Disney+ subscribers are in for a treat after one of Hulu’s best new shows arrived on the platform, giving subscribers just enough time to stream it before Season 2 arrives next month. The streaming platform’s content offerings have been growing throughout January with the arrival of the original four Indiana Jones movies, Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and new episodes of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Disney+ has also been growing its lineup of Hulu originals, and subscribers won’t want to miss this great title that just dropped on the platform.
As of January 10th, The Artful Dodger Season 1 is available to stream on Disney+. All eight episodes of the historical heist drama arrived on Disney+ two years after they premiered on Hulu in the U.S. and just a few weeks before the show’s Season 2 return on Disney+ and Hulu on February 10th. The series stars Thomas Brodie-Sangster, David Thewlis, and Maia Mitchell in a sequel set 15 years after the events of Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist. Set in 1850s Australia, the series follows the eponymous Artful Dodger, whose pickpocketing fingers have become the skilled hands of a surgeon.
The Artful Dodger Is a Hidden Gem
Play video
More than two years have passed since The Artful Dodger premiered, but the series still isn’t getting the attention it deserves, something that will hopefully change with its arrival to Disney+. The series at its core is a dose of pure TV escapism that blends period drama, crime caper, medical thriller, and slow-burn romance for a refreshingly witty take on the Dickens classic that makes for an entertaining and fast-paced romp. While the series still explores serious themes like class divides, betrayal, and forbidden romances with modern flair, it does so without sacrificing its entertainment value. We also can’t sing enough praise for the cast, who deliver standout performances and create great onscreen chemistry.
If that isn’t enough to convince you, then maybe the overwhelmingly positive response to the show will be. The Artful Dodger secured an impressive 96% Rotten Tomatoes audience score during its debut season and a 92% critic rating. The Guardian’s Lucy Mangan described the show as “fast and great fun, with a script that is admirably better than it needs to be,” while viewers dubbed it “the best series in a long time” and “the most captivating and clever show I have ever watched.”
Will There Be an Artful Dodger Season 3?
That is still up in the air. The show’s future remains in limbo currently, and given that Season 2 doesn’t premiere until next month, we wouldn’t expect a renewal announcement until sometime after that. If the show matches its Season 1 success, The Artful Dodger Season 3 is likely a shoe-in for a renewal.
The Artful Dodger Season 1 is now streaming on Disney+ in the U.S. All eight episodes of Season 2 are scheduled to release on Disney+ and Hulu on February 10th.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!