Charlie and Lola

I think this show is adorable.

I was just about finishing childhood when it was first being shown but a few years later I did fall for its simple charm.

It maintains the same collage-based animation style reminiscent of the original books, making it not as kitsch or garish as a lot of animated shows (I like this style, don't misunderstand me, but it can be excruciating to watch them with people).

The easy going but well paced stories nicely fill that 11 minutes before bed since they're not very challenging or emotive and aren't too sanctimonious with their message.

Lola herself is adorable: her playful and naive personality is really the centre of the show. She feels and speaks like a child yet is still articulate enough to not be an infuriating or boring character.

Her relationship with Charlie is also quite wonderful; without being heavy handed or unrealistic, they've presented a sororal bond (is there a gender neutral term for "fraternal"?) that has a genuine substance. They're not co-dependant, they have friends their own age but it's rather lovely to see siblings of disparate ages that aren't in permanent antagonism without it feeling like parental propaganda.

Of course every episode has a moral, but rather than being given a heavy handed lesson, I felt that I was just experiencing the conflicts that a child faces. It is narrated by Charlie, but rather than being redundant and soul crushing (like Peppa Pig) it fits in with the tonality of the series.

I'm not even kidding, sometimes when I have watched Teeth, of Human Centipede First Sequence, after it's finished I think to myself "Well that was cool. But I can't go to bed after that".

This show serves as a nice sorbet to cleanse the pallet from heavier stuff.

I want a Lola of my very own! It makes me wish I'd had a little sister. I don't know if kids will like this but once in a while, I do.

"Charlie and Lola" is a lovely, sweet show, done with respect for its young audience. Far too many shows seem to come from creators who think "Hey, they're just kids, we don't have to make it good!"

My daughter is 8, a bit above the age-level at which the show is aimed, but she loves it and I tape it for her every day. I love it too!

I second Chris451's comment that it's wonderful to have real children doing the voices--Lola's best friend Lotta's giggle is particularly delicious!

If you haven't read them, find the books (not widely available in the US, but not impossible to find)--the show is quite true to them, but both are charming. "I Am Not Sleepy and Will Not Go to Bed" is particularly nice for a bedtime stories.

Even though I'm nearly 21 and I hardly ever watch the preschool channel CBeebies, 'Charlie and Lola' is one cartoon that is definitely worth watching at the moment. In addition to the three original 'Charlie and Lola' books and the 8 spin-off books from the TV series, I own the complete first series of the cartoon on DVD. Every episode is beautifully animated with an appearance that is reminiscent of the original books and the characters have developed as well. It goes to show that Lauren Child can add a touch of sophistication to this cartoon as well as her picture books.

Episodes that are particularly enjoyable include 'I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato,' 'We Do Promise Honestly We Can Look After Your Dog,' and 'Snow Is My Favourite And My Best.' My favourite characters are Charlie, Lola and Marv's adorable sausage dog Sizzles (a very appropriate name for a sausage dog).

Overall, this is an entertaining cartoon for children and adults alike. I'd definitely like to see the second and third series. 8/10.

This cartoon really is a little gem. My 2 year old son and 5 (and three quarter) year old daughter both really enjoy it. I find this very funny too, which is not the usual case for kids' cartoons. Lola's speech, e.g. excessive use of the word "completely", or Blossom trying to wangle the word "actual" into every sentence, ring very true. So does their 180 degree change of stance once they understand situations better; we experienced the "I Do Not Ever, Never Want My Wobbly Tooth to Fall Out" recently, and even our 5 year old saw the similarity and laughed about it. The surreal, imagination scenes like flying on a bird's back, are always well done and hold our 2 year old's attention, which is not easy.

I'm always slightly wary when a show is described as "good clean family fun" because that usually translates as "incredibly boring for adults", but in this case it really doesn't. Highly recommended for all ages.

For starters, Lola Sonner is one of the most realistic characters ever devised for a children's cartoon, and maybe even for TV shows in general. Based on an actual Danish girl who writer Lauren Child met on a train, she might feel eerily familiar for anyone who ever dealt with kids - and that's due to both small, simple acts such as "typing" a letter and then "reading" individual letters out loud as if they meant anything, and to her attitude and personality in general. As for Charlie, well, Mr. and Mrs. Sonner should thank all deities daily for having him, heh heh.

Now, onto the show itself. The two title characters form the very core of the show, Lola being the 4-year-old sister of 7-year-old Charlie. He narrates the stories, which are almost all built out of very banal, commonplace, "house held" topics. The trick lies on everything that surrounds the stories. The animation mixes childlike drawings with fancy montages of real pictures, and through any episode, you'll never know if, the next minute, you'll be watching a simple scene depicting children talking or a delightfully abstract montage mixing imagination with true visual symphonies. Charlie narrates the stories, though the narration only pops up once in a while. Most of the time, we're focused on the characters - which includes their neighbour Marv and his dog Sizzles, Lola's classmate and best friend Lotta, and Lola's imaginary friend, the cleverly named Soren Lorenson. They are all insanely realistic, special, likable and fun to watch, so the "banal" stories really do turn into something else entirely - a very rich, profound and gentle kind of entertainment and storytelling which is enlightening and constructive for people of all ages.

Another interesting aspect of the show is that the voices are done by actual children. The actors are different for each season, but the changes aren't really too noticeable. The British accents are extreme, and for fans of British accents (like me), that's a thrill and a half. And the music is exceptional - not only the eccentric, catchy theme tune by Tom Dyson and Søren Munk, but most incidental tunes, which sometimes form the backing of choreographies and "mini musicals" within the stories. Basically, everything works here. Let this be a recommendation for parents, kids, and everyone else. And if Lauren Child's books are available to you, get them too.