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the surprising 'official' ages of charlie and lola

posted 18 years ago by newyorker_film_buff
23 replies | jump to latest

Someone here on the board mentioned Lola's age, and that reminds me of something I've wanted to discuss with other folks here. I know that all the "Charlie and Lola" books and online references say she is 4 and that Charlie is 7. But both children seemed slightly older than that when I accidentally "discovered" the show one day while channel-surfing. Since Lola is already in school, and because of the vocabulary she displays and her awareness of so many things, I'd always thought she was about 6. And because Charlie is so wise and was active in sports and has a voice that, while a child's, is still deeper than I think of 7-year-olds as having, I had always thought of him as being about 10 or 11, perhaps even 12. Is it just me, or have other viewers first thought that the kids were older before the viewers learned the "truth"? I wasn't aware I was wrong about the ages until I saw the references that said Lola was 4 and Charlie 7, and I was very surprised.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] newyorker_film_buff 18 years ago

Well, while 7 still seems really young to me as the "official" age for Charlie, for the same reasons I've already stated, I can certainly agree with you about Lola. I always thought she was about 5 (but not 4, because of her quickness of mind and vocabulary). But then when they ran some episodes showing her going to school and, for example, giving a "show and tell" talk in assembly -- and preceded by Lotta, also giving a talk -- I assumed that both Lola an Lotta had to be in first grade, which would make them both 6. Oh well, I guess there are greater cosmic questions to ponder than these. Like, for instance, when is the IMDb going to return to its old, clear-as-a-bell format of showing cast lists for television series?

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Emma_UK 18 years ago

actually kids only start attending proper school when they are 4/5 however most attend nursery (kindergarten to americans?) before then, which can sometimes cater for kids as young as 2, but 3/4 is more the norm. Some nurseries are attached to a school though, perhaps this was the case with your experience?

[–] ramissah909 17 years ago

Im sorry to tell you this but Charlie and Lola is made by english people which means here in England "1st Grade" or Reception is for 3 and 4 year old children which also shows that Charlie and Lola's school is a middle school, Infant, Nursery and Junior school.
In England by law children at the age of 3 can start going to school if they want.

[–] spjk 17 years ago

just to claryfy the different names used for years in UK and US schools.

age......UK...../.....US
4-5,reception / pre-school
5-6, year 1 / kindergaten
6-7, year 2 / 1st grade
7-8, year 3 / 2nd grade
8-9, year 4 / 3rd grade
9-10, year 5/ 4th grade
10-11, year 6 / 5th grade

In high school the US has names for each year rather than years 7-11.

[–] ISupportCedricDiggory 18 years ago

Yes, Citizens of the U.K tend to be stronger in their vocabulary and choice of words . No Offence to Americans or anything.

Jack : Is this a dream
Bill : no
Jack : Your right or else they'd be rum

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] KellyJWilliams 18 years ago

I was just thinking this yesterday..

My guess was Charlie was 9 and Lola was 5.

Close enough I guess.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] antonia_xo 18 years ago

but in england, we have our 'first school photos' in nursery, which we go to when we're 3/4.

[–] jordan-97 17 years ago

I think most of you are missing whole point of Lola - that she tries to make herself sound more mature by taking a complicated way, but really she doesn't know what know what many if the words mean and her fear of new things shows her up for really being just 4 or 5 year-old girl.

I don't see any reason why the ages would need to be specified. They're just a little girl and her older brother, and much of what they do is universal to anyone under about 13. I'm 18 and am still thought of as being like Charlie when I play with my younger brother or our neighbour's daughter (who looks and talks exactly in the same way as Lola, using complicated words that I would never expect of her young age and tiny size).

[–] celestialtreat 17 years ago

The way Lola expresses herself, she seems more like a 5-year-old than a 4-year-old. I think it has less to do with her vocabulary and more to do with her speech patterns & emotional level.

I'm thinking of the time she went down the slide and said "Whee." I don't think a 4-year-old can master that level of irony and even contempt. (Granted, my 4-year-old daughter always says Whee like Lola now when she goes down a slide... but she's imitating the show. She's not saying "That was supposed to be really fun, but actually it kind of sucked.")

"Hey, that's right... We're supposed to sing about pirate-y things!" - Mr. Lunt

[–] chloesmom421 17 years ago

I have a four year old with an amazing vocabulary that can read and do simple arithmitic. I think you are all underestimating four year olds in our current society. They are expected to know more at a younger age now.

[–] starlyte427 17 years ago

same here, i have a two year old who could easily give lola a run for her money...lol. and we aren't citizen's of the uk, i just don't underestimate how much a child can learn, if you teach him/her.

[–] Liverbird03 17 years ago

Go to www.charlieandlola.com gives info and ages.

Patrick, don't you have to be stupid somewhere else?
Not until 4!

[–] jayson_firestorm 18 years ago

Official press releases for the show say that they are a year old in the series than in the books, so Charlie is 8 and Lola is 5.
Charlie has so far had birthdays in the series, but doesn't seem to have affected his age at all!

[–] melloncollie2006 18 years ago

i have two children, and even though they had photographs taken at nursery school, we never considered those to be their first 'school' photographs. these were taken when they had been at school in the first class for almost a full school year, so that would make lola 5 and charlie 8.

which seems about right to me!!

[–] pINKiPod 18 years ago

In canada we start kindergarden when we are four (if born from september to December 3) and the kindergarden tends to be attached to the school, and we consider kindergarden to already be school not nursery or whatever, and we get our first school photo in junior kindergarden, so id say lola is around4, thats my guess, but charlie does seem to old to be 7, i thought he was 12,but then again i only watched it once wheni accidently stumbled across it. so...

She may not be smart or pretty, but she's as loyal as a rottweiler-cherry cherry

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Janelly_Bellies 17 years ago

thats what i want to know too

Brandon: Janel, You would have a pet rock!
Me: Yeah, That's why I do!

»-(¯`v´¯)-»

[–] Tubular_Bell 17 years ago

On season 1, it was Jethro Lundie-Brown. On season 2, it was Daniel Meyers.

[–] ya_ima_character_x3 17 years ago

in season 2 i think they aged by a year, i read it on wikipedia but wikipedia isn't always true...