ITV drama based on true story set to show 'different side' to David Tennant
A fresh ITV programme is set to unveil a "completely different side" to Doctor Who icon David Tennant.
The Harry Potter star is teaming up with Mr Bates vs The Post Office lead Toby Jones for a drama centred on true events.
The Hack delves into the story of the phone hacking scandal at the News of the World newspaper, which was exposed in 2011.
It also traces the investigation into the murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan, who was killed in London in 1987.
David will be stepping into the shoes of investigative journalist Nick Davies who unearthed evidence of one of the most significant and notorious invasions of privacy in the UK, reports Devon Live.
Toby takes on the role of former Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, while Trainspotting's Robert Carlyle embodies former Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook.
The cast also features Rose Leslie, Dougray Scott, Eve Myles, Adrian Lester and Katherine Kelly.
The synopsis teases: "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."
The seven-part series is due to air this autumn, and has been executively produced by Adolescence writer Jack Thorne.
In a new interview, he teased what fans can expect, revealing it was "a very, very difficult show to write".
He told Deadline : "The Hack is a completely different side to David Tennant, an aspect of him that you've never seen before. 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."
David previously spoke about his "intense" role after The Hack was announced.
Speaking on the Off Menu podcast with James Acaster and Ed Gamble, he said: "There's a lot of quite complicated information in that, you know. I'm playing a journalist who sort of broke the case open, and there's just a lot of quite technical stuff.
"And obviously you have to be very specifically on that because there's a lot of lawyers watching to make sure you don't say the wrong thing."
He added: "That was quite a long shoot and that was very intense. But you then do something like that and you're very proud to be part of something like that, it's one of the stories of our time that needs telling."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ITV News
37 minutes ago
- ITV News
Noel Clarke set to learn outcome of libel claim against Guardian publisher
Actor Noel Clarke is set to discover whether he has been successful in his High Court libel claim against the publisher of the Guardian on Friday. Clarke, 49, is suing Guardian News and Media (GNM) over seven articles and a podcast, including an article in April 2021 that said 20 women who knew him professionally had come forward with allegations of misconduct. Clarke denies the allegations, while GNM is defending its reporting as being both true and in the public interest. A trial earlier this year heard from multiple witnesses who made accusations against Clarke, including that he had allegedly shared nude photographs of them without their consent, groped them, and asked them to look at him when he was exposed. Barristers for Clarke told the court that there is a conspiracy of people with financial and personal grudges against him who engineered his downfall because they could not bear to see him receive a Bafta award. Mrs Justice Steyn is set to hand down her ruling at 10.30am on Friday. The trial of the libel claim was held from early March to early April at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. Clarke, who has previously appeared in TV shows including Doctor Who, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Bulletproof, gave evidence over several days. At one stage, he appeared visibly emotional as he claimed the publisher had 'smashed my life'. He said: 'They have smashed my life for four years with this rubbish, this nonsense. Four years.' He continued: 'I did not do this, I would not do this. I have got children. This is not true.' He later said that while he was 'a flawed guy', he added: 'The reason I stand here four years later is I am not what they have branded me.' Philip Williams, representing the actor, said that his client was a 'casualty' of a media 'purge' following the emergence of the MeToo movement. He continued that Clarke was made a 'scapegoat' and was an 'easy target' because he was at the height of his success when the media industry 'zealously sought to correct itself'. This was a careful and thorough investigation conducted conscientiously by Guardian journalists who were aware of the potential pitfalls. Gavin Millar KC The barrister also criticised the Guardian's investigation, saying the newspaper 'manifestly failed to do its job properly'.Mr Williams asked the court to find the claim successful, saying the Guardian's reporting has caused serious harm to Clarke's career, with 'continuing hostile reactions online and in public discourse'. Gavin Millar KC, for GNM, said there is 'not a shred of evidence' to support Clarke's claim of a conspiracy, describing it as 'nonsensical and rather desperate speculation'. He said Clarke has a 'very clear motive to lie' because he 'stands to lose a great deal'. In written submissions, Mr Millar said Clarke 'used his power to prey on and harass female colleagues' over a period of 15 years. He said: 'This was a careful and thorough investigation conducted conscientiously by Guardian journalists who were aware of the potential pitfalls. 'They received information from a wide range of sources with direct evidence of misconduct and in each case carefully considered and tested the information they were given, electing to publish only such information as they believed was credible.'
ITV News
37 minutes ago
- ITV News
Who is Noel Clarke?
Born in London, Noel Clarke was raised by his mother, a nurse. He studied media and took classes at London's Actors Centre before making his debut in the 1999 Channel 4 TV series Metrosexuality. In 2003, he won the Most Promising Performer award at the Olivier Awards for his performance in Where Do We Live at the Royal Court Theatre, and then significantly widened his fan base by playing Billie Piper's boyfriend, Mickey Smith, in Doctor Who. He also gained fame as Wyman Norris in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, before later writing and starring in the acclaimed film trilogy Kidulthood, Adulthood and Brotherhood, directing two of them. He co-founded his own production company, Unstoppable Entertainment, in 2007, which has produced films including Jessica Hynes's directorial debut, The Fight, and 10×10, directed by Suzi Ewing and starring Luke Evans and Kelly Reilly. He then won the Bafta rising star award in 2009, crediting the award for his long career. In 2015, Clarke's former friend Adam Deacon was given a restraining order following hundreds of abusive posts aimed at Clarke on Instagram and Twitter, after a row over the title of Deacon's hit 2011 film Anuvahood. In 2018, Unstoppable Entertainment joined forces with All3Media and launched Unstoppable Film and Television to expand their remit to include television, which led to the launch of Sky One drama Bulletproof, in which he starred prior to the allegations coming to light. Bafta then awarded him the outstanding British contribution to cinema prize in April 2021, but this and Clarke's membership of the academy were suspended after the allegations against him were published by the Guardian. Clarke dropped legal action against the academy in 2022, but launched a libel claim against Guardian News & Media (GNM) the same year. During the High Court trial earlier this year, Clarke appeared visibly emotional as he claimed the publisher had 'smashed my life'. He said: 'They have smashed my life for four years with this rubbish, this nonsense. Four years.' He continued: 'I did not do this, I would not do this. I have got children. This is not true.' He later said that while he was 'a flawed guy', he added: 'The reason I stand here four years later is I am not what they have branded me.'
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Who is Noel Clarke?
Born in London Noel Clarke was raised by his mother, a nurse. He studied media and took classes at London's Actors Centre before making his debut in the 1999 Channel 4 TV series Metrosexuality. In 2003, he won the Most Promising Performer award at the Olivier Awards for his performance in Where Do We Live at the Royal Court Theatre, and then significantly widened his fan base by playing Billie Piper's boyfriend, Mickey Smith, in Doctor Who. He also gained fame as Wyman Norris in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, before later writing and starring in the acclaimed film trilogy Kidulthood, Adulthood and Brotherhood, directing two of them. He co-founded his own production company, Unstoppable Entertainment, in 2007, which has produced films including Jessica Hynes's directorial debut, The Fight, and 10×10, directed by Suzi Ewing and starring Luke Evans and Kelly Reilly. He then won the Bafta rising star award in 2009, crediting the award for his long career. In 2015, Clarke's former friend Adam Deacon was given a restraining order following hundreds of abusive posts aimed at Clarke on Instagram and Twitter, after a row over the title of Deacon's hit 2011 film Anuvahood. In 2018, Unstoppable Entertainment joined forces with All3Media and launched Unstoppable Film and Television to expand their remit to include television, which led to the launch of Sky One drama Bulletproof, in which he starred prior to the allegations coming to light. Bafta then awarded him the outstanding British contribution to cinema prize in April 2021, but this and Clarke's membership of the academy were suspended after the allegations against him were published by the Guardian. Clarke dropped legal action against the academy in 2022, but launched a libel claim against Guardian News & Media (GNM) the same year. During the High Court trial earlier this year, Clarke appeared visibly emotional as he claimed the publisher had 'smashed my life'. He said: 'They have smashed my life for four years with this rubbish, this nonsense. Four years.' He continued: 'I did not do this, I would not do this. I have got children. This is not true.' He later said that while he was 'a flawed guy', he added: 'The reason I stand here four years later is I am not what they have branded me.'
