The CBBC series starring Christopher Eccleston is back for a brand new Coronation-based special this Christmas season.

By James Hibbs

Published: Thursday, 30 November 2023 at 17:14 PM


CBBC comedy series Dodger is back for a brand-new festive special, although rather than being centred around the Christmas period, it instead focuses on the Coronation of Queen Victoria.

The Queen is played here by Derry Girls star Nicola Coughlan, who joins a host of guest stars for the special, including Paul Whitehouse, Simon Callow, Alex MacQueen and Toby Stephens.

They all join returning cast members such as Billy Jenkins and Doctor Who‘s Christopher Eccleston – but how can fans watch the special, what is it about, and who else is in the cast?

Read on for everything you need to know about the Dodger Coronation special.

How to watch the Dodger Coronation special

Fagin (Christopher Eccleston) in Dodger: Coronation
Fagin (Christopher Eccleston) in Dodger: Coronation
BBC Studios/Richard Lewisohn

The Dodger Coronation special is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer, having been released on Wednesday 29th November 2023.

On the platform you can also find the first full season of Dodger, as well as the other three specials.

What is the Dodger Coronation special about?

Queen Victoria (Nicola Coughlan) in Dodger: Coronation
Queen Victoria (Nicola Coughlan) in Dodger: Coronation.
BBC Studios/Richard Lewisohn

The official synopsis for Dodger’s Coronation special says: “June 1838. After a year of living on the run, Fagin, Dodger and the gang return to London to pull off their biggest mission yet – to rob the Crown Jewels during the rehearsal of Queen Victoria’s coronation. Can they steal it from beneath her very nose?

“There is one man who stands in their way – the American President and guest of honour, Martin Van Buren. Other lead characters include the prissy crown jeweller John Bridge, the long suffering Archbishop of Canterbury William Howley and Chief Yeoman Warder Royston Pickford.”