Starz Lands Russell T Davies' 'Tip Toe' for U.S.
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- Starz has exclusively acquired Russell T Davies' five-part LGBTQ+ drama "Tip Toe" for the U.S. and Canada, with a North American premiere set for later this year.
- Alan Cumming plays Leo, who runs Spit & Polish bar on Canal Street, and David Morrissey plays Clive, an electrician with two teenage sons — two Manchester neighbors whose 15-year relationship deteriorates into a "deadly" feud amid rising cultural tensions.
- Russell T Davies said it was his "great delight to return to Starz after many years," framing the U.S. deal as a fit for audiences "hungry for strong, bold, opinionated material" following the show's U.K. launch.
- Starz Networks president Alison Hoffman called the series "daring and original," saying it "examines identity, fear, and polarization in our society in a way that is at once funny, devastating and profoundly human."
- The supporting cast includes Pooky Quesnel, Jackson Connor, Joseph Evans, Elizabeth Berrington, Iz Hesketh, Shakeel Kimotho, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Paul Rhys, Charlie Condou, and Denise Welch, with Peter Hoar directing on location in Manchester.
- Nicola Shindler, Russell T Davies, and Alan Cumming serve as executive producers, Phil Collinson produces, and Andy Pryor handled casting for the Quay Street Productions series made for Channel 4.
- ITV Studios is distributing "Tip Toe" internationally, with the deal brokered by Katie Buchanan and Rob Kaplan.
Why it matters: The acquisition marks Davies' return to Starz after a multi-year absence, giving the U.S. and Canadian market same-year access to a Channel 4 LGBTQ+ drama that the creator says has already proven audience appetite for provocative storytelling during its U.K. run — and positioning the network behind a high-profile topical property ahead of the North American premiere.
