtime neighbors. The story stars Alan Cumming as Leo Struthers, an openly gay bar owner on Canal Street, and David Morrissey as Clive Goss, an ordinary electrician and family man whose views become dangerously radicalized over time. The series famously opens with a striking, harrowing sequence featuring Leo being hanged outside his home before flashing back 10 days to uncover the escalation of events.
Addressing Global Cultural Pressures and US Leadership
In interviews discussing the international rollout of the series, Davies praised Starz for having the creative “nerve” to pick up the project in the United States and Canada. He noted that the themes explored in Tip Toe directly mirror real-world anxieties fueled by political rhetoric.
“It’s very good news that it’s been picked up in the US by Starz, because a lot of the arguments in Tip Toe address many of the problems that come when the President of the free world talks with hatred, bile and anger about minorities,” Davies explained. He added that such public rhetoric gives tacit permission to individuals worldwide to embrace hostility and rise up in arms.
According to the creative team, Tip Toe was produced entirely without American financial backing. Producers initially operated under the assumption that the provocative subject matter and explicit commentary might deter US platforms from acquiring the rights.
A Deeply Personal and Angrier Project
Davies has frequently described Tip Toe as his “angriest and darkest series yet,” anticipating that its unflinching confrontation with bigotry would spark intense public debate. The script was heavily influenced by a decade of personal frustration regarding public harassment, including verbal abuse directed at his late husband, Andrew, who walked with a cane following a medical impairment.
“Ten years ago the motor strip on my husband’s left side was torn and he was disabled… And lads would walk past us and see him walking with a stick and say to his face, ‘You were limping on the other foot 10 minutes ago,’” Davies shared. “I’ve been carrying my fury at this for 10 years.”
Cast and Production Team
Beyond Cumming and Morrissey, the ensemble cast of Tip Toe features a wealth of British television talent, including:
- Pooky Quesnel as Marie, Clive’s wife
- Elizabeth Berrington as Stephanie, Leo’s best friend
- Iz Hesketh and Shakeel Kimotho as Zee and Hanna
- Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as Judy, the bar manager
- Paul Rhys as Melba
- Charlie Condou as Curtis, Leo’s ex-husband
- Denise Welch as Diane
The series is executive produced by Davies, lead star Alan Cumming, and director Peter Hoar, alongside Quay Street Productions CEO Nicola Shindler and producer Phil Collinson. Casting was handled by Andy Pryor.
Following its impactful broadcast run overseas, Tip Toe is slated to stream on Starz in the United States later this year, bringing its urgent conversation about polarization and contemporary community safety to North American viewers.
