Russell T Davies' Queer Drama Tip Toe, Starring Alan Cumming, To Air Stateside On Starz

Starz has gone across the pond to find the next piece of its scripted slate.

The premium cabler announced Wednesday that it has acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights to "Tip Toe," a queer drama hailing from former "Doctor Who" showrunner Russell T Davies. The five-part series, which aired in the U.K. earlier this month, will debut on Starz later this year.

"Tip Toe" stars Alan Cumming ("The Traitors") and David Morrissey ("The Walking Dead") as Leo and Clive, a respective bar owner and electrician who have lived next door to each other in Manchester for nearly 15 years. "But just as life should be settling down for both, the world around them is growing more tense," the logline describes. "Words become weapons, opinions become radicalized, and gradually the two neighbors become deadly enemies in a tense, thrilling drama that spotlights the prejudices that have started to creep back into our lives, in a story that speaks not just to the queer community, but to the world at large."

"Russell T Davies has created a gripping and deeply affecting series that speaks directly to the cultural tensions and anxieties shaping modern life," Starz President Alison Hoffman said in a statement. "Anchored by extraordinary performances from Alan Cumming and David Morrissey, 'Tip Toe' examines identity, fear, and polarization in our society in a way that is at once funny, devastating, and profoundly human. It's exactly the type of daring and original storytelling that we're dedicated and proud to champion at Starz."

Russell T Davies, who serves as writer and executive producer of "Tip Toe," recently made headlines with his exit from "Doctor Who" after three years as showrunner. In turn, the BBC has scrapped its plans for the previously announced "Doctor Who" Christmas episode.

"This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans," read an official announcement from the series, "but in order to set the show up for future [seasons], it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one-off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory."

Davies, meanwhile, posted the following farewell message on his Instagram: "And so GOODBYE from me to 'Doctor Who,' but HELLO to a big new future for the show, as the BBC announces it's putting the show out to tender. As a result, there won't be a Christmas Special — we only cooked that up to guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen, but now we do know, there's no need for it. You'll have to wait a bit longer for new 'Doctor Who'... but you'll be waiting for MORE 'Doctor Who' than a one-off. So it's worth it!"