Russell T Davies is celebrating his legacy while enthusiastically supporting newer LGBTQ storytelling, praising 'Heated Rivalry' as 'hot' while setting the record straight on who actually broke ground in queer TV representation.
Fans online have been saying 'Queer as Folk walked so Heated Rivalry could run' — and Davies isn't having it. The 'It's a Sin' creator shut that narrative down hard, making clear his 90s Manchester series was 'running from the start' and pioneering gay representation long before current hits got their moment.
Davies spoke at BFI Flare film festival in London on Monday, March 23, 2026. His new Channel 4 drama 'Tip Toe' launches later this year, starring Alan Cumming as a gay bar owner in Manchester dealing with rising far-right politics. In an exclusive clip, characters discuss Trump 'winning forever' and reference the current U.S. president giving 'permission to attack us.'
Russell T Davies just reminded everyone that queer TV didn't start with the latest streaming hit — and his upcoming drama is going to be very, very political. Watch this space.
Russell T Davies isn't letting anyone forget who actually broke ground in LGBTQ television representation. The 'Queer as Folk' creator appeared at London's BFI Flare film festival on Monday for a screen talk, and he had some blunt words for fans who think his groundbreaking 90s series simply 'walked' so newer shows like 'Heated Rivalry' could run.
"To be honest, when people go, 'Oh, it's this revolutionary gay show,' I go 'er, hello!" Davies said, clearly not mincing words about the discourse around who deserves credit for pushing queer storytelling forward. The British TV icon was responding to social media posts that have circulated the phrase "'Queer as Folk' walked so that 'Heated Rivalry' could run" — a narrative he's having absolutely none of. "We were fucking running from the start!" he fired back.
Despite his clear frustration with the reductive framing, Davies made sure to clarify he's a fan of the hit hockey drama everyone's comparing it to. "I love it, it's hot," he said at the BFI Southbank event, showing support for the newer series while simultaneously defending his own legacy. That's the thing about Davies — he's been in this game long enough to know that there's room for everyone at the table, but you gotta give credit where credit's due.
The conversation wasn't just about defending the past, though. Davies also gave attendees an exclusive look at his upcoming Channel 4 drama 'Tip Toe,' a five-part miniseries he's describing as "a bit like 'Years and Years' meets 'Queer as Folk." The show stars Alan Cumming as Leo, a gay bar owner in Manchester navigating rising far-right politics and threats to LGBT rights. In the clip shown, Paul Rhys plays Melba, an aging drag queen having a chillingly contemporary conversation with Leo about the state of the world — including directly referencing Trump's potential permanent impact on American politics.
"What if this never swings back? What if Trump just keeps on winning forever and ever? How far will it go? How much will they hate us, because they hate us, they really hate us," Melba asks in the clip. "And you know what, I think they've always hated us, only now they don't have to pretend anymore." The dialogue doesn't pull punches, and neither does Davies. After showing the scene where Leo's bar faces online criticism for hiring trans staff, he drove home the point: "The president of America has given these men permission to attack us. Leo, you're queer in 2026, you're a political act." That's your reminder that representation isn't just about visibility — it's about documenting the times we're living in, whether certain people like it or not.
