# Turn Up Charlie
**Turn Up Charlie** is a British comedy-drama television series that premiered on Netflix on March 15, 2019, starring [Idris Elba](https://www.edgepedia.org/idris-elba) as a washed-up DJ who takes a job as the nanny, or "manny", to the 11-year-old daughter of his famous best friend while trying to rebuild his music career.[1](https://www.ismyshowcancelled.com/article/2020-04-27/netflix-cancels-turn-up-charlie/) • [2](https://www.netflix.com/st/title/80124723) The series ran for a single season of eight episodes and was canceled in April 2020.[3](https://www.tvline.com/news/turn-up-charlie-cancelled-season-2-netflix-idris-elba-1190301/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | British comedy-drama, one season of eight half-hour episodes, TV-MA rating[2](https://www.netflix.com/st/title/80124723) • [4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/turn-up-charlie) |
| Premiere | March 15, 2019 on Netflix[1](https://www.ismyshowcancelled.com/article/2020-04-27/netflix-cancels-turn-up-charlie/) |
| Creators | Idris Elba and Gary Reich; executive producers Elba, Reich, and Tristram Shapeero[2](https://www.netflix.com/st/title/80124723) • [3](https://www.tvline.com/news/turn-up-charlie-cancelled-season-2-netflix-idris-elba-1190301/) |
| Main cast | Idris Elba (Charlie), Piper Perabo (Sara), JJ Feild (David), Frankie Hervey (Gabrielle), Guz Khan (Del), Angela Griffin (Astrid)[1](https://www.ismyshowcancelled.com/article/2020-04-27/netflix-cancels-turn-up-charlie/) |
| Production companies | Green Door Pictures and Brown Eyed Boy[5](https://anz.newonnetflix.info/info/80124723) |
| Cancellation | Confirmed by Netflix on April 27, 2020; no second season[3](https://www.tvline.com/news/turn-up-charlie-cancelled-season-2-netflix-idris-elba-1190301/) |
| Reception | 52% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer from 42 reviews; 7.0/10 on IMDb from about 8,700 votes[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/turn_up_charlie) • [4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/turn-up-charlie) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and characters
Charlie (Idris Elba), a former chart-topping DJ, now survives on poorly paid jobs and, because he cannot pay for a place of his own, still resides in his parents' home alongside his aunt Lydia (Jocelyn Jee Esien).[7](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/turn-up-charlie) His one hit was the song "L.U.V", a throwback to 1990s house music devised by Elba himself.[8](https://www.theringer.com/2019/03/14/tv/idris-elba-turn-up-charlie-dj-comedy-netflix-review)
At a wedding, Charlie reconnects with his childhood friend David ([JJ Feild](https://www.edgepedia.org/jj-feild)), now a major Hollywood action star, who has returned to London with his wife Sara ([Piper Perabo](https://www.edgepedia.org/piper-perabo)), a world-famous DJ and music producer, and their daughter Gabrielle (Frankie Hervey).[7](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/turn-up-charlie) • [9](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/shrill-and-turn-up-charlie-are-passably-cool-tv-shows-that-try-too-hard-to-be-passably-cool-tv-shows/2019/03/14/469d0f86-4434-11e9-aaf8-4512a6fe3439_story.html) When the couple needs a nanny for their unruly daughter, Charlie accepts the job, hoping the position will also put him in Sara's good graces and help him restart his music career.[2](https://www.netflix.com/st/title/80124723) • [10](https://www.highdefdigest.com/blog/turn-up-charlie-season-1-netflix-review/) Gabrielle, who has already driven off a series of nannies, acts out largely from sadness over her career-driven parents' neglect.[7](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/turn-up-charlie) • [6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/turn_up_charlie)
The supporting cast includes [Guz Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/guz-khan) as Del and [Angela Griffin](https://www.edgepedia.org/angela-griffin) as Astrid, a character Charlie dates late in the season.[1](https://www.ismyshowcancelled.com/article/2020-04-27/netflix-cancels-turn-up-charlie/) • [2](https://www.netflix.com/st/title/80124723) [Rina Sawayama](https://www.edgepedia.org/rina-sawayama) appears in one episode as the musician Layla Valentine.[11](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/85486-turn-up-charlie/cast)
## Production
The series was co-created by Elba and Gary Reich, with Tristram Shapeero, a veteran comedy director whose credits include *Community* and *Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt*, serving as executive producer and director.[2](https://www.netflix.com/st/title/80124723) • [12](https://www.tvline.com/reviews/turn-up-charlie-review-idris-elba-netflix-comedy-1035861/) It was produced by Elba's company Green Door Pictures and Reich's Brown Eyed Boy.[5](https://anz.newonnetflix.info/info/80124723) Elba, who DJs in real life, said he was "out of his comfort zone" filming the comedy, which drew on his musical influences and featured a soundtrack of dance music.[13](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/turn-up-charlie-season-2-renewal-status-canceled-april-2020/) According to cast member Angela Griffin, Elba took the cast and crew clubbing in Ibiza during production.[14](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/turn_up_charlie/press/) The late-season episodes move to Ibiza, where Charlie pursues a comeback and slips back into the party scene.[2](https://www.netflix.com/st/title/80124723)
## Reception
Critical response was mixed to negative. The Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer stood at 52 percent from 42 reviews, while the audience Popcornmeter was considerably warmer at 88 percent.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/turn_up_charlie) Reviewers generally praised Elba's performance while finding the writing thin. TVLine called the show "too thinly drawn and corny to be a worthy showcase" but noted that Elba was "easily the best thing" in it.[12](https://www.tvline.com/reviews/turn-up-charlie-review-idris-elba-netflix-comedy-1035861/) The Ringer's Rob Harvilla wrote that the show's most consistent pleasure was the footage of Elba DJing, and judged that the series needed "a full reboot" more than a second season.[8](https://www.theringer.com/2019/03/14/tv/idris-elba-turn-up-charlie-dj-comedy-netflix-review) [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) found the comedy short on laughs and criticized how heavily the child character was demonized.[15](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/turn-up-charlie-first-impression-review-idris-elba-netflix-5628483/) More favorable takes included Forbes, which called it a solid comedy with two standout performances, and [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide), which found the show half-baked but charming, singling out Perabo's performance.[14](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/turn_up_charlie/press/) • [16](https://www.tvguide.com/news/turn-up-charlie-review-idris-elba-netflix/) On IMDb the series holds a 7.0 rating from about 8,700 user votes.[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/turn-up-charlie)
## Cancellation
Netflix confirmed on April 27, 2020 that the series would not return for a second season, a little over a year after the first season's release. The streamer's statement thanked star and executive producer Elba, "who turned his passion for DJing into a witty, heartwarming comedy series", along with executive producers Gary Reich and Tristram Shapeero and co-executive producers Martin Joyce and Ana Garanito.[3](https://www.tvline.com/news/turn-up-charlie-cancelled-season-2-netflix-idris-elba-1190301/) Reporting at the time attributed the decision in part to creative differences: a source told *The Mirror* that "Netflix and Idris just didn't see eye to eye on it", and that Elba had been working on ideas for a second season but "couldn't get it to work".[13](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/turn-up-charlie-season-2-renewal-status-canceled-april-2020/) The first season had ended on a cliffhanger, leaving open whether Charlie would choose Astrid or Sara, and the cancellation left that question unresolved.[13](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/turn-up-charlie-season-2-renewal-status-canceled-april-2020/)
## Availability
As a Netflix original, the series remains carried on Netflix, including a standard-with-ads tier, and is not available on Disney+, Prime Video, or Apple TV+.[17](https://stream-tracker.com/en/serie/turn-up-charlie-2019) • [4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/turn-up-charlie) A Dutch streaming-availability tracker likewise listed it as available only on Netflix in the Netherlands as of its last check.[18](https://waarkanikdatkijken.nl/turn-up-charlie)
## References
1. [Netflix Cancels 'Turn Up Charlie', IsMyShowCancelled.com (April 27, 2020)](https://www.ismyshowcancelled.com/article/2020-04-27/netflix-cancels-turn-up-charlie/)
2. [Watch Turn Up Charlie, Netflix Official Site](https://www.netflix.com/st/title/80124723)
3. [Turn Up Charlie Cancelled At Netflix, TVLine (Rebecca Luther, April 27, 2020)](https://www.tvline.com/news/turn-up-charlie-cancelled-season-2-netflix-idris-elba-1190301/)
4. [Turn Up Charlie streaming tv show online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/turn-up-charlie)
5. [Turn Up Charlie on Netflix in Australia, New On Netflix Australia & New Zealand](https://anz.newonnetflix.info/info/80124723)
6. [Turn Up Charlie, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/turn_up_charlie)
7. [Turn Up Charlie Parents' Guide & TV Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/turn-up-charlie)
8. [Idris Elba Is Still Searching for Imperfect Beats, The Ringer (Rob Harvilla, March 14, 2019)](https://www.theringer.com/2019/03/14/tv/idris-elba-turn-up-charlie-dj-comedy-netflix-review)
9. ['Shrill' and 'Turn Up Charlie' are passably cool TV shows, The Washington Post (March 14, 2019)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/shrill-and-turn-up-charlie-are-passably-cool-tv-shows-that-try-too-hard-to-be-passably-cool-tv-shows/2019/03/14/469d0f86-4434-11e9-aaf8-4512a6fe3439_story.html)
10. [Now Streaming: Turn Up Charlie, High-Def Digest](https://www.highdefdigest.com/blog/turn-up-charlie-season-1-netflix-review/)
11. [Turn Up Charlie Cast & Crew, The Movie Database](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/85486-turn-up-charlie/cast)
12. ['Turn Up Charlie' Review: Idris Elba Stars In Netflix Comedy, TVLine (March 2019)](https://www.tvline.com/reviews/turn-up-charlie-review-idris-elba-netflix-comedy-1035861/)
13. ['Turn Up Charlie' Season 2 Not Happening: Netflix Canceled After One Season, What's on Netflix (Kasey Moore, April 26, 2020)](https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/turn-up-charlie-season-2-renewal-status-canceled-april-2020/)
14. [Turn Up Charlie press clippings, British Comedy Guide](https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/turn_up_charlie/press/)
15. [Turn Up Charlie first impression: Idris Elba should look for a better comedy, The Indian Express (Sampada Sharma)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/turn-up-charlie-first-impression-review-idris-elba-netflix-5628483/)
16. [Turn Up Charlie Review: Idris Elba Comedy Is Half-Baked, TV Guide (Krutika Mallikarjuna, March 13, 2019)](https://www.tvguide.com/news/turn-up-charlie-review-idris-elba-netflix/)
17. [Is the TV show Turn Up Charlie available on Netflix, Disney+, Prime or Apple TV+?, Stream Tracker](https://stream-tracker.com/en/serie/turn-up-charlie-2019)
18. [Turn Up Charlie (2019) kijken, WaarKanIkDatKijken.nl](https://waarkanikdatkijken.nl/turn-up-charlie)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Sitcom and comedy series › British sitcoms and comedy series › British sitcoms (2010s–present)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license