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ITV’s The Hack Premieres to Divided Early Reaction

The seven-part drama revisits the News of the World phone‑hacking scandal and the Daniel Morgan investigation, with the full series now streaming on ITVX.

Overview

  • Episode 1 aired on ITV1 on September 24, with remaining episodes set for Wednesdays at 9pm and all seven available to binge on ITVX and STV Player.
  • The series interweaves Guardian journalist Nick Davies’s reporting on phone hacking with DCS Dave Cook’s inquiry into Daniel Morgan’s 1987 murder.
  • Viewers praised David Tennant’s portrayal of Davies but some criticised fourth‑wall narration and found the opening complex, while others reported being hooked and binge‑watching.
  • David Tennant, Robert Carlyle and Toby Jones lead a large cast that includes Steve Pemberton as Rupert Murdoch and features figures central to the period.
  • Background context highlighted in coverage notes that phone hacking extended to victims including Milly Dowler and that a 2021 inquiry deemed the Met’s handling of the Morgan case "institutionally corrupt."