Starz to Import Russell T Davies Queer Thriller ‘Tip Toe’ Starring Alan Cumming

No need to be all hush-hush about it: Starz is bringing Russell T Davies‘ queer drama Tip Toe to the U.S. and Canada.

Tip Toe, which recently premiered on Channel 4 in the U.K., stars Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as “warring neighbors.” The five-part series is described as a “darkly witty yet harrowing and explosive thriller” that “explores the most corrosive forces facing the LGBTQ+ community today.” Tip Toe will premiere on Starz in the U.S. later this year; Starz has the limited series’ English-only rights in Canada.

U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 ordered the series from Quay Street Productions, which is part of ITV Studios. Tip Toe has been widely acclaimed overseas.

“Leo (Cumming) and Clive (Morrissey) have lived next door to each other in Manchester for almost 15 years. Leo runs Spit & Polish, a bar on Canal Street, and Clive is an electrician with two teenage sons. But just as life should be settling down for both, the world around them is growing more tense,” the synopsis reads. “Words become weapons, opinions become radicalized and gradually the two neighbors become deadly enemies in a tense, thrilling drama that spotlights the prejudices that have started to creep back into our lives, in a story that speaks not just to the queer community, but to the world at large.

“Russell T Davies has created a gripping and deeply affecting series that speaks directly to the cultural tensions and anxieties shaping modern life,” said Alison Hoffman, president of Starz Networks. “Anchored by extraordinary performances from Alan Cumming and David Morrissey, ‘Tip Toe’ examines identity, fear, and polarization in our society in a way that is at once funny, devastating and profoundly human. It’s exactly the type of daring and original storytelling that we’re dedicated and proud to champion at Starz.

“It’s my great delight to return to Starz after many years,” Davies said. “Tip Toe’s launch in the U.K. has shown that audiences are hungry for strong, bold, opinionated material — and that’s a perfect fit for Starz!

“We’re absolutely thrilled to partner with STARZ to bring this exceptional series to American audiences,” Tom Clark, executive vice president of Global Sales & Commercial Strategy at ITV Studios, added. “Tip Toe delivers bold and distinctive storytelling that resonates globally, and after an impactful debut in the U.K., we can’t wait for U.S. viewers to experience this gripping drama.”

Filmed entirely in Manchester, Tip Toe also stars Pooky Quesnel as Clive’s wife, Marie; Jackson Connor as Clive’s youngest son, George; Joseph Evans as George’s older brother, Saul; Elizabeth Berrington as Leo’s best friend, Stephanie; Iz Hesketh as Zee, and Shakeel Kimotho as Hanna, who both work at Spit & Polish; Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as the bar’s manager, Judy; Paul Rhys as Melba, a Canal Street fixture; Charlie Condou as Leo’s ex-husband, Curtis; and Denise Welch as Diane.

In addition to Davies, Tip Toe is executived produced by director Peter Hoar and star Cumming. It is produced by Nicola Shindler and Phil Collinson, with casting by Andy Pryor.