By Elizabeth Cotton
Copyright manchestereveningnews
ITV’s new seven-part drama, The Hack, focuses on the phone hacking scandal that rocked the nation. Set between 2002 and 2012, the drama interweaves two real life stories. The work of investigative journalist Nick Davies, played by David Tennant, who uncovered evidence of phone hacking at the News of the World, and running parallel, the story of the investigation into the unsolved murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan, led by former Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook, played by Robert Carlyle. The first episode airs Wednesday (September 24) at 9pm on ITV1. After that, the remaining six episodes will air weekly in the same timeslot. ITVX will have all episodes available to stream if you’re looking to binge-watch the new series. The Hack is the brainchild of screenwriter Jack Thorne who worked on the Emmy Award winning Netflix hit, Adolescence. It’s also directed by Lewis Arnold, who is a BAFTA award-winning director known for his work on dramas such as Time and The Long Shadow. Jack Thorne shared: “This is a strange and deceptive piece of our recent history. One with so many layers to it. 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. “That is why it matters to tell this story now in an age where the truth seems more in danger than ever. It is a true honour to be bringing this story to the screen alongside David, Robert, Toby, Lewis, Patrick, Joe and Abi. I hope we find a way to do justice to the complexity of what happened and of celebrating the incredible reporting that sits underneath it”. The star-studded cast will be taking on a true story, with the major scandal that rocked the nation over two decades ago. Investigations conducted proved that the now defunct newspaper hacked the voicemails of celebrities, politicians, and members of the British royal family for stories. In 2011 it was revealed that the phones of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, relatives of deceased British soldiers, and victims of the 7 July 2005 London bombings had also been hacked. Actress Sienna Miller alleged that journalists at NGN’s tabloids, including the News of the World and The Sun, illegally obtained information about her personal life through phone hacking. At the time, she testified that the phone hacking led her to suspect her own family of leaking information, creating a deeply paranoid feeling and destroying trust. The actress previously shared: “I felt somebody must be selling stories. And I sat down the five people in our lives who knew and interrogated them violently. I was under such intense pressure. “I remember my doctor’s office phoning me and saying, ‘We’ve sent the records that you’d asked for’. And me saying, ‘I didn’t ask for any records’.” Meanwhile, The Hack also looks at the life of former Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook who was investigating the unsolved murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan. He was arrested following a raid back in January 2012 on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. His crime had been to share information relating to a notorious unsolved murder, which was covered with allegations of police corruption, with a News International journalist. However, instead of facing criminal prosecution for his actions, David was allowed to resign from the Metropolitan Police on medical grounds. The Hack begins to air on Wednesday September 24 at 9pm on ITV1 with the full series available to stream on ITVX.
