The Artful Dodger Parents Guide: Is It Suitable For Kids?

The work of Charles Dickens comes to life in a different way with The Artful Dodger, but is the new series suitable for kids to watch alongside adult audiences? Starring Love Actually alum Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Artful Dodger follows the title character, also known as Jack Dawkins, from Dickens’ classic novel, Oliver Twist. The thief-turned-surgeon can’t help but get back to his roots in the crime drama set in 19th century Australia. The Hulu original series also stars Harry Potter alum David Thewlis, and the pair get up to no good throughout season 1’s eight-episode run.

The Artful Dodger has been likened to Netflix’s Peaky Blinders, with its period setting, crime, and modern soundtrack. Jack Dawkins’ story picks up 15 years after the events of Oliver Twist. The Artful Dodger is now a surgeon in the colony of Port Victory, but he’s pulled back into his old life when Fagin shows up in Australia. The Artful Dodger is quick on its feet, and smooth when it wants to be. The series isn’t exactly prim and proper, and the life Jack leads has its fair share of deviousness and crime. There’s something for everyone, though what characters get up to throughout the series is questionable at best.

The Artful Dodger Is Rated TV-14

The Artful Dodger is rated TV-14, but the reasons for why are unclear. Unlike movies, television shows don’t particularly reveal the details behind the ratings they receive. Similar to the PG-13 rating, however, The Artful Dodger’s TV-14 rating suggests that it includes materials and subject matter that are okay for persons over the age of 14. The series involves sexual innuendo, some violence, and the use of curse words. But none of these are excessive enough to warrant a TV-MA rating, which indicates it’s only suitable for mature audiences. Considering that Jack Dawkins is an excellent thief, the Hulu series containing instances of crime is unsurprising.

The Artful Dodger Is Not Suitable For Children

The Artful Dodger’s TV-14 rating might say it all in terms of who should be watching the series, but that doesn’t always mean younger audiences can’t see it. In this instance, however, the show is not suitable for children. It’s got a lot of bloody scenes, including a scene where blood is shown spurting out of someone. After all, Jack Dawkins is a surgeon, and the extent of his work — including amputations, one he bets he can do in under a minute, and a cat eating a severed finger on the side of his surgery — is shown in grim detail. This is not a series for the faint of heart.

To that end, The Artful Dodger doesn’t shy away from showcasing him in the midst of performing his medical duties. And since the series is set in the 1850s, the surgeries aren’t exactly sanitized — masks, clean surgical incisions, and the like are nowhere to be found, and viewers are more likely to witness blood gushing than anything else. There are also threats made against characters that involve the severing of limbs, and drunken surgeons doing terrible work that affects the lives of patients. In short, The Artful Dodger is certainly gruesome when it comes to the medical side of things, and children should avoid watching it if possible.