User reviews

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!

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.

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.

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.

I created an account on IMDB specifically to leave a review. This show is phenomenal! The script, the actors, the scenery, the pacing, the humor, the costuming, the cinematography, everything! From the first episode to the last, I was fully invested in what would happen. The characters all had such chemistry and depth! I feel like the creators fully fleshed them out - even the supporting cast - so they weren't just one-dimensional line-readers. And all the actors understood the assignment.

I literally have no criticisms of this show. I've recommended this to all my friends and I can't imagine why this show hasn't had Season 2 announced - this show is Emmy-worthy. Please sir, I want some more....

This series was done in the time of Oliver Twist, and it revolves around a surgeon(once thief) who became much more after he was abandoned by his uncle. And in another town, with a hospital to do surgeries in, he and the lovely governors daughter push the bounds of the 1850s modern medicine.

I watch quite a few series, and as of late they have been pretty dull, but this one is fire. There's simply no other way to put it. It has everything you could possibly want in a series. Great actors, drama, love, medicine, crime, a villain, and twists and turns for everything.

10/10 well done. Seriously at a time when we couldn't get a great series this is a cut about the rest!

I haven't seen too many stuff from the victorian era based in Australia so this caught my eye. It's a reimagining of Oliver Twist and fellow characters, with the story leading us to colonial Australia. But to be honest with all I know of Oliver Twist is the song by D'banj that ravaged probably every party in Africa in the early 2010s. One of the things that stood out to me in this was there's notably a lot of amputations going on, the medical field has really come far.

Typical stuff though for any show/movie based in that time, with a the arranged marriages and smart girl who doesn't want any of her suitors so her younger sibling can't get married either. The high class, privileged daughter and the thieving bandit and many more elements that lead back to these being stories that have been done before.

In terms of the characters and how they all connect, it's pretty predictable and you can tell how it's gonna go, who's gonna end up with who and all that. And they're personalities too, which makes try them even more predictable as you can guess what they'd do next. The casting was good, I remember Thomas Brodie-Sangster from "Love, Actually". I liked that the characters were almost entirely convicts, as was Australia at the time, yet the story manages to string up a villain in captain Gaines.

However it is pretty quick paced and keeps itself on its toes, so if you can ignore all the formulaic stuff and act like it's the first show you've ever seen, it's pretty fun. It had good writing, good pacing, and characters you can get invested in. I love how they're portrayed, the good and the bad; but mostly I love how they're no annoying characters. If you haven't watched any Victorian era tv series in a while like I have, this feels pretty fresh and fun.

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.

Haven't watched this book before. It's a new theme, and I already got bored watching modern medical series, but this one is eye-catching to me, so I finished it in a day. Good chemistry when Dawkins works with Belle. Hope they have more loveline in season two and see their growth because it's not enough to see them how to attract each other and the last few episodes were a little bit fast to end. It tells how rare the medical resources were back then and how they discovered sorts of things to save lives. Have to say that the costume and art team perfectly recreated the scene at that time, and their costumes depict contemporary social status, which is incredible.

Fascinatingly gory medical scenes, thrilling heists, an engrossing romance, shocking "twists" in every corner, outstanding cast, excellent writing, vibrant settings, hilarious dark Comedy, intriguing drama, & an ending that screams second season!

Sangster kills it as the charming daredevil former thief/surgeon Jack Dawkins/Artful Dodger.

David Thewlis was made to play notorious pickpocket Norbert Fagin, & presents a more complex character as a compelling antihero.

Maia Mitchell shines as Hulu OG character, Lady Belle Fox as an ambitious & outspoken woman who's driven to be her hometown's first female surgeon.

The Artful Dodger was one of those series you wish you could watch for the first time again. The amount of surprises and shocks one will experience through out this series takes you on a roller coaster of happiness, sadness, anger and triumph. The acting from all the cast is phenomenal especially Thomas Brodie Sangster, David Thewlis and Maia Mitchell. Artful Dodger is changing and growing at such a fast pase yet it keeps u invested and on your toes the entire time. The romance in the show was Perfect and Jack and Belles chemistry is out of this world. The Australian actors are great and the settings, costume designs and cinematography was fabulous! The story also kept the audience entertained with just the right about of short witty humour. The ending was pleasing although I think most people want to see a season 2!! And in my opinion The Artful Dodger deserves an award of some kind. Thanks for creating this masterpiece 10/10 recommend

-K&F.

What a fun ride that was! Whether you're familiar with Charles Dickens Oliver Twist or love a good watch set in a historical time, the Artful Dodger is for you. The cast is stacked. Thomas Brodie Sangster does an amazing job in the lead role as Jack Dawson aka Dodger. The range he has keeps you captivated every episode. Playing opposite David Thewlis' Fagan is such a treat. Thewlis is a fantastic Fagan and his scenes with Dodger can have so much heart and history that it feels like they truly experienced the novel 15 years ago. Maia Mitchell as the governor's daughter, Lady Belle, rounds out this trio and is also a delight. I love how she's a woman in STEM and really shows how revolutionary medicine became at this time. Her chemistry and romance with Sangster is *chefs kiss*. I seriously couldn't get enough of them on screen together.

Highly recommend if you are looking for action, humor, romance and a little Easter eggs to the original. I can't wait to watch again!

This clever twist on the eponymous Dodger is all I wanted and more. The casting is a dream; Thewlis was born to play Fagin and Thomas Brodie Sangster as Jack Dawkins is the perfect leading man: charming, clever, boyishly handsome and ever so artful. The characters play off each other with delightful banter and the chemistry is pure perfection. The story's structure continuously ups the stakes without ever giving emotional fatigue while the simmering love story will leave you breathless. By the series end, everything pays off with catharsis and satisfies the entire emotional range in a blend rarely seen nowadays.

If you like a bit of snark with your play on a period piece, for my money this is somewhere between Our Flag Means Death, Sherlock, and Becoming Jane.

I saw a review for this show on another site, titled "An unserious squeal to a classic". That person must not be very fun at parties. This isn't The Godfather and nor should it be. This is a heartwarming, exciting and youthful series. The cast is wonderful. The acting is great. The only thing is lack of people of color, however the few that are included do make a big impression. I never cared for the story of Oliver Twist before I saw this show and I'm very happy with how they continued the story from the perspective of other characters. Especially the two male leads are incredibly charismatic, with the female lead being charming, ambitious and inspiring. The antagonists are satisfyingly annoying. I especially loved Dodgers character arc, it feels organic and realistic. The action and romance kept me up at night, wanting me to watch just one more. I do hope there'll be a second season, just because I enjoy the company of the characters as well as their creativity, fun and individual personalities. I have missed feeling this way about a show.

This is the sort of production that you've been swearing they don't make any more. Vibrant, colourful and full of characters who know that good often comes at the cost of a little wickedness here and there. Thomas Brodie Sangster is a highly believable, still largely child-like, Jack Dawkins, aka. The Dodger while David Thewlis, mercifully free of the stereotypes that have dogged the character in the past, makes easy work of the shamelessly light-fingered Fagin. But it is the unashamedly scene-stealing Maia Mitchell as the most unladylike Lady Belle, the governor's daughter, who catches the eye. Which is not to say that we are short-changed on the minor characters with a pliable governor whose scheming wife is clearly the true power, an incompetent chief surgeon with a total lack of self-awareness, a dour policeman who "hangs people for a hobby", and a proper villain played with relish by Tim Minchin. Seems they do make them like this after all!

This is just an outstanding piece. In every aspect. In a time of mass streaming productions this is such a refreshing, highly entertaining exception and a true masterpiece. The artful attribute is actually a perfect fit to describe how each element is made from screenwriting, cast etc.

Everyone I recommended this too also very much enjoyed it. And was surprised by how much. Also those used to see more or less just action based stuff or special effects driven series.

Very much hope to see season 2 and many more coming up soon! And hopefully this is the start of a new kind and approach to TV series production that is about intelligent and fascinating storytelling.

The artful dodger series falls short in delivering a cohesive main story. While it presents a collection of intriguing short stories, the absence of a central narrative diminishes the overall impact. Additionally, the characters display a mix of expendable and indispensable qualities, resulting in a fractured dynamic.

Undoubtedly, David Thewlis stands out as the standout performer, delivering a captivating performance. However, the remaining cast members struggle to leave a lasting impression.

In contrast to series that captivate viewers with a compelling main story, this particular series only offers glimpses into various episodic narratives, leaving audiences yearning for more substance. The lack of a solid story arc leaves the viewer to navigate through a disconnected array of individual tales. Consequently, the series feels more like scattered fragments instead of a united body of work.

The music does an adequate job in setting the mood, but at times, it fails to strike the necessary balance between atmospheric enhancement and musical accompaniment. This inconsistency can prove to be distracting, as it disrupts the immersion in the series' world.

One cannot help but question the director's choices in execution, as a more coherent story structure could have been achieved by delving into the main narrative earlier and skimming over extraneous details. By streamlining the series and focusing on the core elements, the overall experience could have achieved a greater impact.

The limited episode count of seven raises further concerns. Given the disjointed nature of the series, it begs the question as to whether a shorter season with only five or fewer episodes would have been more effective. A reduction in episodes may have allowed for a tighter and more focused storytelling approach.

In conclusion, the artful dodger series fails to harness the potential of its intriguing premise. The absence of a cohesive main story detracts from its overall impact, while the characters struggle to leave a lasting impression. The music, although adequate, occasionally misses the mark in maintaining a consistent atmospheric tone. With a more decisive directorial approach and a streamlined episode count, the series could have offered a more fulfilling viewing experience.

What an incredibly thought out show. It's funny, witty, serious, heartwarming, gut wrenching all in one. I couldn't love a show more. It's pure brilliance in the writing and they managed to keep surprising me more and more. The last few episodes were fantastic. Perfect casting for every single character. This show deserves at least a 8.5 on here. I did not cringe once or foresee what was going to happen. To be kept on your toes in a time where so much content is put out daily with stories not too different from each other, is no easy feat. Not sure how they'd write season 2 but I need more! Brilliant.

This was a very enjoyable watch and I was pleasantly surprised and happy I gave it a try. My husband and I binged the whole first season in one day.

I didn't have high hopes to start with at first, as I was never really into Oliver Twist, but decided to take a look during a lazy day over the holidays. (I almost gave up when I couldn't find it on Disney+, until I realised my parental control settings were only set to show up to M rated shows and this was M15+).

Once I started watching I was hooked. The characters, the period, the medical procedures, the comedy and the romance were all on point. A lot of reviews on here have said it more eloquently than I could. I strongly recommend giving this a watch and I hope there is a second season.

It has been 180 years since Charles Dickens introduced us to the orphans at center to the stoy Oliver of course but the Artful Dodger. The more interesting character in the group The Artful Dodger is recreated. Given new life in the portrayal by Thomas Brodie Janger. This story takes you 15years ahead of where Oliver Twist ended. Thomas Brodie Janger has done something unique as did David Thewis portrayal of Fagin. These arecharacters that have been portrayed by Icons. It would be easy to emulate the past incarnations of these characters. . Mr Thewlis who had the most difficult job I believe. His Fagin is a cros between the classic portrayals and Remus Lupinwith a injection Ralf for good measure. Add to this the portayals of Maia Mitchel andNicholas Burtonof new characters thrown into a lively production that leaves you wanting more.