Doctor Who and It's a Sin's Russell T Davies announces new LGBTQ+ drama Tip Toe

Tip Toe will also be directed by Peter Hoar, who is best known for his work on It's a Sin, The Last of Us and the upcoming season of Doctor Who.

Davies is no stranger to bringing a range of gripping stories to life on screen, and this time around, Tip Toe will "explore the most corrosive forces facing the LGBTQ+ community today, examining the danger as prejudice creeps back into our lives".

"Problems we thought were long-gone are returning, toughened and weaponised, until no one knows truth from lies any more," the synopsis continues.

Following Leo and Clive, who live next door to each in Manchester, the series will dig into each of their different lives. While Leo runs a bar on Canal Street, Clive is an electrician with two teenage sons.

But the series will interrogate what happens when certain opinions become radicalised, the world grows more tense and words become weapons, eventually leading to the two neighbours becoming deadly enemies.

Described as a "suburban thriller", Tip Toe will "challenge everything we consider to be safe".

The synopsis adds that the series is "an urgent yet gripping tale that brings a spotlight to bear on the re-emergence of an incipient threat".

While casting has not yet been confirmed for the series, the release boasts a "cast of vibrant characters", and we're sure with Davies having a knack for picking up some of the best rising and esteemed talent in his shows, there will certainly be some exciting news to come.

On the announcement of the series, Tip Toe's writer and creator, Russell T Davies, 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."

More recently, Davies did hint at the upcoming Channel 4 project in a podcast episode where he spoke of the inspiration he gets from Manchester and Canal Street in particular, the same place that Queer as Folk was filmed back in 1999.

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Speaking in December on the Talk Art podcast with hosts Russell Tovey and Robert Diament, Davies said of Canal Street: "I've actually been spending a lot of time there recently because I think it's about time that I wrote about it again."

When pressed about whether there were some TV ideas percolating, Davies admitted there are, saying: "Yeah, with the world getting madder and madder with trans rights, queer rights, gay rights, women's rights.

"It's like we're all arguing with each other when we should be arguing with the enemy. So, I've been spending a lot of time there just to... get the temperature of the place, and I discover it's still the same old place."

Also commenting on the announcement of Tip Toe, executive producer Nicola Shindler said: "I am so pleased to be back working with Russell at Channel 4, and to be given the chance to tell such an important story.

"Tip Toe is not just a timely drama, but a captivating story shot through with Russell’s brilliant wit, warmth and devastating poignancy."

Ollie Madden, director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, also commented: "It is a huge privilege to back this remarkable new series from Russell, one of the greatest writers of our time, and the man behind some of our most era-defining hits, including Queer as Folk and It’s a Sin.

"We couldn’t love Tip Toe more: it is funny, gripping, full of heart, and an urgent call to arms. It perfectly represents what we’re about at Channel 4, and we are beyond thrilled to be working with Nicola, Russell and Peter again on this very special show."

Tip Toe will be coming to Channel 4.

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