The Hack on ITV: Start date, plot, cast, and latest news about new phone-hacking drama starring David Tennant
John Earls | 2:54pm Fri 12 SepITV has announced the start date for much-anticipated drama The Hack, starring David Tennant and Toby Jones.
The series is centred around the notorious phone-hacking scandal of the noughties, and produced by the same ITV team behind the phenomenally successful and critically acclaimed Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
If that wasn’t reason enough to watch, its writer Jack Thorne penned this year’s most talked-about TV show, Adolescence. So we know we’re in good hands.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming drama The Hack, including plot, cast, start date, and all the latest news.
Is the plot of The Hack on ITV based on a true story?
The Hack on ITV is a dramatisation based on the work of investigative journalist Nick Davies, who exposed phone hacking in the newspaper industry. The series also zooms in on the linked – and still – unsolved murder case of private investigator Daniel Morgan.
The synopsis tells us: “Set between 2002 and 2012, the drama deftly interweaves two real life stories. One is the work of investigative journalist Nick Davies, played by David Tennant, who uncovered evidence of phone hacking at the News of the World. Running parallel is 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.”
Those of us old enough to remember will know that hacking into people’s phones became common in newspaper newsrooms in the 90s and 00s. Once editors realised that the mobile phones of most celebrities were easy to access remotely, it led to many supposedly private conversations being recorded.
Davies was the first journalist to investigate the extent of the behaviour of his colleagues in the industry.
When was phone hacking exposed?
The phone hacking scandal was widely exposed in the UK in the summer of 2011. Although earlier allegations and investigations started as early as 2006.
Once phone hacking was exposed, it led to the closure of News of the World in 2011. The government ordered an investigation, subsequently called the Leveson Inquiry. Between July 2011 and November 2012, Lord Justice Leveson conducted a series of court hearings, in a bid to formally establish the nature of wrongdoing in journalism and to try to ensure this wasn’t repeated.
Writer Jack Thorne says of the story: “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 the fight for a truth that really shocked me.”
Who was private investigator Daniel Morgan and how was he killed?
Daniel Morgan was a private investigator who set up his own firm, Southern Investigations, in the 1980s. In 1987, an unknown attacker brutally attacked Daniel with an axe in a car park in Sydenham, South London. Tragically he died as a result of his wounds.
Although he was not investigating phone hacking, his murder case later became linked to the scandal. This is because of the alleged police corruption in both cases, and connections between his killers and the media.
Daniel Morgan’s murder still remains unsolved. His business partner, Jonathan Rees, was arrested in April 1987, alongside three other men. These included brothers Glenn and Gary Vian, and a police officer who became Morgan’s replacement at Southern Investigations, Detective Sergeant Sid Fillery. All four men were released without charge.
In 2009, Rees, Fillery and the Vian brothers were re-arrested, alongside a fifth man, builder James Cook. Their trial at the Old Bailey collapsed in 2011, when evidence obtained by “super-grasses” was deemed inadmissible. Shortly after the case collapsed, Rees’ behaviour as an investigator for News of the World became part of the allegations surrounding the newspaper.
Jack Thorne says of weaving Morgan’s killing into the phone-hacking scandal: “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.”
What happened in the phone-hacking scandal?
Many famous people were targeted by investigators working for newspapers. These included Prince William, Prince Harry, David Beckham, Steve Coogan, Sienna Miller, Charlotte Church, and Jude Law.
However, the most notorious case involving News of the World occurred in 2011. The parents of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler discovered that an investigator working for the paper had hacked into their voicemails while they were grieving for their daughter.
On its conclusion in 2012, the Leveson Inquiry recommended that a new, independent regulatory body be set up to oversee press standards. News Group, publishers of News of the World and The Sun, and The Daily Mirror – now owned by Reach – have paid out hundreds of millions in compensation to phone hacking victims.
Some people believe that the Leveson Inquiry didn’t do enough to overhaul newspaper regulation. These include Hugh Grant, who helped set up the campaign group Hacked Off to monitor the media.
Who plays Nick Davies in the cast of The Hack on ITV?
David Tennant stars as Nick Davies, the award-winning journalist. He’d been a freelance journalist for The Guardian since 1989, and first began writing for the newspaper about unscrupulous methods of gaining stories in 2009.
The actor recently told the Off Menu podcast, hosted by James Acaster and Ed Gamble, that shooting the series had been “very intense, just because there’s a lot of quite complicated information”.
He explained: “I’m playing a journalist who sort of broke the case open. There’s a lot of quite technical stuff. And obviously, you have to be very specific on that, because there’s a lot of lawyers watching to make sure you don’t say the wrong thing.”
Emphasising the importance of telling the phone-hacking story, Tennant added: “You’re very proud to be part of something like that. It’s one of the stories of our time that needs telling.”
As well as writing for The Guardian, Nick has written several books on politics and the media. He also made several documentaries for ITV’s long-running investigative series, World in Action.
Nick Davies wrote a best-selling book, Flat Earth News, about the phone-hacking scandal. He retired in 2016, but continues to be interested in the case. In 2024, he unearthed new evidence suggesting that phone hacking continued during the Leveson Inquiry.
He said after the inquiry concluded in 2012: “We have not got to the bottom of the barrel.”
Robert Carlyle stars as Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook
Robert Carlyle plays Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook. The DCS was in charge of trying to solve the murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan.
In 2005, the Met Police launched a secret investigation into the killing, led by DCS Cook. The reason for the secrecy was because four previous police investigations had failed. The head of the Met, Sir Ian Blair, stated that previous inquiries had been “compromised”.
Dace Cook said that Morgan’s murder was “one of the worst-kept secrets in South London”, adding that many people knew the identity of the killer. His investigation eventually led to the 2009 Old Bailey trail, which collapsed.
In 2021, DCS Cook said he had hoped to give evidence at the Leveson Inquiry about the relationship of former suspect Jonathan Rees and News Of The World. He told Byline Times his solicitor suggested he shouldn’t do so.
Toby Jones as Alan Rusbridger
TVGuide.co.uk favourite Toby Jones plays Alan Rusbridger in the cast of The Hack on ITV1. Alan was the then Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, who left the paper in 2014.
In his role at The Guardian, Rusbridger was the exec responsible for publishing Nick Davies’ investigation into phone hacking. In a lecture shortly after News Of The World’s closure, Rusbridger told students at University College, London: “What would the film of phone hacking look like? It could actually be made as a comedy, thriller or family psycho-drama.”
Rusbridger became Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian in 1995. He was one of the first newspaper editors to see the potential of the internet, launching The Guardian’s website in 1997 and insisting that its content be free, without a paywall.
Since leaving The Guardian, Rusbridger has been an advisor on the media to several universities. He now edits a political magazine, Prospect.
Who else appears in the cast of The Hack on ITV?
As well as the aforementioned David Tennant, Toby Jones and Robert Carlyle, there’s a ridiculously talented ensemble cast in The Hack.
Among the stellar cast are Vigil‘s Rose Leslie as Charlotte Harris. The lawyer represented phone hacking victims, and said the police should have acted to protect the public.
The Crow Girl’s Dougray Scott portrays politician Gordon Brown – and looks uncannily like him.
The Guest‘s Eve Myles stars as Jacqui Hames. Jacqui is an English journalist, TV presenter and former police officer.
In Flight actress Katherine Kelly plays Sheridan, Benidorm’s Steve Pemberton stars as Rupert Murdoch, and The Spanish Princess’ Jordan Renzo portrays James Murdoch.
Meanwhile, Doctor Who’s Nadia Albina stars as Gill Phillips, Little Disasters‘ Patrick Baladi is John Whittingdale, and Terence Maynard portrays Rufus Duffy.
Trigger Point‘s Adrian Lester also stars in the cast of The Hack, alongside The Bay‘s Neil Maskell, and The Split‘s Lara Pulver.
As if that wasn’t enough, The Hack also stars Line of Duty‘s Lee Ingleby, Silent Witness‘ Sean Pertwee, Rivals‘ Lisa McGrillis, EastEnders’ Charlie Brooks, Malpractice‘s Ace Bhatti, and The Gold‘s Phil Davis.
Finally, the full cast list includes:
COBRA’s Richard Pepple as DI Graham Twyler.
Ian Burfield – aka DCI Peter Arthurs in EastEnders – as Sid Fillery.
Shetland‘s Andrew Whipp as Jonathan Rees.
Foyle’s War star Jay Simpson as Glenn Vian.
Roger Roger’s Ricci Harnett as Garry Vian.
Andor‘s Abhin Galeya as DS Hari Desai.
Mount Pleasant’s Daniel Ryan as Tom Watson.
Downton Abbey’s Kevin Doyle as John Yates.
Cold Feet’s Robert Bathurst as Max Clifford.
How many episodes is the true-to-life drama?
The Hack is a seven-part drama, coming soon to ITV.
Each episode will be an hour, including ads.
What’s the start date for The Hack? How can I watch it?
ITV has announced that The Hack will start on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 9pm. It will also be available on ITVX and STV Player.
While you’re waiting for it to appear, why not check out some of Jack Thorne’s other hard-hitting dramas, Adolescence and Toxic Town, both currently available on Netflix.
