Hulu's "The Artful Dodger" blends crime caper, period drama, medical thriller, and romance across 16 episodes. The series follows Thomas Brodie-Sangster's Jack Dawkins, a pickpocket-turned-surgeon working in a penal colony in Australia 15 years after the events of Oliver Twist. When his mentor Fagin, played by David Thewlis, arrives in Port Victory, Jack gets pulled back into a scheme to steal gold from the British Crown.
The show mixes Guy Ritchie's fast-paced heists and action with Dickensian storytelling. Jack juggles his criminal past with Fagin against his work as Port Victory's most talented doctor, where he develops new surgical techniques with Lady Belle Fox (Maia Mitchell). His relationship with Belle becomes central to the plot. Brodie-Sangster anchors the narrative by playing a character addicted to danger, whether stealing, performing risky surgeries, or risking his reputation for romance.
Season 2 aired in February. Hulu and Disney+ confirmed a third season in August, with production already underway in Sydney by late September. Brodie-Sangster, Thewlis, and Mitchell are all returning. Disney noted the show was the "most-viewed Australian Original title for Disney+ to date." Season 3 will also be the final season.