Charlie and Lola (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charlie and Lola |
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Title card
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| Created by | Lauren Child |
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| Directed by | Kitty Taylor |
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| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 78 (+2 specials) (list of episodes) |
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| Production company(s) | Tiger Aspect Productions |
| Distributor | BBC Worldwide |
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| Original network | CBeebies |
| Original release | 21 March 2005 – 4 July 2008 |
Charlie and Lola is a British flash-animated children's television series based on the popular children's picture book series of the same name by Lauren Child. The show aired 78 episodes from 2005 to 2008. 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.
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 episode 'I Will Never Not Ever Eat A Tomato', when Charlie plays a trick on Lola to rename her least favourite food (carrots, mashed potatoes, fish fingers, and tomatoes) to more fantastical names so that she'll eat them, such as 'orange twiglets from Jupiter' and 'ocean nibblers from the supermarket under the sea'. In this same episode Lola imagines that the bowl of tomatoes in front of her are actually a bowl of "moonsquirters" making it the only time in history Lola actually EATS a tomato. So it might turn out she likes tomatoes. But in later episodes, it was proven otherwise. So it was back to the tomato-hating Lola we all know and love. This can teach little children to try different foods they never had (even tomatoes).
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 are ever shown or heard on-screen.
Episodes
List of Charlie and Lola episodes
Characters
- Charlie Sonner (voiced by Jethro Lundie-Brown)
- Lola Sonner (voiced by Maisie Cowell)
- Lotta (voiced by Morgan Gayle)
- Marv (voiced by Ryan Harris)
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.
The cartoons are also notable for their use of children rather than adult voice actors, a technique pioneered by the Peanuts television specials. Both the books and the cartoon also follow a technique of never showing adults.
DVD releases
- Charlie and Lola 1 – 13 February 2006
- Charlie and Lola 2 – 13 May 2006
- Charlie and Lola 3 – 4 September 2006
- Charlie and Lola 4 – 6 November 2006
- Charlie and Lola 5 – 19 March 2007
- Charlie and Lola 6 – 28 May 2007
- Charlie and Lola: The Absolutely Complete Series 1 (box set of DVDs 1–4) – 6 August 2007
- Charlie and Lola: The Absolutely Complete Series 1 (in metal lunch box) – 13 August 2007
- Charlie and Lola 7 – 24 September 2007
- Charlie and Lola 8 – 12 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 9 and 11 are reversed, however, volume 9 is titled "What Can I Wear for Halloween?" instead of "Everything is Different and Not the Same".
Awards and nominations
- Cartoons on the Bay 2006
- Awarded Best Series For Infants
- Awarded Best Programme
- Awarded The Raisat YOYO Best Series
- BAFTA Children's Awards 2006
- Nominated for Best Pre-school Animation Series
- Bradford Animation Festival 2006
- Awarded Best TV Series for Children and Adults
- Royal Television Society Educational Programme Awards 2006
- Nominated for Best Children's Programme for the episode Welcome To Lolaland
- BAFTA Children's Awards 2007
- Awarded Best Pre-school Animation Series
- Awarded Best Writer (Bridget Hurst)
- Nominated for Best Writer (Anna Starkey)
- Nominated for Best Animation (for Charlie and Lola Christmas Special)
- Royal Television Society Craft and Design Awards 2006–2007
- Awarded Best Music Original Score (John Greswell and David Schweitzer)
- Annecy Animation Festival 2007
- Awarded Special Award for a TV Series (for the episode I Will Be Especially, Very Careful)
- Broadcast Awards 2007
- Awarded Best Children's Programme
- 34th Annual Annie Awards (2007)
- Nominated for Best Animated Television Production
- BAFTA Children's Awards 2008
- Awarded Best Animation (for the Charlie and Lola Autumn Special)
- Awarded Best Pre-school Animation Series
- Nominated for Best Writer (Dave Ingham)
- Charlie and Lola (TV series) at BBC Programmes
