The Artful Dodger (2023 TV series)

The Artful Dodger is an Australian television series produced by Sony Pictures Television's Curio Pictures and Beach Road Pictures for the streaming service Disney+. It is a sequel to the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist (1838). It features Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the eponymous Artful Dodger, David Thewlis as Fagin and Maia Mitchell 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.

Synopsis
In 1850s Australia, Jack Dawkins, a former Royal Navy surgeon, establishes himself as a respected young doctor. However, an old acquaintance, Fagin, resurfaces, forcing Jack, once a London-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.

Main cast

 * Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the Artful Dodger, Jack Dawkins, busted out of prison by the man who sent him there, Dawkins is seconded to the Royal Navy where his skilled fingers turn him into a surgeon. Decorated in the Crimean War for his medical work, he was recommended to serve in the colony.
 * David Thewlis as Norbert Fagin, 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.
 * Maia Mitchell 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 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 as Governor Edmund Fox
 * Susie Porter as Lady Jane Fox, the governor's shrewd yet compassionate wife
 * Miranda Tapsell as Red/Frances Scrubbs
 * Brigid Zengeni as Rosemary "Rotty" Falkirk
 * Tim Minchin as Harbour Master Darius Cracksworth
 * Andrea Demetriades as Marianne Cracksworth
 * Jessica De Gouw 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 as Father Cruikshanks
 * Justin Smith as Tinkler Dunckett
 * Tom Budge as Hon. Mortimer Smales
 * Luke Carroll as Tim Billiberliary
 * Jude Hyland as Charlie Salt as a street urchin
 * Ezekiel Simat as Monks, 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 as Bayani Rivera/Flashbang
 * Hal Cumpston as Oliver Twist, Jack's former friend who is partially responsible for his downfall, now a wealthy gentleman.
 * Fayssal Bazzi as Captain Grimm

Production
The project was announced in 2022. The eight-part series is a co-production between Sony Pictures Television'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 Miranda Tapsell as a story consultant. It is produced by Jeffrey Walker, who is also a director alongside Corrie Chen and Gracie Otto.

Casting
In November 2022, the lead cast was confirmed as including David Thewlis, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Maia Mitchell. 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 Damon Herriman, Miranda Tapsell, 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 buildings with standing sets. Filming locations also included Elizabeth Farm in the Western Sydney suburbs, Rookwood Cemetery, Callan Park, and the northern headland of Botany Bay, Cape Banks.

Broadcast
The series was released in Australia on streaming service Disney+, via its Star hub, on 29 November 2023. Internationally, it also premiered on Star+ 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 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 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 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 website Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 has an approval rating of 92% based on reviews from 25 critics.