SERIES MANIA FORUM announces talent masterclass with showrunner russel t davies ad producer nicola shindler
Masterclass, set for March 25 in Lille during Series Mania Forum, to unveil first-look clips from their new Channel 4 drama series “Tip Toe”
LILLE & PARIS, FRANCE – January 26, 2026 – Laurence Herszberg, founder and general director of Series Mania, today announced that internationally acclaimed showrunner Russell T Davies and BAFTA-winning producer Nicola Shindler will lead a Talent Masterclass at this year’s Series Mania Forum (March 24–26), the industry arm of the Series Mania Festival (March 20–27). Davies and Shindler’s extensive joint credits include Tip Toe, Years & Years, It’s a Sin, Nolly and Queer as Folk. Shindler, the recipient of the third annual ‘Woman in Series Award’ at the forum in 2023, will join Davies for the masterclass on March 25 at 15:45 at the Lille Grand Palais.
Together Davies, whose additional credits include Doctor Who, Torchwood, and A Very English Scandal, and Shindler, whose work includes Happy Valley, Unforgotten, Fool Me Once and After The Flood, will be discussing their new five-part drama series, Tip Toe, one of the most highly anticipated new drama series of 2026 from Channel 4. In this exclusive masterclass, they will unveil first-look clips from the series and explore the creative ambition behind the show – from its origins and themes to the process of bringing bold new drama to screen at scale. Tip Toe, starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey, explores the most corrosive forces facing the LGBTQ+ community today, examining the danger as prejudice creeps back into our lives.
“I am delighted to be welcoming the wonderful Nicola back to Series Mania Forum along with Russell, one of today’s most prolific showrunners. Together they have collaborated for more than two decades and have been behind some of the most talked-about and emotionally resonant television of recent years, connecting with audiences worldwide. I have no doubt Tip Toe will be another masterpiece in their remarkable and long-standing creative partnership,” commented Herszberg.
Russell T Davies adds: “I’m delighted to be taking part, and many thanks to Series Mania for being so kind and welcoming. Allons-y!”
about “tip toe”
The five-part series, filmed entirely in Manchester, follows Leo and Clive who live next door to each other in Manchester. Leo runs a bar on Canal Street, Clive’s an electrician, with two teenage sons. But just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense. Words become weapons, opinions become radicalised, and gradually, two neighbours become deadly enemies in a tense, suburban thriller which challenges everything we consider to be safe. The series, populated with a cast of vibrant characters and underscored with Davies’ trademark wit and deft humour, is an urgent yet gripping tale that brings a spotlight to bear on the re-emergence of an incipient threat.
Tip Toe is from Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios), with Shindler, Davies, Peter Hoar and Alan Cumming serving as executive producers. The series is produced by Phil Collinson, directed by Peter Hoar and is cast by Andy Pryor. Gemma Boswell is the commissioning editor at Channel 4. Tip Toe is produced in association with ITV Studios who will distribute the show internationally.
about rusell t davies
Russell T Davies work includes the ground-breaking Queer As Folk, Bob and Rose, Casanova and The Second Coming. In 2004, he revived the classic British science fiction series Doctor Who and he created Torchwood. This was followed by the trilogy Cucumber, Banana and Tofu. He then adapted A Very English Scandal on BBC 1, followed by the 6-part drama Years and Years for BBC One/HBO. He wrote the acclaimed 5-part series It’s A Sin for Channel 4/HBO MAX and a 3-part drama Nolly for ITV. He returned to the BBC to oversee two further series of Doctor Who and recent 5-part spin-off series The War Between the Land and the Sea for BBC One/Disney+.
Russell’s latest original 5-part drama called Tip Toe is currently in production for Channel 4 ahead of its premiere in 2026.
about nicola shindler
Nicola Shindler is a prolific, multi award-winning British television producer, who has worked with some of the most lauded names in television and created some of its most memorable series. With over 25 years’ experience in television, Nicola has produced some of the UK’s most successful and award-winning dramas, including Years and Years, Happy Valley, Queer As Folk, Fool Me Once, The Stolen Girl, The Guest, After The Flood and most recently Harlan Coben’s Run Away. Forthcoming series include The Blame starring Michelle Keegan and Douglas Booth for ITV and Tip Toe written by Russell T Davies starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey. Renowned for her relationships with writers, Nicola has worked with an array of the UK’s most prolific and exciting writing talent including Russell T Davies, Sally Wainwright, Lenny Henry, Paul Abbott, Dan Sefton, Tony Marchant, Amelia Bullmore, Danny Brocklehurst, Matt Greenhalgh and Sarah Solemani, on series starring some of the world’s leading on-screen names. Prior to launching Quay Street Productions (part of ITV Studios) in 2021, Nicola founded RED Production Company in 1998, where she was Chief Executive for 22 years, and she also previously served as chief executive and chief creative officer at StudioCanal UK.
about quay street productions (part of itv studios)
Quay Street Productions was founded by multi-award-winning producer Nicola Shindler in 2021, to make contemporary, provocative and entertaining drama for UK and global audiences.
Based in Manchester, Quay Street Productions works closely with new and established writers to tell a broad range of stories.
Russell T Davies’ drama Nolly, starring Helena Bonham Carter as soap opera legend Noele “Nolly” Gordon, and Significant Other by Dana Fainaru and Hamish Wright, starring Katherine Parkinson and Youssef Kerkour, both launched on ITVX and ITV in 2023. Feature-length BBC One drama Men Up, written by BAFTA Wales winner Matthew Barry and starring Iwan Rheon, aired Christmas 2023 and After The Flood, written by BAFTA-nominated Mick Ford and starring Sophie Rundle, launched on ITV1 and ITVX in 2024.
Harlan Coben’s Netflix series Fool Me Once, written by BAFTA-winner Danny Brocklehurst, starring Michelle Keegan, Adeel Akhtar, Richard Armitage and Joanna Lumley, premiered globally in January 2024, and became the most-watched series in the US in 2024, on any platform, and joined Netflix’s global chart of its top 10 most popular English-language shows of all time.
Dead Hot, written by Charlotte Coben and commissioned by Amazon Prime Video for UK and Ireland, dropped in March 2024, followed by Tubi to serve the US. Toby Whithouse’s The Red King aired on UKTV in April 2024. Missing You, a Harlan Coben series for Netflix, written by Victoria Asare-Archer, launched January 2025, and Catherine Moulton’s The Stolen Girl, an adaptation of the 2020 novel Playdate by Alex Dahl, launched in April 2025 on Disney+. Welsh-based propulsive drama, The Guest, written by Matthew Barry, launched in Autumn 2025 on BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
Lazarus, an Amazon Prime Video series written and co-created by Danny Brocklehurst and Harlan Coben, launched in October 2025. As part of their ongoing collaboration, the next Harlan Coben adaptation for Netflix, Run Away, premiered on 1 January 2026. The second series of After the Flood also launched on ITV and ITVX in January 2026. Tip Toe, an upcoming drama written by BAFTA-winner Russell T Davies for Channel 4, was announced in early 2025 and is set to launch in 2026. Meanwhile, The Blame, starring Michelle Keegan, is currently in post-production for ITV and ITVX.
Quay Street Productions is part of ITV Studios.
CONTACTS PRESSE
MIAM- France
Claire Vorger – [email protected] | 06 20 10 40 56
MORRIS MARKETING – USA
Sheila MORRIS – [email protected]| 818-487-9300
Danielle COTTON [email protected] | 615-554-8671