''The Artful Dodger'' is an Australian television series produced by

Sony Pictures Television Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production and distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, it is a division of Sony Entertainment's unit Sony Pictures Entertainme ...

's Curio Pictures and Beach Road Pictures for the streaming service

Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...

. It is a sequel to the

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

novel '' Oliver Twist'' (1838). It features

Thomas Brodie-Sangster Thomas Brodie-Sangster (born 16 May 1990), also credited as Thomas Sangster, is an English actor. He is known for playing Sam in ''Love Actually'' (2003), Simon in '' Nanny McPhee'' (2005), Ferb in '' Phineas and Ferb'' (2007–2015), Jojen Reed ...

as the eponymous

Artful Dodger Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, is a character in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliver Twist''. The Dodger is a pickpocket, so called for his skill and cunning in that occupation. He is the leader of the gang of child criminal ...

David Thewlis David Wheeler (born 20 March 1963), better known as David Thewlis (), is a British actor, author, director and screenwriter. Thewlis rose to prominence when he starred in the film ''Naked'' (1993), for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Awa ...

Fagin Fagin is a fictional character and the secondary antagonist in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist''. In the preface to the novel, he is described as a "receiver of stolen goods". He is the leader of a group of children (the Artful Dod ...

and

Maia Mitchell Maia Mitchell (born 18 August 1993) is an Australian actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Brittany Flune in the children's television series '' Mortified'' for the Nine Network, and as Natasha Ham in the Seven Network's teen drama ...

as the new character of Lady Belle Fox. The eight-part series was created by James McNamara, David Maher and David Taylor. It is directed and produced by Jeffrey Walker. Also directing are Corrie Chen and

Gracie Otto Gracie Otto is an Australian filmmaker and actor. She made her feature-length directing debut with the 2013 documentary ''The Last Impresario'' about prolific British theatre impresario and film producer Michael White (producer), Michael White. ...

Synopsis

In 1850s Australia, Jack Dawkins, a former

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

surgeon, establishes himself as a respected young doctor. However, an old acquaintance, Fagin, resurfaces, forcing Jack, once a

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

-based pickpocket known as the "Artful Dodger", back into a life of crime. Jack forms an attachment to the governor's daughter, who aspires to be a surgeon. As Jack's past intersects with the present and external forces jeopardise his goals, the narrative unravels, raising questions about whether he can genuinely reshape his life in the colony as he had envisioned.

Cast

Main cast

as the

, Jack Dawkins, busted out of prison by the man who sent him there, Dawkins is seconded to the

where his skilled fingers turn him into a surgeon. Decorated in the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

for his medical work, he was recommended to serve in the colony. *

as Norbert

, Jack's former surrogate father and a convicted thief. Transported to Port Victory he finds Dawkins and uses their past history to his advantage. Dawkins allows Fagin to explore the under side of society for his grift and benefit. *

as Lady Belle Fox, the strong-willed daughter of the governor who opposes social norms. She studies medical literature from which she brings innovations to the local hospital, and wants Dawkins to train her to become the first female surgeon. She also serves as Dawkin's primary love interest.

Recurring and guest cast

Damon Herriman Damon Herriman is an Australian actor. He is known for his film and television work in Australia and the United States. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Dewey Crowe in '' Justified''. In 2019, he portrayed the cult leader and crimina ...

as Captain Lucien Gaines, the cunning and zealous but often cruel commander of the colony's soldiers. * Lucy-Rose Leonard as Lady Fanny Fox, Belle's younger sister who resents her for refusing to follow social convention. *

Damien Garvey Damien Garvey is an Australian actor and former musician known for his film and television roles. Early life Garvey graduated from Padua College in 1982. Career Garvey had guest roles in several drama series in his early part of his act ...

as Governor Edmund Fox * Susie Porter as Lady Jane Fox, the governor's shrewd yet compassionate wife *

Miranda Tapsell Miranda Tapsell (born 11 December 1987) is an Aboriginal Australian actress of both stage and screen, best known for her role as Cynthia in the Wayne Blair film '' The Sapphires'' and her 2015 performance as Martha Tennant in the Nine Network d ...

as Red/Frances Scrubbs * Brigid Zengeni as Rosemary "Rotty" Falkirk * Tim Minchin as Harbour Master Darius Cracksworth *

Andrea Demetriades Andrea Demetriades (born 1987) is an Australian actress known for her television, theatre and film roles. Personal life Demetriades was born in Perth, the youngest of four sisters. Her father, Costas, emigrated from Cyprus in 1969 and met her ...

as Marianne Cracksworth *

Jessica De Gouw Jessica Elise De Gouw (born 15 February 1988) is an Australian actress. She is known for her role as Helena Bertinelli/The Huntress in the television series '' Arrow'', as Mina Murray in the NBC TV series '' Dracula'', and as Elizabeth Hawkes ...

as Peggy Gaines * Nicholas Burton as Dr. Rainsford Sneed, Jack's fellow doctor and rival. * Vivienne Awosoga as Hetty Baggett, Head nurse * Kym Gyngell as Professor Alistair McGregor, an alcoholic chief surgeon and Jack's superior at the hospital. *

Huw Higginson Huw Higginson (born 21 February 1964) is an English actor, best known for playing PC George Garfield in ''The Bill'' from 1989 to 1999. Higginson has also appeared in '' Heartbeat'', '' EastEnders'', ''Casualty'', '' By Any Means'' and '' Jess ...

as Father Cruikshanks * Justin Smith as Tinkler Dunckett *

Tom Budge Thomas Budge (born 15 March 1982) is an Australian actor. Budge was born in Melbourne, Victoria. Early in his acting career, Budge appeared in a number of Australian television shows, including '' Neighbours'', ''Round the Twist'', and ''Shock J ...

as Hon. Mortimer Smales *

Luke Carroll Luke Carroll is an Australian stage, television and film actor. Education Carroll attended Marcellin College Randwick and graduated in 1996. Television and film Carroll started out in guest roles in some Australian shows, including ''The Flyin ...

as Tim Billiberliary * Jude Hyland as Charlie Salt as a street urchin * Ezekiel Simat as

Monks A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

, a petty criminal and the half-brother of Oliver Twist, who reemerges to torment Jack. * Finn Treacy as Young Dodger * Albert Latailakepa as Aputi Savea, boxing champ and gravedigger *

Aljin Abella Aljin Abella (born 27 July 1985), also known as Alin Abella, is an Australian actor of Filipino descent, who is best known for playing Theo Martin, the Blue Ranger, on ''Power Rangers Jungle Fury'', in all 32 episodes of the show, which aired in ...

as Bayani Rivera/Flashbang *

Hal Cumpston Hal Cumpston is an Australian actor, producer and writer. Early life Cumpston grew up in Sydney and attended an all-boys school where he was heavily involved in drama. Both of his parents work in the film Industry. His father Jeremy Cumpsto ...

as Oliver Twist, Jack's former friend who is partially responsible for his downfall, now a wealthy gentleman.

Episodes

Production

The project was announced in 2022. The eight-part series is a co-production between

's Curio Pictures and Beach Road Pictures. Jo Porter represents Curio Pictures as executive producer, while David Maher and David Taylor executive produce for Beach Road Pictures. It was created by James McNamara, David Maher and David Taylor. Writers on the series include McNamara, Andrew Knight, Vivienne Walshe and Dan Knight, with

as a story consultant. It is produced by Jeffrey Walker, who is also a director alongside Corrie Chen and

Casting

In November 2022, the lead cast was confirmed as including

and

. Brodie-Sangster and Mitchell read through real-life historical case files from the era and had medical experts to help them in their roles. The cast also includes a number of Australian actors, including

, Tim Minchin and Susie Porter.

Filming

Filming took place in Sydney, New South Wales. Filming on the series took five months. The production had access to a former psychiatric hospital precinct in Sydney, preserved from the 19th century with the production surrounding the existing

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

buildings with standing sets. Filming locations also included Elizabeth Farm in the Western Sydney suburbs,

Rookwood Cemetery Rookwood Cemetery (officially named Rookwood Necropolis) is a heritage-listed cemetery in Rookwood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is the largest necropolis in the Southern Hemisphere and is the world's largest remaining operating ...

Callan Park Callan Park, with the heritage listed name Callan Park Conservation Area & Buildings, is a heritage listed site in Lilyfield, a suburb in the Inner West Council in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Calla ...

, and the northern headland of

Botany Bay Botany Bay (Dharawal: ''Kamay''), an open oceanic embayment, is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point and the Cook ...

, Cape Banks.

Broadcast

The series was released in Australia on streaming service

, via its Star hub, on 29 November 2023. Internationally, it also premiered on

Star+ A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth ma ...

in Latin America and on Hulu in the United States. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the series premiered on Disney+ on 17 January 2024.

Reception

Luke Buckmaster in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' gave it four stars out of five, described it as “darkly comedic”, and praised the editing for helping the series maintain a “wild energy”. Maggie Lovitt for ''

Collider A collider is a type of particle accelerator which brings two opposing particle beams together such that the particles collide. Colliders may either be ring accelerators or linear accelerators. Colliders are used as a research tool in particl ...

'' described a “stellar cast, sumptuous costumes, plucky score, and surprising story, the series is easily one of the best—and most refreshing—to debut on the streamer this year. “ Dan Einav in ''

The Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...

'' praised the performances, saying “Thewlis steals every scene” and “Brodie-Sangster is well-cast as a young man caught between his innate impish spirit and efforts to be a responsible professional.” On the

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, season 1 has an approval rating of 92% based on reviews from 25 critics.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Artful Dodger, The (2023 series) 2023 Australian television series debuts Star (Disney+) original programming Australian English-language television shows Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television series set in the 19th century Television shows based on Oliver Twist Television shows filmed in Australia