By Megan Bull
Copyright hellomagazine
The Hack, billed as an “explosive true crime drama”, is set to delve into the real-life phone hacking scandal that closed the News of the World in 2011. Uniting British acting royalty, ITV’s seven-part series was penned by Adolescence’s award-winning screenwriter, Jack Thorne, with Broadchurch favourite David Tennant, Mr Bates vs The Post Office’s Toby Jones and Trainspotting’s Robert Carlyle in leading roles. Keeping fans updated, ITV recently confirmed that The Hack will premiere on Wednesday, 24 September at 9pm, with episodes also available to stream on ITVX and STV Player.
What is The Hack about?
According to a synopsis: “Set between 2002 and 2012, the drama deftly 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. Toby Jones plays former Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, Alan Rusbridger.”
Boasting an immensely talented cast, Rose Leslie, Dougray Scott, Eve Myles, Adrian Lester, Katherine Kelly, Kevin Doyle, Neil Maskell, Lara Pulver, Lee Ingleby, Pip Torrens, Lisa McGrillis, Sean Pertwee, Robert Bathurst, Richard Pepple, Nadia Albina, Phil Davis, Ace Bhatti, Charlie Brooks, Paul Kaye and Steve Pemberton also star. Meanwhile, Lewis Arnold, whose credits include Time, Sherwood and The Long Shadow, serves as director.
Speaking about The Hack, screenwriter Jack Thorne said: “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.”
“I hope we find a way to do justice to the complexity of what happened,” he concluded, “and of celebrating the incredible reporting that sits underneath it.”
A ‘completely different side’ to David Tennant
More recently, Jack joined Deadline and revealed what fans can expect from the series. “The Hack is a completely different side to David Tennant, an aspect of him that you’ve never seen before,” he explained in August.
“It’s Bobby Carlyle doing something very different, too. It’s about the phone-hacking scandal, but it’s the phone-hacking scandal from the inside of it; it’s two sides of the same coin that then reveal the truth of what was going on during that time. You see them working out how to fight, and it’s really, really difficult. It was a very, very difficult show to write. We were working with the Mr. Bates vs The Post Office lot, who are incredible researchers. Getting every detail right, and walking the legal minefield of the hacking scandal, was very complicated.
The Hack will debut on ITV1 on Wednesday, 24 September at 9pm. All episodes will be available to stream on ITVX.
