Channel 4 has confirmed the premiere date for Tip Toe, Russell T Davies’ new five-part drama starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey as two long-time neighbours in Manchester whose uneasy relationship begins to unravel. The series will launch at 9pm on Sunday 31 May, with its story following Leo and Clive as fear, prejudice and increasingly radicalised opinions creep into their everyday lives.
Cumming plays Leo, the vivid owner of Spit & Polish, a bar in Manchester’s Gay Village, while Morrissey stars as Clive, his guarded and troubled next-door neighbour. The pair have lived beside each other for almost 15 years, but the series sees that familiar closeness turn into suspicion, hostility and danger.
Created by Davies, whose previous work includes It’s A Sin, Queer as Folk and Doctor Who, Tip Toe has already drawn attention for its tense suburban thriller premise and its focus on how prejudice can move through ordinary lives. The cast also includes Pooky Quesnel, Elizabeth Berrington, Denise Welch, Paul Rhys, Charlie Condou, Iz Hesketh, Shakeel Kimotho and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo.
For CultureCues, Tip Toe has been one to watch from the moment that first teaser arrived. With Davies writing, Cumming and Morrissey at the centre, and Manchester’s Gay Village woven directly into the story, this feels like the kind of Channel 4 drama that could get people talking very quickly. Now that the release date has finally been confirmed, fans know exactly when to tune in. And yes, we will absolutely be watching.
Tip Toe premieres at 9pm on Sunday 31 May on Channel 4, with streaming available via Channel 4.
Nikki Murray is a UK-based writer, screenwriter and founder & editor of CultureCues, covering film, television, music and pop culture. Her work focuses on storytelling and the moments shaping modern entertainment.