David Tennant and Toby Jones to star in ITV drama about phone hacking scandal
Seven-part series The Hack interweaves two real-life stories.
David Tennant and Toby Jones are to star in a new ITV drama about phone hacking.
Doctor Who actor Tennant, 53, will play investigative journalist Nick Davies, who uncovered evidence of phone hacking at the News Of The World and went on to write an award-winning book about it.
The scandal led to the newspaper’s closure in 2011 and since then News Group Newspapers (NGN) has settled a number of damages claims from high-profile figures concerning unlawful information-gathering.
Most recently, the Duke of Sussex settled his legal action against the publisher of The Sun and received an apology from NGN.
In The Hack, Detectorists star Jones will play Alan Rusbridger, former editor-in-chief of The Guardian, which covered the story in depth, while Scottish actor Robert Carlyle will star as former Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook.
Jones, 58, won an award at the National Television Awards last year for his role in ITV drama, Mr Bates Versus The Post Office, which renewed attention on the subpostmasters who were wrongly prosecuted during the Horizon IT scandal.
Set between 2002 and 2012, the new seven-part series interweaves two real-life stories, the work of journalist Davies (Tennant), and the investigation into the unsolved murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan, led by former Met Police detective Cook (Carlyle).
Mr Morgan, a 37-year-old father-of-two, was killed with an axe in the car park of the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, south-east London, on March 10 1987.
His brother, Alastair, claimed the News Of The World had followed and spied on Mr Cook during his inquiries into the death.
A string of inquiries over the decades have unearthed allegations of corruption and led to accusations the Met put its reputation above finding the killer.
The new drama has been directed by Sherwood’s Lewis Arnold and written by Jack Thorne who also executive produces alongside Joe Williams and Patrick Spence, who both executive produced Mr Bates.
Abi Bach is the series producer.
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. 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.”
ITV director of drama, Polly Hill, said: “I am very proud to be making this important drama with Patrick Spence, Jack Thorne and Lewis Arnold.
“They are a brilliant team and the perfect people to bring this story to screen. And its testament to them that we have such an incredible cast led by David Tennant, Robert Carlyle and Toby Jones.”
Annalisa Dinnella has written one of the episodes and is co-writing two of the episodes with Thorne.
The Hack will air on ITV and STV and be available for streaming on ITVX and STV Player.
The series is currently in post-production having filmed during 2024.
