The creator of It\u2019s a Sin is back \u2013 and he\u2019s furious. His new series Tip Top explores the rise of homophobia through a feud between two Manchester neighbours. He and stars Alan Cumming and David Morrissey talk death, fear and \u2018joy as a form of protest\u2019<\/p>\n
Late at night on Manchester\u2019s Canal Street, the heart of the city\u2019s famous queer scene, two neighbours are at war. An escalating feud between gay bar manager Leo (Alan Cumming) and reserved, judgmental neighbour Clive (David Morrissey) shows no sign of abating. Yells from Leo are so loud they echo down the canal. The street is not closed to the public as their altercation plays out, so you can\u2019t tell who in the background is an employee at Leo\u2019s bar, Spit & Polish, who is a regular, and who is a member of the public out for their midweek pint. In the background, an ambulance\u2019s lights flash while unflappable drag queens continue to flyer for their neighbouring bars.<\/p>\n
Russell T Davies\u2019s Tip Toe, a new Channel 4 drama, looks at how political rhetoric, toxic online bullying and misinformation can add jet fuel to a feud between neighbours. The location of the series won\u2019t be lost on viewers of Queer As Folk. The 1999 classic, which regularly featured scenes shot in Canal Street, followed the lives of three gay men, in a way that not only made being gay seem cool, it also reflected a new era of tolerance. Viewers took from it that the future could only be bright.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d7f0d33bd5e43f20e178547027307cc47874b4e4\/495_1428_6275_5022\/master\/6275.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=a313a40f4821dfe6200375ed8476a867\" "\\"\u2018How")
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