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Former Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies teases his next TV project but "doesn't know if it works"

The screenwriter is planning to continue to tell groundbreaking LGBTQ+ stories.

Russell T Davies photographed wearing a white shirt, blue tie and black jacket at the premiere of Channel 4's Tip Toe, standing in front of a board with the show's logo on it

Grant Buchanan / Dave Benett / WireImage

Published: Tuesday, 7 July 2026 at 12:04 pm

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Former Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies has teased that he’s in the process of writing his next big project – though noted he’s unsure if it will work.

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Last month, Davies confirmed he will be standing down from his position as Doctor Who showrunner, with the planned Christmas special cancelled.

The much-loved sci-fi series is now being put out to tender for a new production company to take over the show for the BBC.

The announcement came shortly after the release of Davies’s latest Channel 4 series, Tip Toe, a psychological drama that tracked the rising animosity between a Manchester gay bar owner and his hard-nosed next door neighbour, whose behaviour towards him grows more extreme.

Speaking at the Attitude Pride Awards ceremony (via BBC News), Davies noted that the issues depicted in the series, which starred Alan Cumming and David Morrissey, were not exclusive to the LGBTQ+ community.

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"It's just the way things are heading in gay rights and queer rights, and especially trans rights, but actually the violence and problems that arise in Tip Toe could apply to almost any group," he said.

"I think if I can write this stuff forever, then I will. I'm already planning a new one. I don't know if it works yet, because I haven't finished writing it, but yeah, there's always a lot to say."

Davies added: "My life is this community and I love writing about it, talking about it, thinking about it. It's who I am.

"As a community, we keep on expanding, we keep facing new threats and keep finding new joys."

Week 23 Alan Cumming Queer As Folk

Charlie Hunnam, Aidan Gillen and Craig Kelly in Queer as Folk. Nicky Johnston / Channel 4

Davies has long collaborated with Channel 4 to bring queer stories to screen – starting with Queer as Folk, which launched in 1999.

Starring Charlie Hunnam, Aidan Gillan and Craig Kelly, the series follows a trio of men in Manchester’s gay scene, and became a modern British TV favourite.

In 2021, series It’s a Sin, which tracks a group of friends as they navigate the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic during the 1980s, also gained widespread critical acclaim.

The series starred Olly Alexander, Lydia West, Callum Scott Howells, Nathaniel Curtis and Omari Douglas as the friends of the "Pink Palace", as the world begins to turn on the LGBTQ+ community as misinformed rhetoric around HIV creates panic in the UK.

It's a Sin won 25 awards across that awards season, including outstanding limited or anthology series at the GLAAD Awards.

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Tip Toe, Queer as Folk and It's a Sin are all available to stream on Channel 4.

Add Tip Toe to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

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Authors

Tilly PearceFreelance Writer

Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.

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