Jack attempts to save Belle but is betrayed and arrested by Gaines.Jack attempts to save Belle but is betrayed and arrested by Gaines.Jack attempts to save Belle but is betrayed and arrested by Gaines.
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Featured review
Season One Review
I'm going to write this review as being for "Season One" though, given the relative lack of buzz around the show, particularly on this side of the Atlantic, I'm not sure we'll likely see a second run. Which is a shame, because whilst this wasn't exactly the top tier of prestige television, it was a series of fun stories with some excellent performances.
Having escaped jail and joined the Royal Navy, Jack Dawkins (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) once known in London pickpocketing circles as "The Artful Dodger" is now a skilled surgeon based, at an Australian colony. His life takes a turn when Fagin (David Thewlis) his former fence, organiser and father figure arrives in the town and edges Dawkin's back towards a life of crime. Meanwhile Lady Belle Fox (Maia Mitchell) has designs on becoming a surgeon herself and hopes that Dawkins will help her get some practical experience.
So, what might be a fairly standard period comedy drama is elevated by the performances of the cast. My admiration for Thewlis knows no bounds and he is perfectly cast here as Fagin, balancing his self-interested side with an affection for 'Dodge'. There is a "will they/won't they" between Dawkins and Belle that is fairly obvious but elevated by the chemistry between the two actors. There are good supporting turns from Damien Garvey and Kym Gyngell as the governor and the chief surgeon both of whom are easily swayed with a good drink. Damon Herriman is a fearsome antagonist as the captain of the colony's soldiers, who knows that something is wrong with Dawkins and Fagin from the beginning. There's also Tim Minchin, in a smaller but important recurring role, as the harbour master.
It's a fun, heisty, comedy romp most of the time and whilst I'd never suggest it has anything that important to say, the time spent with it was enjoyable. It ends at a point where they could do more, if they wanted too but if it's just these eight episodes it's an interesting return for a couple of classic characters.
Having escaped jail and joined the Royal Navy, Jack Dawkins (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) once known in London pickpocketing circles as "The Artful Dodger" is now a skilled surgeon based, at an Australian colony. His life takes a turn when Fagin (David Thewlis) his former fence, organiser and father figure arrives in the town and edges Dawkin's back towards a life of crime. Meanwhile Lady Belle Fox (Maia Mitchell) has designs on becoming a surgeon herself and hopes that Dawkins will help her get some practical experience.
So, what might be a fairly standard period comedy drama is elevated by the performances of the cast. My admiration for Thewlis knows no bounds and he is perfectly cast here as Fagin, balancing his self-interested side with an affection for 'Dodge'. There is a "will they/won't they" between Dawkins and Belle that is fairly obvious but elevated by the chemistry between the two actors. There are good supporting turns from Damien Garvey and Kym Gyngell as the governor and the chief surgeon both of whom are easily swayed with a good drink. Damon Herriman is a fearsome antagonist as the captain of the colony's soldiers, who knows that something is wrong with Dawkins and Fagin from the beginning. There's also Tim Minchin, in a smaller but important recurring role, as the harbour master.
It's a fun, heisty, comedy romp most of the time and whilst I'd never suggest it has anything that important to say, the time spent with it was enjoyable. It ends at a point where they could do more, if they wanted too but if it's just these eight episodes it's an interesting return for a couple of classic characters.
helpful•10
- southdavid
- Mar 14, 2024
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- Runtime50 minutes
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- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 4K UHD
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