The Artful Dodger Trivia | 30 facts about the series

Τhe Artful Dodger is an Australian TV series produced for Disney+. It is a sequel to the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist (1838).

Let’s find out more about the series!

1. The Artful Dodger is an Australian television series.
2. It was produced by Sony Pictures Television’s Curio Pictures and Beach Road Pictures for streaming service Disney+.
3. It is a sequel to the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist (1838).
4. It features Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the eponymous Artful Dodger and David Thewlis as Fagin.
5. The series has eight parts.
6. The eight-part series was created by James McNamara, David Maher and David Taylor.
7. It is directed and produced by Jeffrey Walker.
8. Also directing are Corrie Chen and Gracie Otto.
9. Set 15 years after the conclusion of Oliver.
10. A sign outside the Cat & Bagpipes can be seen advertising Wild’s Celebrated Ales. In the musical Oliver, the Artful Dodger was played by Jack Wild.
11. The project was announced in 2022.
12. The eight-part series is a co-production between Sony Pictures Television’s Curio Pictures and Beach Road Pictures.
13. Jo Porter represents Curio Pictures as executive producer, while David Maher and David Taylor executive produce for Beach Road Pictures.
14. It was created by James McNamara, David Maher and David Taylor.
15. Writers on the series include McNamara, Andrew Knight, Vivienne Walshe and Dan Knight,
16. Miranda Tapsell was a story consultant.
17. In November 2022, the lead cast was confirmed as including David Thewlis, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Maia Mitchell.
18. Brodie-Sangster and Mitchell read through real-life historical case files from the era and had medical experts to help them in their roles.
19. The cast also includes a number of Australian actors, including Damon Herriman, Miranda Tapsell, Tim Minchin and Susie Porter.
20. The series was released in Australia on streaming service Disney+, via its Star hub, on 29 November 2023.
21. Internationally, it also premiered on Star+ in Latin America and on Hulu in the United States.
22. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the series premiered on Disney+ on 17 January 2024.
23. Filming took place in Sydney, New South Wales.
24. Filming on the series took five months.
25. The production had access to a former psychiatric hospital precinct in Sydney, preserved from the 19th century with the production surrounding the existing sandstone buildings with standing sets.
26. Filming locations also included Elizabeth Farm in the Western Sydney suburbs, Rookwood Cemetery, Callan Park, and the northern headland of Botany Bay, Cape Banks.
27. Luke Buckmaster in The Guardian gave it four stars out of five, described it as “darkly comedic”, and praised the editing for helping the series maintain a “wild energy”.
28. Maggie Lovitt for Collider described a “stellar cast, sumptuous costumes, plucky score, and surprising story, the series is easily one of the best—and most refreshing—to debut on the streamer this year. “
29. Dan Einav in The Financial Times praised the performances, saying “Thewlis steals every scene” and “Brodie-Sangster is well-cast as a young man caught between his innate impish spirit and efforts to be a responsible professional.”
30. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, The Artful Dodger holds an approval rating of 92% with an audience score of 96%.