Russell T Davies and Nicola Shindler to lead Series Mania masterclass

MUMBAI: Television’s sharpest minds are set to step into the spotlight at Lille. Russell T Davies and Nicola Shindler will lead a high-profile Talent Masterclass at the Series Mania Forum, bringing decades of headline-making television and a first look at their next big collaboration.

Announced by Series Mania founder and general director Laurence Herszberg, the masterclass will take place on March 25 at 15:45 at the Lille Grand Palais, during the Forum running from March 24–26, alongside the wider Series Mania Festival (March 20–27).

Davies and Shindler, whose long creative partnership has produced modern television landmarks including Years & Years, It’s a Sin, Nolly and Queer as Folk, will turn the spotlight on their upcoming five-part Channel 4 drama Tip Toe already tipped as one of the most anticipated series of 2026. The session will feature exclusive first-look clips and a deep dive into the show’s creative ambition, from its origins to the realities of delivering bold, socially charged drama at scale.

Starring Alan Cumming and David Morrissey, Tip Toe explores the resurgence of prejudice and the pressures facing the LGBTQ+ community today, examining how intolerance quietly seeps back into everyday life. It marks another return to provocative, emotionally resonant storytelling for Davies, whose credits also include Doctor Who, Torchwood and A Very English Scandal, and for Shindler, the BAFTA-winning producer behind Happy Valley, Unforgotten, Fool Me Once and After The Flood. Shindler was also honoured with the Woman in Series Award at the Forum in 2023.

Herszberg said the duo’s return underlined the Forum’s role as a meeting point for television’s most influential voices, calling Tip Toe the latest chapter in a creative partnership that has consistently connected with audiences worldwide. Davies, meanwhile, summed up his mood more succinctly: delighted to be part of Series Mania once again and ready to say, with characteristic flair, “Allons-y!”