Alan Cumming’s queer drama series “Tip Toe” has landed at Starz for distribution in the U.S. and English-speaking Canada.
The show hails from Russell T Davies (“Doctor Who,” “It’s a Sin,” “Queer as Folk”) and stars Cumming and David Morrissey as warring next door neighbors. The five-part series will debut later this year on Starz.
Commissioned by U.K. Broadcaster Channel 4 from Quay Street Productions, part of ITV Studios, “Tip Toe” debuted in the U.K. during Pride Month to critical acclaim, spotlighting prejudices that persist against the queer community.
In “Tip Toe,” Cumming’s Leo and Morrissey’s Clive have lived as next-door neighbors for nearly 15 years in Manchester, with Leo running a bar on Canal Street while Clive works as 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 logline 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.”
The series also stars Pooky Quesnel, Jackson Connor, Joseph Evans, Elizabeth Berrington, Iz Hesketh, Shakeel Kimotho, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Paul Rhys, Charlie Condou and Denise Welch.
Cumming, Davies, Nicola Shindler and Peter Hoar serve as executive producers. The deal with Starz was brokered by Katie Buchanan and Rob Kaplan at ITV Studios.
“Russell T Davies has created a gripping and deeply affecting series that speaks directly to the cultural tensions and anxieties shaping modern life,” Starz network president Alison Hoffman said in a statement. “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 added. “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,” ITV Studios global sales and commercial sales Tom Clark further noted. “‘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.”
