Tip Toe on Channel 4: First look at Russell T Davies' new 'suburban thriller' about feuding neighbours
It's described as an "urgent, captivating and exciting" thriller...
Channel 4 has released the first pictures of Russell T Davies’ Tip Toe, showing leading men David Morrissey and Alan Cumming in character as feuding neighbours.
This will mark the award-winning screenwriter’s fourth collaboration with the broadcaster, following Queer as Folk, Cucumber, and 2021’s heartbreaking It’s a Sin. This time, the great shepherd behind two incarnations of Doctor Who, is switching time-travel for suburban toxicity…
If witty, sharp-edged social realism is right up your street, then you’ll love this upcoming thriller. Here’s everything you need to know about Tip Toe on Channel 4 – including plot, cast, start date, location, and number of episodes. Read on for all the latest news…
What’s the plot of Tip Toe on Channel 4?
Channel 4 describes Tip Toe as an “urgent, captivating and exciting” thriller. The action floats around neighbours who live in Manchester.
The official synopsis tells us: “The series will follow Leo and Clive who have lived next door to each other in Manchester for almost 15 years.
“But just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe.”
Tip Toe’s story “brings a spotlight to bear on the prejudices which are creeping back into our lives”.
How many episodes is it?
Just like It’s a Sin before it, Russell T Davies’ latest piece of TV work will spread across five episodes in total.
We’re expecting each instalment to last for an hour, including adverts.
Who’s in the cast of Tip Toe on Channel 4?
Alan Cumming portrays Leo in the cast of Tip Toe on Channel 4. Owner of the Gay Village bar Spit & Polish, Leo is described as “vivid, funny and dynamic”.
Scottish actor Alan is now widely recognised for presenting the American version of murder-mystery reality series The Traitors. Other standout credits include the films X-Men 2, GoldenEye, Eyes Wide Shut, and Spy Kids. He also played Eli Gold in the TV drama The Good Wife between 2010 and 2016.
Talking about Tip Toe, he said : “The best things in life are worth waiting for, and the best people. Russell T Davies and I have been trying to work together for over 20 years.
“Now, not only are we working together but doing so with one of my dearest, oldest friends, Dave Morrissey. And in a piece of work I think is so brilliant and prescient and necessary.”
David Morrissey co-leads as the “unsmiling” Clive. Of course, he’s best known for Sherwood, The Walking Dead, and The Long Shadow.
Tip Toe’s supporting players include Pooky Quesnel (Moonflower Murders) as Clive’s wife Marie, and Masters of the Air’s Jackson Connor as his youngest son George.
Joseph Evans (The Map That Leads to You) is onboard as Clive’s eldest boy Saul, while Virdee‘s Elizabeth Berrington plays Leo’s best mate Stephanie.
Iz Hesketh (Renegade Nell), Shakeel Kimotho (CATS musical), Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (Wednesday), Paul Rhys (Saltburn), Charlie Condou (The Madame Blanc Mysteries), and Loose Woman Denise Welch also appear.
Tip Toe filming locations
The upcoming show was filmed entirely in Manchester. In the show, Alan Cumming’s character Leo is the owner of a bar called Spit & Polish in Manchester’s Gay Village.
Peter Hoar, who most recently directed episodes of HBO’s The Last of Us, is calling the shots.
When’s the start date?
Channel 4 has not yet confirmed a start date for Tip Toe, but we know it will be in 2026.
As the first look pictures were released (in December 2025), Russell T Davies shared: “We’re in the final days of filming, and I’m so excited for 2026. 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.”
How can I watch Tip Toe?
Channel 4 and its streaming service 4OD will be handling the UK broadcast of Tip Toe.
ITV Studios is responsible for international distribution.
What TV shows is Russell T Davies famous for?
Russell T Davies’ most recent Channel 4 drama was the critically acclaimed, It’s A Sin, in 2021. The series examined the devastating human story behind the 1980s AIDS crisis and went on to become Channel 4’s biggest ever instant boxset on streaming.
He became famous thanks to the brilliant gay drama Queer as Folk, which aired between 1999 and 2000. The groundbreaking gay adult drama chronicled the lives of Stuart and Vince, as well as 15-year-old Nathan, who is in love with Stuart. It catapulted the cast – including Aidan Gillen, and Charlie Hunnam – to fame. It also spawned a successful US remake which ran for five years, from 2000 to 2005.
Russell is also known for the political satire Years and Years and, of course, his years working on Doctor Who and Torchwood. He also wrote the current BBC One Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea.
