In the run of my daily job, it's pretty common for me to find out, with a jolt, about a streaming show that I've literally never heard of before, despite actively covering streaming additions all the time. There are simply too many shows, I'd say! Still, it can be a nice surprise to find out about a show that clearly did well enough to merit a second season, just like The Artful Dodger.
This Disney+ series first came out in 2023, and it turns out to have got the reception that Disney was hoping for, as it's now on its way back with more episodes, and will drop on 10 February 2026, as confirmed by this first proper trailer. The Australia-set show picks up the story of Dickens' famous little tyke 15 years after the events of Oliver Twist.
The Dodger, played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster, now goes by the more adult name Jack Dawkins, and is trying to make his way in Australia after fleeing Britain in the wake of his arguably innocent misdeeds. His plans, both financial and amorous, have been upended by the arrival of his old boss Fagin (David Thewlis clearly having the time of his life).
All this is played out while Jack fences and flirts with Maia Mitchell as Lady Belle Fox, who's clearly under some pressure to drop her association with Jack this time around. Her family are levying some pretty steep demands on her, including her consent to marry a very different, rather more stiff-upper-lip man. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out which direction things might go in this time around.
The show honestly looks pretty charming, with a strange mixture of period drama and the sort of humour and tone that reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean, in all the best ways. It's clear that its fans are thrilled by the return, too, with the comments under that YouTube trailer upload full of people saying they were worried the show was cancelled after a single season.
It just goes to show that even the biggest and best streaming services need to keep up the cadence of not just new material but also returning seasons – it's the only way to stay relevant and satisfying!
