Charlie and Lola Returning to Disney

Disney Channel renewed preschool series Charlie and Lola for a third season, ordering 13 shows (comprising two 11-minute segments) and a Halloween special from London-based Tiger Aspect Productions.

Based on the award-winning children’s-book series of the same name by Lauren Child, the show depicts considerate seven-year-old brother Charlie, who endures and helps his feisty yet endearing sister, Lola, work her way through preschool challenges like cleaning her room and making friends.

The episodes are presented via two-dimensional digital animation combined with paper cutout, fabric design, real textures, photo-montage and archive footage.

Airing on Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney preschool programming block, the series through its first seven installments averaged a 3.2 rating among kids 2-5, translating into 395,000 of those watchers for all airings (since the second season began May 1-Oct. 1). That compares with a 2.7 mark and 237,000 kids 2-5 for its first season.

The six remaining second-season episodes will premiere into 2007, according to a network spokeswoman. A schedule for the third season had not been determined by press time.