The Hack producer reveals why phone-hacking scandal is "even more relevant" for today's audiences
David Tennant and Robert Carlyle front the drama from the producers of Mr Bates vs The Post Office.
The Hack producer Joe Williams has opened up about the phone-hacking scandal at the centre of the series, stating it has only grown more relevant in recent years with the privacy of individuals under threat more so than ever before.
The series approaches the headline-making story from two angles, taking the perspectives of both investigative journalist Nick Davies (David Tennant) and DCS David Cook (Robert Carlyle).
Their work appears to be separate at first, concerning tabloid misbehaviour on one side and a still-unsolved murder on the other, but connective tissue becomes apparent as the story gradually unfolds.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com at the launch of the series, Williams (who also worked on Mr Bates vs The Post Office) acknowledged that the technology involved might seem antiquated now – but the core themes remain urgently current.
"Even though it's set only about 12 years ago, part of it is to do with the hacking of voicemails, which feels quite analogue now," he began.
"But I think, at the same time, it will hopefully remind people of how much they're sharing with the item in their pocket and with bits of technology. And, of course, that's even more the case now. It's even more relevant.
"We're sharing more and more stuff than people would have shared in their voicemails back then."
While concerns over privacy have only grown since the practice of phone-hacking was stamped out, owing partly to the rise of big tech and online tracking, The Hack writer Jack Thorne thinks further probing of the scandal is required.
"[This story] hasn't been given the opportunity to be investigated properly. Leveson was supposed to be in two parts… and Leveson 2 was supposed to be looking into criminality," he said at a post-screening Q&A for The Hack.
"It's supposed to be looking into these relationships that were so problematic, and that inquiry was denied by the Conservative government. And then Labour said one of the things they were going to do is Leveson 2, and now they've shelved it."
He concluded: "We need this painful itch properly scratched so that we can move on from it. Because it was extraordinary, and what it means about our institutions, about the country we live in… it really matters to look at it and look at it properly."
The Hack features a starry ensemble cast, including Steve Pemberton (Inside No. 9), Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs The Post Office), Rose Leslie (Vigil) and Eve Myles (Coldwater), among others.
The Hack premieres on ITV1 and ITVX on Wednesday 24th September 2025.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
