ITV has revealed plans for a major new drama series about the phone hacking scandal, starring David Tennant, Robert Carlyle, and Toby Jones. “The Hack,” a seven-part series written by multi-award-winning screenwriter Jack Thorne, will explore one of the most controversial chapters in British media history.
The series, currently in post-production, weaves together two significant storylines from 2002-2012: the investigation by Guardian journalist Nick Davies (Tennant) into phone hacking at the News of the World, and the parallel investigation into the unsolved murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan, led by former Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook (Carlyle). Toby Jones completes the leading trio as Alan Rusbridger, former Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian.
“This is a strange and deceptive piece of our recent history,” said Thorne, whose credits include “His Dark Materials” and “Help.” “I thought, as someone who is interested in politics, I understood everything that happened. I did not. It’s a fight for the truth that really shocked me.”
The drama comes from the same production team behind the recent hit “Mr Bates vs The Post Office,” with BAFTA award-winning director Lewis Arnold (“Time,” “Sherwood”) at the helm. The impressive supporting cast includes Rose Leslie, Dougray Scott, Eve Myles, Adrian Lester, and Katherine Kelly.
Patrick Spence, who serves as executive producer, suggests the series will address lingering questions about the scandal, stating, “It’s clear that several questions remain unanswered. This drama is our contribution to that conversation.”
The series, co-produced with Australian streaming service Stan, will air on ITV and be available for streaming on ITVX and STV Player. The announcement follows ITV’s recent success with fact-based dramas, indicating the broadcaster’s continued commitment to exploring significant real-life stories.
