Charlie and Lola turns 21 this weekend by the BBC's count, but Disney Channel got there first. Playhouse Disney started airing it in the U.S. on March 21, 2005, almost eight months before its British debut.
Charlie and Lola, the cut-paper sibling show that a whole generation of Playhouse Disney kids grew up on, is 21 years old. Fan account ToonHive marked the anniversary on X Friday, Nov. 6, with a "21 years ago today" post.
That count comes from Britain, where CBeebies aired the first episode, "I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato," on Nov. 7, 2005. American kids actually saw it first. Disney Channel announced in February 2005 that the show would join its Playhouse Disney block on Monday, March 21, 2005, weekdays at 9:30 a.m., Multichannel News reported.
So in the U.S., the show hit drinking age back in March. Charlie would be 28 by now. Lola would be about 25. Somebody check on Soren Lorenson.
Here's What Can I Wear for Halloween?, a full episode CBeebies posted on YouTube:
What is Charlie and Lola about?
The show follows two siblings, and no grown-ups ever appear on screen. Big brother Charlie narrates and talks his little sister Lola into eating tomatoes, going to bed and sharing her stuff, usually with some very creative storytelling.
Disney's own 2005 pitch called it "a tender, nonstereotypical sibling relationship" between a 7-year-old brother and a 4-year-old sister. By the second series, Lola was "very nearly five," according to Off The Telly's 2006 review.
The look is the hook. London's Tiger Aspect Productions built every episode out of collage: pencil drawings, paper cutouts, fabric, real textures and photo snippets, matching author Lauren Child's picture books. Lola's imaginary friend Soren Lorenson is drawn in see-through black and white.
It ran three series and 78 episodes on CBeebies from 2005 to 2008, plus two specials. It won the BAFTA Children's Award for preschool animation in 2007 and won again in 2008 for the special "Everything Is Different and Not the Same."
How was Charlie and Lola connected to Disney?
Disney Channel was its American home for years. The show aired in Playhouse Disney, the preschool block that later became Disney Junior, alongside shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Little Einsteins.
It did well there. Season 1 drew a 2.7 rating among kids 2 to 5, or 237,000 kids across all airings, Next TV reported in October 2006. The first seven episodes of Season 2 jumped to a 3.2 rating, or 395,000 kids.
That got it renewed. Disney Channel ordered a third season of 13 episodes plus a Halloween special, according to the same report.
Nancy Kanter, then Disney Channel's senior vice president of original programming, said the series did "a wonderful job of showcasing preschool-age life lessons," World Screen reported.
In the U.K., BBC Worldwide handled distribution. Banijay Kids & Family took over the distribution rights from BBC Studios in October 2023.
How old are the Charlie and Lola voice actors now?
Six different kids voiced the title characters, because real kids grow up and their voices change. IMDb's credits list them by series:
Charlie: Jethro Lundie-Brown (2005), Daniel Mayers (2006 to 2007) and Oriel Agranoff (2007 to 2008)
Lola: Maisie Cowell (2005), Clementine Cowell (2006 to 2007) and Holly Callaway (2007 to 2008)
The first pair got replaced after Series 1 because their voices had matured past the characters' ages, DVD Talk explained in a 2007 review of a U.S. DVD release.
None of the six went on to public acting careers. IMDb lists no more than two credits for any of them, and their birth dates were never published, so we can't give exact ages.
Here's our rough math. If the kids were close to their characters' ages when they recorded, the Series 1 pair would be in their late 20s now. The Series 3 pair would be in their early to mid-20s. Either way, everyone who ever voiced Charlie or Lola is old enough to drink in the U.S.
The supporting cast stayed put longer. Ryan Harris voiced Charlie's best friend Marv and Morgan Gayle voiced Lola's best friend Lotta for all three series, roughly 38 episodes each. Stanley Street voiced Soren Lorenson.
Where can you watch Charlie and Lola now?
It isn't on Disney+. In the U.S., JustWatch lists it free with ads on The Roku Channel and Pluto TV, and DVDs are still around.
YouTube is the easiest option. Banijay relaunched an official Charlie and Lola channel, which had passed 7 million views and 25 million minutes streamed by November 2025, Senal News reported. CBeebies also posts full episodes.
Is Charlie and Lola coming back?
No new episodes have been announced. The brand is still busy, though.
Banijay marked the show's 20th anniversary last year with new broadcast deals, including a fresh BBC license for all three series. Tom Beattie, managing director of Tiger Aspect Kids & Family, said the show is "still finding new homes after all this time."
In March, Banijay licensed Charlie and Lola T-shirts, hoodies and phone cases to Skinnydip London, License Global reported. Lauren Child's first book, I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato, got a 25th anniversary edition this spring.
"Two decades on the brand continues to thrive," said Roubina Tchoboian, Banijay Kids & Family's head of global licensing.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
ToonHive on X (Nov. 6, 2026), the 21st anniversary post
Multichannel News (Feb. 25, 2005), the Playhouse Disney premiere date and time and Disney's description of the show
Next TV (Oct. 6, 2006), Disney Channel's third-season order, Halloween special and ratings
World Screen (Oct. 2006), Nancy Kanter quote
Off The Telly (Oct. 2, 2006), Lola's age and the series 2 voice change
DVD Talk (Oct. 20, 2007), why the original voices were replaced
IMDb voice cast, years and credit counts
Wikipedia U.K. episode air dates, BAFTA wins and distribution history
Senal News (Nov. 10, 2025), 20th anniversary deals, YouTube numbers and Tom Beattie quote
License Global (March 11, 2026), Skinnydip London deal, book anniversary and Roubina Tchoboian quote
JustWatch U.S. streaming options
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