Dodger is a British children's television series, inspired by the Artful Dodger from the Oliver Twist novel by Charles Dickens. The series serves as a prequel to the events of Oliver Twist.[1] The first 5 episodes were made available on BBC iPlayer on 6 February 2022, after the first episode premiered on CBBC in the United Kingdom. The series was so successful, it was repeated on BBC One on Sunday. Three new specials were filmed over the summer of 2022.
| Dodger | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Created by | Rhys Thomas |
| Inspired by | Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens |
| Written by | |
| Directed by | Rhys Thomas |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Francis Gilson |
| Cinematography | Pete Rowe |
| Editor | Christopher Bird |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company | Universal International Studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBBC BBC One |
| Picture format | 2:1 1080p |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 6 February 2022 (2022-02-06) – present |
Set in 1830s Victorian London, the series revolves around Jack Dawkins, better known as the Artful Dodger, and his exploits as part of Fagin's gang, prior to his introduction in the Oliver Twist novel.[2]
In May 2021, it was announced in a press release that CBBC had commissioned a ten-part series, following the Artful Dodger's exploits, to be produced by NBCUniversal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.[2]
Principal photography took place in Manchester and various locations around North West England.[2] Shooting for the fifth episode took place at Grand Theatre, Blackpool.[3]
The series features original music written by Joel Cadbury and Will Harper.[4]
The first 5 episodes were made available on BBC iPlayer on 6 February 2022, after the first episode premiered on CBBC in the United Kingdom,[5] with episodes airing weekly on the CBBC channel. Episodes 6–10 were later made available on BBC iPlayer on 13 March 2022, after the sixth episode aired on CBBC.[6] The first series started airing weekly on the BBC's flagship channel, BBC One, from 13 March 2022.[7][4]
NBCUniversal Global Distribution is handling international sales for the show.[2]