The Artful Dodger

I've been searching for brand new drama series to entertain me all year and most have come up short. This show stands above the lot and is lovely in so many ways. Acting is great, plot is sweet, thrilling and occasionally devastating. I was kicking my feet smiling over the romances and whipping away tears at the drama.

A quick and way too broad description of this show is: Bridgerton meets Greys Anatomy. That being said this show does have its own clear and unique identity. It has surgery (though way less sterile than I was used to), crime, gambling, political conflict and a slow burn/forbidden romance. Winning combo!

It reminds me of shows I used to watch on the BBC growing up.

The characters are funny and quick witted like a Doctor Who episode while the plot feels as dramatic as Outlander or Sherlock. Romance fans will love this show! I really hope this gets picked up for another season because I'll be watching.

I absolutely LOVED this show. It was a delightful period drama with comedy and an excellent romance story. I felt like it has everything you want in a show. It was so much better than I thought it would be and I already had high expectations. The characters Fagin, Jack, and Belle were likable and they had amazing chemistry with each other. The relationship between Jack and Belle destroyed me in the best way possible and I want nothing more than to see their story continue. The writing and the dialogue are entertaining and on point. The main actors especially did a great job delivering their lines. This is my favorite Hulu original by far.

Absolutely enjoyable- in fact, I am obsessed- a new spin on the old characters "the artful dodger" and Fagin or Dickens fame. Thomas Brodie-Sangster is charming and progressive surgeon Dr Jack Dawkins, secretly an escaped convict turned Navy doctor, in 1850s Port Victory. Maia Mitchell plays Lady Belle Fox, a headstrong young woman with the drive to be a surgeon. I would go to war for her. David Thewlis's Fagin is at once conniving and dirty, fatherly and droll- a real highlight of the show. Secrets are spilled and a bargain struck, and of course a romance blossoms. The series is witty, heartwarming, adventurous- and addicting. I have binged it twice. The best thing Disney+ or Hulu or Star OR WHOMEVER could do now is give it a second season. It's absolutely fantastic.

As a fan of both the 1967 movie Oliver! And author Charles Dickens, I was excited about watching The Artful Dodger. The casting is extraordinary. Familiar characters are given a twist without that "wet lettuce" Oliver Twist. And yet... I couldn't shake off some of the show's departures from Dickens. Is Fagin even Jewish anymore? Would Dodger really settle into a surgeon's workhorse life? But, a series even bringing up such questions must be doing something right.

The show may share some of Dickens' faults as a writer: moralizing. Of course, our heroine rejects Victorian womanhood and loves science as she should. And she loathes the ignorance and filth around her just as a modern young woman might. But, some of the Victorian tropes from Oliver Twist come up. Do we admire Belle more because she is "the closest thing to royalty...here."? Just like Oliver was really an heir and not a poor street urchin (sorry, spoiler alert for Oliver Twist.) Maybe Belle the Governor's daughter just reminds me of Hermione Granger at times.

The Australian setting does offer possibilities and perils. But I can't help but mourn what we're losing- Victorian London. Of course, I'm only two episodes in as of now. I'm hoping Fagin will discuss his Judaism and everyone will jaunt off to see Big Ben- but I'm not holding my breath. Dickens based Fagin on a real criminal who was also sent to Australia before being hung- if I remember Wikipedia correctly. I'm fascinated by Ron Moody's take on Fagin in Oliver! And how the actor insisted on avoiding antisemitism from old stage traditions. I'm glad to see another take on the character. I look forward to the next episode. As for Fagin's partner in crime, have no notes on the Artful Dodger performance- it's perfect.

Well, I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I sat down to watch the first episode, and it took a bit of time to adjust to the fact that the Dodger and Fagin, last heard of escaping at the end of Oliver Twist, ended up being transported to Australia (not at the same time).

Once you get your head round that, it's a fast-paced romp. Great performances from Thomas Brodie Sangster and David Thewlis, who is totally in his element playing to lovable rogue Fagin, and a great performance from Maia Mitchell, as the governor's wannabe surgeon daughter.

It's been great entertainment and we even see a few other Dickens character pop-up!

I hope it gets a second season!