ITV’s The Hack, the seven-part true-crime thriller that drops September 30, 2025, rips open a decade-old wound with David Tennant’s chilling turn as a ruthless tabloid editor whose empire of “exclusives” unravels into a vortex of betrayal, corruption, and political intrigue that’s got critics crowing “bigger than Mr Bates vs The Post Office.” Created by Doctor Foster‘s Mike Bartlett and produced by Roughcut Television, the series – inspired by the 2011 News of the World phone-hacking scandal – stars Tennant, 54, as a Murdoch-esque mogul whose “news at any cost” crusade collides with conscience when a royal scoop spirals into a cover-up catastrophe. “It’s not just drama – it’s history rewritten for 2025,” Bartlett tells Radio Times, his script a scalpel slicing through Fleet Street’s facade, with directors like Dearbhla Walsh (The Crown) cranking the claustrophobia from newsroom nooks to Westminster whispers. Filmed January-July 2025 in London’s labyrinthine lots, the show’s “explosive” unspooling – tipped for BAFTA glory – has already spiked pre-orders 35%, outpacing Bates‘s 2024 binge (12 million viewers).
The saga’s sinister spark? Seismic: Episode 1’s “The Scoop” thrusts Tennant’s editor into the fray, greenlighting a “hacked” voicemail that exposes a royal affair, only to unleash a Pandora’s box of payoffs, police plants, and parliamentary probes. Tennant’s anti-hero? A “masterclass in menace,” his “Doctor Who” charm curdled into cunning, unraveling a web where “every story’s a sting.” Co-stars carve the carnage: Keeley Hawes as the steely spin doctor, Jason Watkins as a weaselly whistleblower, Lia Williams as a “fierce” Fleet Street foe, and Indira Varma as a “calculating” cabinet minister. Bartlett’s quill quivers with quips – “News is power – but power’s a poison pen” – but the “brutal” brutality bites: A botched break-in buries a body, a VVIP viper’s venom turns ally to assassin.
The “ultimate ITV drama”? Audacious: Bartlett’s adaptation amps the “pacy” probe with “spooky” soundscapes and “authentic” accents, Walsh’s direction a “gripping” gasp of “grim themes” in London’s “eerie charm.” The Guardian‘s Lucy Mangan raves “very well-made, pacy drama” with Tennant’s “reliably likeable” levity; The Independent‘s Ed Power hails Hawes’ “Icily Glamorous” iciness and the “understated and spooky” score. Evening Standard‘s Vicky Jessop praises the “overall confidence, style and authenticity.” Skeptics? “Mired in darkness,” but the 1-in-2 clue-to-cliff ratio hooks, BARB metrics outgunning The Jetty.
This isn’t whodunit wallpaper; it’s a web-weaving whirlwind, The Hack‘s tabloid terror a testament to truth’s toll where headlines haunt and power poisons. Tennant’s torment? Tormenting. Hawes’ havoc? Haunting. September 30? Not a drop – a detonation. Binge it; the scoops sear, the scandals sting. Bartlett’s bold? Brilliant, biting. The obsession? Overnight, unquenchable.
