Review
The Artful Dodger reimagines Charles Dickens' beloved character Jack Dawkins as an adult surgeon in the Australian colony. The series picks up years after Oliver Twist, with Dodger having reinvented himself as a respected physician — but his past as Fagin's best pickpocket is never far behind. It's a clever, energetic series that blends period drama with crime caper and medical drama.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster plays the adult Dodger with the same charm that made his young version memorable, but now layered with the weight of experience and secrets. He's a man who has built a new life but can't escape the skills and instincts that kept him alive as a child. His surgical precision, we learn, was honed by years of picking pockets.
The Australian colonial setting provides a fresh backdrop for the Victorian-era story. The frontier nature of the colony means that Dodger can reinvent himself more easily than he could in London, but also that the law is more arbitrary and dangerous. The show balances its crime elements with medical drama, as Dodger's surgical skills are tested by the unique challenges of colonial medicine.
The series introduces new characters while connecting to Dickens' original mythology in clever ways. Fagin appears in flashbacks, and the shadow of Oliver Twist's events hangs over Dodger's present. The tone is lighter than many crime dramas, with wit and adventure balancing the darker elements.
The Artful Dodger is essential viewing for fans of period crime with a twist. It's Dickens reimagined for a modern audience, retaining the original's social conscience while adding action and charm.