Tip Toe ⁞⁞ Series Spotlight

The UK miniseries Tip Toe was created, produced, and written by queer icon Russell T. Davies (Queer as Folk, Doctor Who, Torchwood, It's a Sin). The drama centered on the relationship between neighbors Leo (Alan Cumming) and Clive (David Morrissey), which grows volatile as Clive becomes radicalized due to paranoia surrounding Leo's open homosexuality over the course of a chaotic ten days. Canal Street bar owner Leo, finds himself a beacon for young queer people looking to escape harsh treatment after coming out, but when Clive's closeted teenage son George (Jackson Connor) stumbles upon Leo on Grindr, he panics. This leads to a online interaction between the two where George opens up to Leo about his struggles with his sexuality and his fear of his father finding out. Meanwhile, Clive's older son Saul (Joseph Evans) spends his time making money through OnlyFans, where he accumulates cash from female admirers. 

Electrician Clive reluctantly takes a job from Leo to fix his bar's struggling power. Clive's discomfort around Leo, his openly queer staffers, and his outspoken best friend Melba (Paul Rhys) grows even more when he brings Saul along to help with the work, causing him to become the center of attention, which Saul relishes, despite being straight. When bar employee Mikey (Gabriel Clark) recognizes Saul as a fellow OnlyFans content creator, the two become friends, despite Saul turning down Mickey's suggestions that they collaborate. Clive gives Leo a ride home, where the two are shocked to find George in his underwear. Clive assaults the stunned Leo, believing he's carrying on an inappropriate relationship with his son, while Leo balances his anger at George's trespassing, with his concern for Clive's potential abuse of his gay son. 

George escapes Clive's wrath, but finds his family rallying around him, with a plan to paint Leo as a groomer if he pursues legal charges for trespassing. This infuriates George, who escapes his home after being contacted by Leo's trans employee Zee (Iz Hesketh), who looks to help George explore the gay side of the city. Her efforts leave George with some peace of mind, but when a photo of him in make-up from that night gets shared online, it ends up in Saul's hands. He supports his brother, but warns him about Clive finding the photo. Saul has his own problems when the increasingly unhinged Clive breaks into Leo's home, finding evidence of his online chats with George, and one of Saul's videos that Mikey shared with the bar staff. 

Clive once again confronts Leo, blaming him for what he sees as corruption of his sons. Leo tries to help Clive see reason and appears to be making progress when Clive decides to patronize Leo's bar on a fateful night when the bar's drag performer Regime (Dominic Holmes) gets attacked, causing Clive to step in to stop the attack. Leo is appreciative of his efforts, but when the photo of George comes to light while Clive is throwing a party for his sports lads, along with the video of Saul, things turn deadly for Leo who happens to be present, looking to help Clive see George's true identity. Clive is incited to violence by the toxic men around him, who restrain Saul while dragging Leo to his death out on the street. Tip Toe is set for its American release on October 2 on STARZ.