Charlie And Lola: Vol. 8

“I have this little sister Lola. She’s small and very funny.” Anyone familiar with Lauren Child’s enormously popular Charlie and Lola books knows what to expect from these seven episodes of the animated version.

In ‘How Many More Minutes Until Christmas’ the siblings count down to a perfect yuletide with their friends, including Lola’s imaginary pal Soren Lorensen. But when Lola’s letter to Santa gets waylaid all their plans start to go wrong. Fortunately, their advent calendar provides a handy portal to Christmas Land where they find all the elves sitting idle for lack of wrapping paper. Charlie And Lola save the day by stripping the paper sky and picking the stars to make into gift tags (with no hint of environmental plunder metaphor) instantly invigorating the assembly line of elves and making Christmas perfect for all.

If it all sounds a bit schmaltzy that’s because it is. The inspired combination of real photos with animated cardboard cut-outs is now instantly recognisable as Charlie and Lola’s imaginative and charming world. But there’s an awful lot of giggling and a surfeit of adoration rather than the rivalry/bickering/strangulation between 7 and 4 year old siblings that I know. It’s true to say that this is ever so extremely, completely fantasistical in just about every way.

Extras: Music video “It’s Snowing” and outtakes.

Released 12th November 2007 by BBC Worldwide.

Written by Eve Vamvas.