After those precious and extraordinary jewels of It’s A Sin and Years and Years (two TV series that if you have not seen you have to run to recover for the ability to tell the present), Russell T Davies returns with Tip Toe, a five-episode thriller miniseries that addresses some of the most divisive themes of contemporary society through the history of two neighbors destined to become enemies. The Channel 4 miniseries, appreciated in the UK, distributed in the USA by STARZ, will arrive from August 6 with the weekly release of bets, on HBO Max.
Produced by Quay Street Productions for Channel 4 and directed by Peter Hoar, the series is set in Manchester and marks a new collaboration between Davies and the creative team of Queer as Folk and It’s A Sin. Thanks to the presence of two level actors like Alan Cumming and David Morrissey, Davies, with his usual style, able to alternate tension, irony and social reflection, builds a story that starts from a daily conflict to explore the return of prejudices, the radicalization of public debate and the fractures that cross British society. But that from the United Kingdom is all about us.
While maintaining the emotional tone and humor that characterize its works, the series takes the form of a thriller, using the conflict between two neighbors to reflect on the weight of disinformation, online hatred and the growing polarization of society.
La trama
In the center there are Leo Struthers and Clive Goss, neighbors in Manchester for almost fifteen years. Leo is the owner of the Spit & Polish, a bar located in the heart of Canal Street, the symbol of the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Clive is instead an electrician, married and father of two teenage children.
When a seemingly trivial gesture like Leo entrusts Clive with a copy of the keys to the house, it triggers a series of misunderstandings, the relationship between the two quickly degenerates. In an increasingly tense social climate, where words, fake news and extremist opinions fuel suspicion and hostility, personal rivalry is transformed into a suburban thriller that questions the very concept of coexistence.
Il cast
Alan Cumming plays Leo Struthers, owner of the Spit & Polish bar, a brilliant, ironic man and very well known in the LGBTQ+ community in Manchester. Next to him, David Morrissey dresses up as Clive Goss, electrician and neighbor of Leo’s house, with whom he will gradually enter into conflict.
The cast also includes:
Pooky Quesnel is Marie Goss, wife of Clive.
Jackson Connor plays George Goss, Clive’s younger son.
Joseph Evans is Saul Goss, George’s elder brother.
Elizabeth Berrington plays Stephanie Dale, Leo’s best friend.
Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo dresses up as Judy, manager of Spit & Polish.
Paul Rhys is Melba, historical presence of Canal Street.
Charlie Condou plays Curtis, Leo’s ex-husband.
Denise Welch is Diane.
They complete the cast Iz Hesketh in the role of Zee and Shakeel Kimotho in that of Hanna, both employees of Leo’s club.
Le location: Manchester e Canal Street
The series was filmed entirely in Manchester, a city deeply tied to the career of Russell T Davies. Much of the story takes place around Canal Street, the heart of the Gay Village city, already protagonist of Queer as Folk in 1999.
The return to these places is an ideal connection with one of the most influential works of the author, but shows a deeply changed reality than the one told over twenty-five years ago.
Quando esce e dove vedere
Tip Toe is composed of five episodes and was broadcast in the UK on Channel 4 from 31 May 2026, with streaming availability also on the broadcaster’s platform. In Italy he will arrive on HBO Max, a platform devoted to quality.
L’articolo Tip Toe: plot, cast and everything on the new series of Russell T Davies coming to HBO Max proviene da Dituttounpop.it.
