The Hack producer explains why he is not expecting Mr Bates-style response to new drama

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Patrick Spence, the producer of the new series ‘The Hack‘, doesn’t anticipate it will be as hugely popular as last year’s ITV hit, ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’.

I remember when that whole situation blew up – it was everywhere in the news for weeks! It finally brought a really serious problem to light, one that most people, myself included, hadn’t even realized existed for over twenty years. It was shocking to see how long it had been ignored.

Most people are likely familiar with the phone-hacking scandal, as it received extensive coverage in the news and was thoroughly investigated by the Leveson Inquiry.

Even Jack Thorne, the screenwriter for The Hack, admitted he didn’t fully grasp the story’s meaning until he began working on this adaptation, featuring David Tennant, Robert Carlyle, and Toby Jones, who played Mr. Bates.

The success of ‘Mr Bates’ stemmed from a combination of elements, but at its heart, it was a story about everyday people facing terrible mistreatment, he explained.

He explained that the story resonates more easily with audiences as a personal struggle than as a complex tale of powerful people misusing their authority and the bravery required to challenge them.

I have to admit, Spence doesn’t think “The Hack” will cause quite the national outrage that “Mr Bates vs The Post Office” did – that show really struck a nerve with everyone. But he and his team are still hoping for a similar impact, they’re definitely still dreaming big about it.

Still, he reflected: “You can’t ask for the performance of Mr Bates to be repeated.”

After researching the phone-hacking scandal for his drama series, ‘The Hack,’ writer Thorne said his understanding of the event – and how significant it was – completely shifted. He shared this insight during a question-and-answer session after a preview of the first two episodes.

“My assumption was that the drama was in the journalists behaving badly, whereas actually, it’s in the response of the world to this story being broken by these brave people,” he explained.

I don’t believe this was a deliberate conspiracy, or anything formally planned like that. But honestly, I think there was a real sense of complacency – a kind of careless acceptance of things as they were – from both the journalists covering the story and the politicians involved.

He explained that people seemed too accepting of their own flaws and the issues in their relationships. He felt it was crucial to understand why, and he was eager to contribute to that understanding.

The Hack premieres on ITV1 and ITVX on Wednesday 24th September 2025.

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2025-09-23 23:04