Tiger Aspect has begun production on the childrens animated series CHARLIE AND LOLA, commissioned by the BBC.
Michael Carrington, head of Animation & Acquisitions at CBBC, commissioned CHARLIE AND LOLA, which was first introduced by Tiger Aspect at Cartoon Forum in September 2003. My first animation commission for CBeebies is a reflection of my desire to bring stimulating content, both in storytelling and visual style, to our pre-school audience, said Carrington. CHARLIE AND LOLA will surely inspire creativity and imagination in our audience through its great stories and distinctive animation technique.
Claudia Lloyd, head of Animation/Childrens at Tiger Aspect will produce the 26x11 series, which is based on Lauren Childs award-winning childrens books. The TV series will be directed by Kitty Taylor and designed by Leigh Hodgkinson. The animation will reflect the sketchy, cutout style of the books and the imagination of the characters, seven-year-old Charlie and his feisty little sister, Lola.
CHARLIE AND LOLA offers an arresting mix of 2D cel animation, paper cutout, fabric design, real textures, photomontage and archive footage to bring the authors unique picturebook style to the small screen. The producers plan to use childrens voices to keep the dialogue realistic and really resonate with kids, 4-6.
Laurens books are funky, funny, accessible and simply gorgeous, said Lloyd. Adapting them for TV has been a joy. Its like THIRTY SOMETHING for four-year-olds. Losing your first tooth, or not being chosen as the main part for the school play is as big a deal for a child as splitting up with a long-term partner is for adults! Its just that Lauren gives us the freedom to fight with pirates, dance with clouds, or slide down rainbows to sort it all out! Oh, to be Charlie and Lola again Life would be so much more fun!
The passionate four-year-old Lola may proclaim she will not ever, NEVER eat a tomato! or she is, Not sleepy and She will not go to bed. Other stumbling blocks include explaining how it wasnt Lola who broke Charlies favorite toy or the fact that she is terribly, ever so ill and may never smile again. It falls to big brother Charlie to cajole and manage to win her over.
Eating yucky, sticky mashed potato instantly becomes an expedition to the top of Mount Fuji tasting spoonfuls of cloud fluff. Brushing your teeth isnt dull if it involves a tap dance with a chivalrous lion in paisley print pajamas. And tomatoes, arent tomatoes theyre really Moonsquirters from the land of Moon.
Tiger Aspect Productions leads the field as one of the UK's most successful and prolific independent television producers, working across a broad range of genres including animation, comedy, drama, entertainment and factual programming.
Tiger Aspect is a prolific London-based producer of comedy, drama, entertainment, animation, factual, plus music and arts programming. The studio produces for all five U.K. terrestrial broadcasters and a range of cable and satellite channels. Tiger Aspect is also developing and re-versioning its programs and formats for international broadcasters and producers in the USA, Australia and Europe. For more on Tiger Aspect check out www.tigeraspect.co.uk.
