Skip to content

Russell T Davies to bring new LGBT drama to TV

Catriona Aitken
BBC News
Getty Images Russell T Davies, who has dark hair and glasses and is wearing a check shirt and black suit jacket and looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression on his faceGetty Images
Russell T Davies says he wanted to write another LGBT drama because "the world is getting stranger, tougher and darker"

Russell T Davies will be bringing a new LGBT drama to TV screens following the success of It's A Sin.

The five-part Channel 4 series, Tip Toe, follows electrician Clive, who has two teenage sons, and Leo, who runs a bar on Canal Street in Manchester.

"This is a show I had to write because the world is getting stranger, tougher and darker, and frankly, the fight is on," said Davies.

It follows the success of award-winning series It's A Sin, which aired in 2021 and told the story of a group of young friends living in London during the HIV/Aids crisis in the 1980s.

The drama, starring pop star Olly Alexander, was a ratings success and sexual health charity, Terrence Higgins Trust also reported a surge in HIV testing after its launch.

It led to a record-breaking month for Channel 4, gaining 6.5 million views across its five episode in less than two weeks.

Davies said his script was turned down by ITV, the BBC and even Channel 4 the first time around.

Channel 4 Five people sat in a row. They are all laughing, and have their arms round each other. Two of the men are wearing black jackets, one man is wearing a fluffy brown jacket and the fourth man wears a red jacket. The only woman is wearing a blue denim jacket and is the only only one looking at the camera.Channel 4
Record-breaking It's A Sin followed a group of friends in London during the HIV/Aids crisis

Davies, 61, initially gained recognition for his Channel 4 series Queer As Folk, which first aired in 1999.

In 2023, he told BBC Wales he wanted to write a darker LGBTQ+ drama as he felt there was "a lot of hatred in the air".

"A lot of nonsense in the air, a lot of rhetoric, and a lot of hate-makers stoking up the fires, and I have things to say about that, so I'd be surprised if I don't say something about that," he said.

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

She added it was "not just a timely drama, but a captivating story" which showcased "Russell's brilliant wit, warmth and devastating poignancy".

Casting for the show will be announced in due course.

The series will be produced by Quay Street Productions, which is part of ITV Studios, with Shindler, Davies and Peter Hoar as executive producers.