A lot happened in 2011. Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot, the influential video game Minecraft was released, and the record-breaking finale of the Harry Potter film franchise dropped, to name a few. But alongside these epic pop culture moments, one of the most infamous phone hacking scandals was exposed.
After 168 years in business, Britain's most prominent Sunday tabloid, the News of the World was forced to close. It was revealed that the paper had hacked some of the biggest celebrities - including the Royal Family - politicians, and members of the public.
The exposé was one of the most famous invasions of privacy in the UK, and led to former editor Andy Coulson being charged with conspiracy to intercept mobile voicemails. He was later sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Fast forward to 2025, and ITV has adapted the story into a gripping new drama, The Hack, starring David Tennant, Robert Carlyle, and a string of other huge names.
With an imminent release date, here's everything we know about the true crime miniseries, from the plot to the cast to how to watch it.
When will The Hack be released?
Good news crime drama lovers, there's not long to wait until we get to see Tennant, Carlyle and co in action. It's been announced that The Hack will premiere on 24 September 2025 at 9pm on ITV1.
What is The Hack about?
The Hack is set between 2002 and 2012, and follows two different real-life stories: how The Guardian journalist Nick Davies (David Tennant) uncovered the hacking scandal, and the police investigation into the unsolved murder of Daniel Morgan, a private investigator.
In terms of Davies, the investigative journalist played a pivotal role in exposing the News of the World, alongside fellow Guardian reporter Amelia Hill, who assisted Davies in the case.
Perhaps the most shocking discovery was the paper's involvement in hacking the mobile voicemail of Milly Dowler, the 13-year-old schoolgirl who was murdered in 2002.
As for the murder of Daniel Morgan, the PI was found dead in the car park of a south London pub next to his car in 1987. He was killed with an axe. This part of the series focuses on the investigation led by former Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook (Robert Carlyle).
For context, Morgan had run an agency in London called Southern Investigations with his business partner, Jonathan Rees, who would go on to have a corrupt relationship with the News of the World.
The Hack cast
Alongside David Tennant and Robert Carlyle, viewers can expect to see a whole host of familiar faces — including Toby Jones, whose recent leading role in Mr Bates vs The Post Office led to significant legal and political change in the UK.
See below for the main cast of The Hack:
- David Tennant as Nick Davies
- Toby Jones as Alan Rusbridger
- Robert Carlyle as DCS Dave Cook
- Steve Pemberton as Rupert Murdoch
- Cara Theobold as Amelia Hill
How to watch The Hack
You can watch The Hack in real-time on ITV1. Or, if you can't wait until the evening, it will become available beforehand on ITVX.
