Though Disney has not revealed any streaming figures for The Artful Dodger, it says it is its most successful Australian original to date, “with particular relevance in Australia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the US”.

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“We’re thrilled to give our global audiences what they’ve been asking for,” says Disney Australia chief Kylie Watson-Wheeler, claiming the return “is a testament to the series’ high calibre of production and its local and international audience success”.

According to McNamara, the show has developed a “really passionate fan base” all around the world. “There’s a petition that’s garnered 25,000 signatures for a season 2. We’ve seen cosplay, costume-theme birthday parties. One of my younger colleagues pointed me to 80 million views of Dodger and Belle edits on Tiktok, there’s fan fiction.”

He doesn’t read it, he adds. “I can’t read it, for intellectual property reasons. But my younger colleagues tell me there’s a lot.

“I just feel so honoured and grateful that audiences have connected so strongly with these characters,” McNamara adds. “The warmth of the audience response has been tremendously humbling.”

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