Russell T Davies on 'Tip Toe': 'I Wish Television Could Change the World'

On a typically damp Manchester afternoon, we are led into what initially seems to be a standard terraced kitchen. Dishes clutter the sink and groceries fill the fridge, but a glance out the window at the bright blue sky and sunshine reveals the truth: this is a studio set. The resident is Alan Cumming, while television luminary Russell T Davies sits at the table. The BBC has been granted exclusive behind-the-scenes access to meet the talent and team behind Davies’ new thriller, Tip Toe. The series explores the escalating conflict between two neighbors—one gay, one straight—which turns increasingly sinister as one protagonist becomes ensnared in online disinformation, leading to catastrophic outcomes for both.

While Davies has a history of blending humor with heavy themes, his previous works like It’s a Sin and Years and Years looked to the past or a dystopian future. Tip Toe, however, confronts the present day. "To be honest, I see the world getting worse and worse," Davies admits. "I am deeply concerned about the future for my nieces and nephews."

When asked if he expects the series to drive real-world change, Davies reflects on the impact of his past work. It’s a Sin notably spurred a significant rise in HIV testing, and Mr Bates vs The Post Office brought national scrutiny to the Horizon IT scandal. Davies, however, remains skeptical of the medium's power. "I wish television could change the world," he says. "If I could have changed it faster, I would have written more to do so. That said, I feel obligated to comment on the state of the world."

The series stars Alan Cumming as Leo Struthers, a 59-year-old bar owner in Manchester’s Gay Village. Securing Cumming is a personal victory for Davies, who reveals he has tried to cast him in one of his productions for over two decades. The character was conceived specifically for Cumming before a script existed, and the actor was "blown away" by the premise, particularly a twist in the first episode: his character is already dead.

"As the series progresses and we all grow attached to the characters, you almost forget [that I’m dead]," Cumming explains. "But we don’t know when or how it happened. It’s clever and suspenseful. It feels incredibly relevant and necessary."

Playing Leo’s neighbor is David Morrissey as Clive Goss. Despite being friends and former neighbors for over 40 years, this marks the first professional collaboration between Morrissey and Cumming. "We have to tackle some pretty tough material, but the benefit of working with a friend is that you can really push the boundaries," Morrissey says during a break from filming a tense, emotional sequence in the Goss family home. He notes that while scenes can be highly confrontational, the moment the director calls "cut," the two are "hugging each other and checking that we’re both okay."

The cast also features relative newcomers Joseph Evans and Jackson Connor, who portray brothers Saul and George Goss. During a pause in filming a chilly interaction with their on-screen father, Morrissey, the two sit in what appears to be their front garden but is actually a plywood set within a Manchester studio. Their resemblance and dynamic—mocking one another and finishing each other's sentences—strongly suggest they are actual siblings.

Davies’ 1999 breakout drama, Queer as Folk, served as a cultural milestone for screen representation. However, in the 26 years since, he feels progress has stalled or reversed. "When we were filming Queer as Folk, if you had asked me what queer life would be like in 25 years, I would have said we’d have achieved equality, everything would be fine, and we’d all be hand-in-hand, skipping down the street," he says, his voice trailing off.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-30 23:04:37 UTC