Charlie and Lola (TV series)

Charlie and Lola is a British animated flash children's television series based on the popular children's picture book series of the same name by Lauren Child. The show started on 7 November 2005.[1] The series was produced by Tiger Aspect Productions, and has won multiple BAFTA awards. The animation uses a collage style that emulates the style of the original books. Charlie and Lola is also available on BBC iPlayer.

This article is about the TV adaptation. For the book series, see Charlie and Lola.

Charlie and Lola
Title card
Created byLauren Child
Based onCharlie and Lola book series
by Lauren Child
Written by
  • Dave Ingham
  • Bridget Hurst
  • Carol Noble
  • Samantha Hill
  • Anna Starkey
  • Olly Smith
  • Laura Beaumont
  • Paul Larson
Directed byKitty Taylor
Creative directors
  • Alan Kerswell
  • Gary Dunn
  • Leigh Hodgkinson
  • Jonathan Hodgson
  • Gideon Rigal
  • Jim Nolan
Voices of
  • Jethro Lundie-Brown (S1)
  • Maisie Cowell (S1)
  • Daniel Mayers (S2)
  • Clementine Cowell (S2)
  • Oriel Agranoff (S3)
  • Holly Callaway (S3)
Theme music composerTom Dyson
Soren Munk
Composers
  • John Greswell
  • David Schweitzer (S2-3)
  • Chris Taylor (S1)
  • Munk & Dyson (S1)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes78 (+2 specials) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Michael Carrington
  • Lauren Child
Producers
  • Claudia Lloyd
  • Tom Beattie
  • Nikki Chaplin
Editors
  • Zurine Ainz
  • Stephen Perkins
  • Claire Dodgson
  • Katie Bryer
  • Yulia Martynova
  • Ben Campbell
Running time11 minutes
  • 22 minutes (specials)
Production companyTiger Aspect Productions
Release
Original networkCBeebies
Playhouse Disney
Original release7 November 2005 (2005-11-07) –
24 April 2008 (2008-04-24)

Synopsis

Charlie has a little sister named Lola; she is 'small, and very funny'. Lola often gets caught up in situations that she (inadvertently) causes, whether it's running out of money at the zoo and having to borrow Charlie's, to forgetting her entire suitcase when having a sleepover at a friend's house. These situations are sometimes comedic (for example, in the episode 'Help! I Really Mean It!') but often reflect real world problems that younger children may face, for example losing a best friend, not getting the preferred part in a school play, or becoming too excited about an upcoming event and accidentally ruining it.

When these situations happen, Charlie usually ends up having to solve her problems through imaginative or creative methods, or by explaining to Lola where she went wrong. This is particularly demonstrated in the debut episode, 'I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato', in which Charlie pretends that her least favourite food (such as carrots, mashed potatoes, fish fingers, and tomatoes) are more fantastical items in order to encourage her to eat them, such as 'orange twiglets from Jupiter' and 'ocean nibblers from the supermarket under the sea'. This may encourage young children to eat particular healthy foods that would otherwise come across as undesirable to them.

In many episodes, Lola's best friend Lotta, Lola's imaginary friend Soren Lorenson, and Charlie's best friend Marv become involved in some way or another. Although adults are mentioned through dialogue, none of them is ever shown or heard.

Episodes
Main article: List of Charlie and Lola episodes
SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1267 November 2005 (2005-11-07)12 December 2005 (2005-12-12)
2261 May 2006 (2006-05-01)20 April 2007 (2007-04-20)
Christmas Special25 December 2006 (2006-12-25)
32617 November 2007 (2007-11-17)24 April 2008 (2008-04-24)
Autumn Special3 November 2007 (2007-11-03)

Characters
  • Charlie Sonner (voiced by Jethro Lundie-Brown in Season 1, Daniel Mayers in Season 2, and Oriel Agranoff in Season 3)
  • Lola Sonner (voiced by Maisie Cowell in Season 1, Clementine Cowell in Season 2, and Holly Callaway in Season 3)
  • Lotta Zehybe (voiced by Morgan Gayle)
  • Marv Lowe (voiced by Ryan Harris)
  • Morten Lowe (voiced by Macauley Keeper)
  • Arnold Wolf (voiced by Eoin O'Sulivan)
  • Minnie Reader (voiced by Katie Hedges)
  • Evie (voiced by Lara Mayers)
  • Soren Lorenson (voiced by Stanley Street)

Animation style

The television series uses a collage style of animation which captures the style of the original books. 2D Flash animation, paper cutout, fabric design, real textures, photomontage, and archive footage are all employed and subsequently animated in software applications called Adobe Animate, ToonBoom, Adobe Flash, Adobe After Effects, and CelAction2D.[2]

The series is also notable for its use of children rather than adult voice actors, a technique pioneered by the Peanuts television specials. Both the books and the show also follow a technique of never showing adults.

Home releases
  • Charlie and Lola 1 – 13 February 2006
  • Charlie and Lola 2 – 22 May 2006
  • Charlie and Lola 3 – 4 September 2006
  • Charlie and Lola 4 – 6 November 2006
  • Charlie and Lola 5 – 5 March 2007
  • Charlie and Lola 6 – 28 May 2007
  • Charlie and Lola: The Absolutely Complete Series 1 (box set of DVDs 1–4) – 13 August 2007
  • Charlie and Lola: The Absolutely Complete Series 1 (in metal lunch box) – 10 September 2007
  • Charlie and Lola 7 – 24 September 2007
  • Charlie and Lola 8 – 19 November 2007
  • Charlie and Lola 9 (I Really, Really Need Actual Ice Skates and Other Stories) – 27 October 2008
  • Charlie and Lola: The Absolutely Complete Series 2 (box set of DVDs 5–8) – 10 November 2008
  • Charlie and Lola 10 (I Can't Stop Hiccupping! and Other Stories) – 23 February 2009
  • Charlie and Lola 11 (Everything is Different and Not the Same) – 12 October 2009
  • Charlie and Lola: The Absolutely Complete Series 3 (box set of DVDs 9–11) – 28 June 2010
  • Charlie and Lola – The Absolutely Complete Collection (box set of all 11 DVDs) – 29 November 2010

In the United States and Canada, volumes 4 and 5 are reversed, as well as volumes 9 and 11. However, volume 9 is titled "What Can I Wear for Halloween?" instead of "Everything is Different and Not the Same".

International transmission

Awards and nominations

References
  1. Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 43. ISBN 9781476672939.
  2. Tiger Aspect Productions
  3. Crippa, Francesca (26 April 2007). "Dolmen per Cartoons on the bay ('Dolmen per Cartoons on the bay')" (in Italian). Spazio Film. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  4. Demott, Rick (20 June 2007). "BBC Worldwide Brings Doctor Who & Teletubbies to Licensing Int'l". Animation World Network. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  5. "Past Winners and Nominees – Children's – Awards – 2006". BAFTA. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  6. "BAF06 Bradford Animation Festival 2006 Festival Review". Bradford Animation Festival. National Media Museum. Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  7. "Royal Television Society – Programme Awards 2006". Royal Television Society. Archived from the original on 22 March 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  8. "Past Winners and Nominees – Children's – Awards – 2007". BAFTA. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  9. "Royal Television Society – Craft and Design Awards 2006–2007". Royal Television Society. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  10. BalL, Ryan (18 June 2007). "Jimmy, Peter Score Big at Annecy". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  11. "North West Vision and Media Broadcast Awards 2007". North West Vision and Media. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  12. "'Cars,' 'Flushed Away' Top Annie Nominees". KRCA. 4 December 2006. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  13. "Past Winners and Nominees – Children's – Awards – 2008". BAFTA. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
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