Toby Jones plays former editor-in chief of The Guardian, Alan Rusbridger with David Tennant as investigative journalist Nick Davies

ITV is in post on a new drama, The Hack, written by Jack Thorne and starring David Tennant, Toby Jones and Robert Carlyle.

The seven-part series is a co-production between ITV Studios and Stan (Australia) and centres on the real-life phone hacking scandal; it is executive produced by some of the team behind Mr Bates vs The Post Office .

Set between 2002 and 2012, the drama interweaves two true stories, the work of investigative journalist Nick Davies (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, (Carlyle). Jones plays former editor-in chief of The Guardian, Alan Rusbridger.

The drama filmed last year with Lewis Arnold in the director’s chair. The executive producers are Patrick Spence (Mr Bates vs the Post Office), MD of AC Chapter One, Thorne, Joe Williams (Mr Bates) , Arnold and Tennant. Abi Bach is series producer. Annalisa Dinnella has written one of the episodes and is co-writer of two of the episodes with Thorne.

The supporting cast includes: Rose Leslie, Dougray Scott, Eve Myles, Adrian Lester, Katherine Kelly, Kevin Doyle, Neil Maskell, Lara Pulver, Lee Ingleby, Pip Torrens, Lisa McGrillis, Sean Pertwee, Robert Bathurst, Richard Pepple, Nadia Albina, Phil Davis, Ace Bhatti, Charlie Brooks, and Steve Pemberton.

Thorne said: “This is a strange and deceptive piece of our recent history. One with so many layers to it. I thought, as someone who is interested in politics, I understood everything that happened. I did not. It’s a fight for the truth that really shocked me.

“That is why it matters to tell this story now in an age where the truth seems more in danger than ever. It is a true honour to be bringing this story to the screen alongside David, Robert, Toby, Lewis, Patrick, Joe and Abi. I hope we find a way to do justice to the complexity of what happened and of celebrating the incredible reporting that sits underneath it.”