New Disney+ Series, The Artful Dodger, Is One To Bookmark
If you saw Great Expectations earlier this year, which starred Olivia Colman and Fionn Whitehead as Miss Havisham and Pip respectively, you might be interested in another Dickens adaptation coming soon to the small screen.
The Artful Dodger is on its way to Disney+, bringing a new version of the much-loved Oliver Twist character into an eight-part series. Rather than being a prequel before Oliver arrives, the series takes place in the 1850s. It follows an older Dodger, going by his real name Jack Dawkins, who is living in Australia when he decides to bring back his old identity.
What’s The Artful Dodger about?
The Artful Dodger is played in this series by Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Game of Thrones, The Queen’s Gambit), and when we start the series he’s an apparently respectable surgeon. Those around him wouldn’t have guessed about his life of crime and master pickpocketing skills, and Jack seems to have left his thieving days long behind.
However, this new and more law-abiding lifestyle is upended by the arrival of a friend from his past: Fagin, the leader of the group of children that Jack was once a part of. He’s played in this adaptation by Harry Potter and I’m Thinking of Ending Things star David Thewlis, still up to his old tricks.
Lured back to the world of crime and stealing that once defined him, Jack isn’t able to resist going down that dangerous path, especially since his criminal past is unknown to his new surroundings.
What else do we know?
This change in heart certainly comes with risks. Along with the long arm of the law, Dodger is also contending with the affections of Lady Belle (Sitting In Bars With Cakes actress Maia Mitchell), daughter of the local governor. Belle might be charmed by Jack, but her father’s position and her own aspirations of becoming the colony’s first female surgeon mean his criminal inclinations could jeopardise their relationship. The thrill of crime hasn’t ever left Jack’s heart. With Fagin being very persuasive, he once again embraces the Dodger persona that he tried so hard to leave behind.
Who else stars, and is there a release date?
The series also stars Damon Herriman (Mindhunter), Miranda Tapsell (Wolf Creek), Susie Porter (No Escape), Damien Garvey (Love and Monsters) and comedian and actor Tim Minchin (Matilda The Musical).
The Artful Dodger is set to arrive on Disney+ on 17th January 2024, and you can watch the official first-look trailer below.
