# I Heart Arlo
**I Heart Arlo** (stylized **I ❤️ Arlo**) is an American animated musical comedy series that premiered on Netflix on August 27, 2021, as a follow-up to the animated musical film *Arlo the Alligator Boy*[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80222892) • [2](https://www.tvtango.com/series/i_heart_arlo). Created by Ryan Crego, the series follows Arlo, a boy who is half human and half alligator, and his friends as they settle in an abandoned seaside neighborhood of New York City and work to restore it[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80222892) • [3](https://www.netflix.com/title/80222892).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Premiere | August 27, 2021, on Netflix, with the season released as a full drop[2](https://www.tvtango.com/series/i_heart_arlo) |
| Episode count | Netflix lists 19 episodes; JustWatch lists Season 1 as 20 episodes[3](https://www.netflix.com/title/80222892) • [4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/i-heart-arlo) |
| Creator | Ryan Crego, who also serves as executive producer[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13573450/fullcredits/) |
| Format | Animated musical comedy, TV-Y7, episodes of roughly 14 to 16 minutes[3](https://www.netflix.com/title/80222892) • [6](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/i-heart-arlo/umc.cmc.2m9q1k4ooayy0ule8f79iszfs) |
| Main cast | Michael J. Woodard (Arlo), Mary Lambert (Bertie), Jonathan Van Ness (Furlecia), Haley Tju (Alia), Brett Gelman (Marcellus), Tony Hale (Teeny Tiny Tony)[7](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/i-heart-arlo/cast/1060057316/) |
| Setting | Seaside by the Seashore, a run-down seaside neighborhood in New York City[3](https://www.netflix.com/title/80222892) • [6](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/i-heart-arlo/umc.cmc.2m9q1k4ooayy0ule8f79iszfs) |
| Status | Ended after one season; still streaming on Netflix[8](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/56836/i-arlo) • [4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/i-heart-arlo) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and setting
The series picks up after the film *Arlo the Alligator Boy*, in which Arlo learns he is from New York City, leaves his sheltered life in the swamp, and searches for his long-lost father[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80222892). After his adventure brings him to the city, Arlo joins up with the friends he has just made, and together they settle into a deserted coastal district and work to revive it[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80222892). The neighborhood is named Seaside by the Seashore, and early episodes center on the group's efforts to keep it from being shut down when the New York City mayor visits[6](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/i-heart-arlo/umc.cmc.2m9q1k4ooayy0ule8f79iszfs).
Crego described the shift in format from the film: the movie is a big journey of discovery, while the series moves into a sitcom world focused on how the characters live together day to day, built around short character moments with songs[9](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/arlo-the-alligator-boy-director-ryan-crego-interview-netflix/).
### Characters and cast
Arlo Beauregard is voiced by Michael J. Woodard, and his best friend Bertie by singer Mary Lambert[7](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/i-heart-arlo/cast/1060057316/). The core group of friends includes Furlecia, a cross-dressing hairdresser who is literally a walking pink hairball, voiced by [Jonathan Van Ness](https://www.edgepedia.org/jonathan-van-ness) of *Queer Eye*; Alia, a cat with ADHD, voiced by Haley Tju; and Marcellus, a cranky fish, voiced by [Brett Gelman](https://www.edgepedia.org/brett-gelman)[6](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/i-heart-arlo/umc.cmc.2m9q1k4ooayy0ule8f79iszfs). [Tony Hale](https://www.edgepedia.org/tony-hale) voices Teeny Tiny Tony, Vincent Rodriguez III voices Arlo's father Ansel Beauregard, and Jessica Williams voices Mayor Elena[7](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/i-heart-arlo/cast/1060057316/). Guest and recurring voices include Annie Potts as Edmée, Jennifer Coolidge as Stucky, Flea as Ruff, and Santigold as the Bog Lady[7](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/i-heart-arlo/cast/1060057316/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13573450/fullcredits/).
The season finale, "The Uncondemning", aired on August 27, 2021, with Arlo and his friends traveling to the swamp to rescue Edmée from a foe known as the Bog Lady[8](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/56836/i-arlo).
## Production
The series was produced at Titmouse, the studio that also made *Arlo the Alligator Boy*, with Ryan Crego as executive producer and Blake Lemons as co-executive producer[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13573450/fullcredits/) • [10](https://www.roundabout.com/i-heart-arlo). Alex Geringas composed the score and wrote the original songs for all episodes[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13573450/fullcredits/). Directors included Carder Scholin, Nick Sumida, Angelica Russell, and Blake Lemons[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13573450/fullcredits/).
Crego said he built the production schedule to roll as many artists as possible from the film into the series; about 75 percent of the movie's story and design crew continued onto the show[11](https://www.animationscoop.com/interview-ryan-crego-overjoyed-to-share-arlo-the-alligator-boy/). Twenty episodes were originally ordered for the series[11](https://www.animationscoop.com/interview-ryan-crego-overjoyed-to-share-arlo-the-alligator-boy/).
## Reception and audience guidance
Critics received the show warmly but with reservations. Jason Flatt, a senior editor at the review site But Why Tho?, rated it 7 out of 10, calling it a sweet show with a lot of charm that stands out from the pack of children's animation, while noting that some musical numbers feel too verbose for the age demographic[12](https://butwhytho.net/2021/08/review-i-heart-arlo/). The review also highlighted the show's character designs and its episodes that break down body and gender norms[12](https://butwhytho.net/2021/08/review-i-heart-arlo/).
Common Sense Media rates the show appropriate for ages 9 and up rather than the TV-Y7 rating suggests, flagging drinking and implied drug references, including characters drinking "an aperitif" at sundown and a cat acting as if high on catnip, alongside positive messages about being yourself and diverse representations[13](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/i-heart-arlo). On IMDb the series holds a rating of about 6.7[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/i-heart-arlo).
## References
1. [I Heart Arlo, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80222892)
2. [I Heart Arlo, TV Tango](https://www.tvtango.com/series/i_heart_arlo)
3. [I Heart Arlo, Netflix title page](https://www.netflix.com/title/80222892)
4. [I Heart Arlo, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/i-heart-arlo)
5. [I Heart Arlo (TV Series 2021) Full Cast & Crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13573450/fullcredits/)
6. [I Heart Arlo, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/i-heart-arlo/umc.cmc.2m9q1k4ooayy0ule8f79iszfs)
7. [I Heart Arlo Full Cast & Crew, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/i-heart-arlo/cast/1060057316/)
8. [I ❤️ Arlo, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/56836/i-arlo)
9. [Arlo the Alligator Boy Director Talks Musicals, Optimism, and the Decade-Long Journey to Release, ComicBook.com](https://comicbook.com/movies/news/arlo-the-alligator-boy-director-ryan-crego-interview-netflix/)
10. [I ❤️ Arlo, Roundabout](https://www.roundabout.com/i-heart-arlo)
11. [Interview: Ryan Crego Overjoyed To Share "Arlo The Alligator Boy", Animation Scoop](https://www.animationscoop.com/interview-ryan-crego-overjoyed-to-share-arlo-the-alligator-boy/)
12. [Review: 'I Heart Arlo' Is A Children's Animation Standout, But Why Tho?](https://butwhytho.net/2021/08/review-i-heart-arlo/)
13. [I Heart Arlo Parents' Guide & TV Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/i-heart-arlo)
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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 › Animated television series (individual series) › Children's animated adventure and fantasy series › Comedy and slice-of-life series › Premiered 2020 to 2024*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 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