Angelo Rules

Angelo Rules (Angelo la Débrouille) is an animated series produced by France 3, Teletoon, Super RTL, TeamTO and Cake Entertainment and directed by Chloé Miller and Franz Kirchner. It is based on the book series Comment Faire Enrager... by Sylvie De Mathuisieulx and Sebastien Diologent. On 29 November 2021, the series was renewed for a fifth season with 47 episodes which premiered in August 2022.

Plot
Angelo is the kid who tries to be the wise guy. He is constantly coming up with plans and strategies to get out of trouble. He has determined as well that nothing will stand in the way of getting what he wants, and he actually embraces challenges.

Angelo isn't put off by the natural setbacks most kids have to confront like parents, siblings and rules but that doesn't deter him. He has a couple of really good friends who also help him in his strategic planning, like Sherwood, the king of logistics and Lola, the enthusiast. Together, they make a winning trio.

Main characters

 * Angelo (voiced by Jennifer Visalli in seasons 1-2) - The protagonist of the series; a master in the art of strategy thanks to his intelligence and his sense of observation. We learn that his expertise comes to him from his childhood referring to the pilot episode. From that step, he would have "understood" everything about the world around him - well, almost. Like some of his conclusions that are a little hasty - even that Angelo's plans don't always go to plan - he is still a confident and optimistic character, calling himself a "super vigilante". Almost no situation throws him off balance. If he does not find the ideal solution, he does not hesitate to rush to intuition or to exploit possible alternatives. He decides to take on the challenges and gladly accepts the enthusiastic help of his two best friends, Lola and Sherwood. He and his two friends are fans of the rock band Slobber. He is also in love with Cindy, Lola's unseen cousin.
 * Sherwood Forrest (voiced by Aaron Conley) - Angelo's best friend. He is eleven years old and he has been Angelo's best friend since they were two years old. They are in the same class. Sherwood is more reserved and a little "geeky" on the edges, but he is an extraordinary and faithful friend. Angelo's best friend, he played with him and they shared a lot together. He is not always convinced of the necessity of the challenges that Angelo wants to take up, but he is still easily convinced by the latter, and with Lola, it is the ideal trio. His many talents are so many valuable assets: very gifted in everything related to electronics and computers. He is the smartest kid in the school and is also extremely far-sighted. Angelo offers him his finest minutes of freedom and adrenaline, but also his greatest fears.
 * Lola (voiced by Cassandra Lee Morris) - Angelo's other best friend. She is twelve years old and has been Angelo's neighbor since kindergarten. She has a cousin named Cindy, and is very independent. When Angelo has a plan, she's the one who works out the details. Without her, some of Angelo's brilliant ideas would come to an end. She is kind and doesn't like to upset anyone, but she can get defensive and sensitive. Angelo trusts her because she is an intelligent, resourceful go-getter. Although she is often with the boys, Lola also has a group of girls with whom she chats and exchanges text messages on her mobile phone. Lola had an old-fashioned cell phone before she got a smartphone in the fourth season, which she often puts to use in Angelo's plans. She also never lets Angelo and Sherwood stay at her girls-only slumber parties (even if most of the time, they are the ones who help organize these parties). Angelo also does not invite her to his evenings with his guy friends, except for at the end of the episode "Girl Pajama Party". It is revealed in the episode "The Pigeons" that she has been terrified of pigeons ever since they ruined her first birthday party by eating the cake. She is such a fan of Slobber that she manages to memorize their biography by heart.

Angelo's Family

 * David "Dave" (voiced by John Douglas) - The father of Angelo, Peter and Elena, who is often incapable of making important decisions. He is also impulsive and sometimes serves as a pawn in his son's pranks. In addition to Mom's well-known ingenuity, this anecdote proves the very origin of Angelo's intelligence. There is a very strong bond between Angelo and his father, even when Angelo gets into trouble. Mom's natural authority over her children sometimes spills over to Dave, almost making him feel like the first child in the family; despite everything, Dave and his wife form a united couple. He is a basketball fan and a big supporter of the "Red Dragons". He is also a fanatic of rhythmic gymnastics. In his childhood, he dreamed of becoming a rocker; this wish later came true thanks to Angelo. He thinks his job is so boring that at each work presentation at Angelo's school, he either finds a way not to explain his real profession, or makes up a job he has never done (like in the episode "Fake Stuntman"). Angelo mentions his first name as being Dave in the episode "Electra". In the episode "Bring it Back", we learn that Angelo's father was a former gymnastics coach back in 1982.
 * Mom (voiced by Gail Thomas) - The mother of Angelo, Peter and Elena and the most responsible in the family. She works in an art gallery where she is in charge of selling the paintings, which requires a lot of time and concentration. In the somewhat chaotic household, she strives to keep the peace between the children, and apparently does quite well in keeping watch over her world. She may be taken aback by Angelo's logic, but she knows him inside out and isn't easily fooled. She would obviously like her son to be a little less mischievous, but, secretly, Mom is quite proud of Angelo's ingenuity. A fan of experimental music - the only pleasure that Angelo took from her - she also likes to relax from yoga. As a child, she dreamed of becoming a professional hockey player.
 * Peter (voiced by Jackson Rheingold) - Angelo and Elena's little brother. He always wears a yellow cap which he only takes off when he sleeps. At home, he literally jumps like a chimpanzee, pretending to be a caveman, a superhero or a Viking, and watches cartoons, such as "The Wiznimals" or "Cuddle Farm". He wants everything his older brother has, even though he's years younger, and is generally kind-hearted and energetic. Peter really likes Lola's company. When he takes a lot of sweets, it may have adverse effects on him and he may be addicted to them. A special episode entitled "Peter Rules" is exclusively dedicated to him.
 * Elena (voiced by Katie DiCicco) - Irresponsible, ambitious and lazy, Angelo and Peter's moody teenage sister Elena is already trying to figure out what to do with her life and has a boyfriend, Hunter. Since the second season, Elena has shorter hair and changed shoes. She is also fairly resourceful.
 * Grandma - Angelo's maternal grandmother. She is affectionate and sympathetic and loves cakes and cookies. In one episode, Angelo makes her believe that he loves the recipe for Brussels sprouts but he discovers that she herself has never liked it and together they change this old Tuesday tradition into a gratin of pepper pasta (Angelo eats the peppers in the episode).

Angelo's School

 * Tracy Flickinger (voiced by Jessica DiCicco) - Angelo's primary adversary from season 2. Since she is Mr. Foot's niece, she is in charge of discipline in the school. She loves challenges, is narcissistic and very mischievous. She sometimes likes to mock Angelo and can detect his slightest plans quite easily. As she was made responsible for her class and the school, she does not shy away from issuing warnings to anyone who does anything simple. In the episode "Dark Angelo", she helps from Angelo and they almost kiss on top of a building before she wakes up and realizes it was all a dream. Tracy enjoys classical music and is good at dancing but doesn't like Slobber and calls them "too loud".
 * Walter Manetti (voiced by Danny McDermott) - The strongest and the "brutest" of Angelo's school. Surly, thoughtless and sleepy in class, his fists are faster than his brain and he retains the character of a pig. His IQ rate is close to zero. He is still able to play the violin, despite his dunce habits. He was in love with Elena in the episode "Manetti in Love" and Lola in "Manetti Must Win". According to orientation tests, he should later be a bodyguard. Manetti can't resist the smell of cakes and fruit. He likes to call himself Manetti all the time.
 * Butterfingers - A student in Angelo's class, he is Hunter's little brother and his parents run Adventure Parkland. Butterfingers is certainly soft and he does not hold the soul of an ordinary sportsman. In one episode, he manages to score a basketball basket without wanting to and without even looking followed by the applause of his comrades. He has great talent, and is an excellent dancer, but only on a given music. He is one of the scapegoats of Manetti and Tracy who love to scare him. He also has a crush on Monica, and has a cylinder head. In the season 2 episode "Door to Door to Door", Butterfingers and Manetti start to get along better thanks to the balance of rolls for Slobber's concert. However, Manetti later betrays him because of the money and even decides to go to the concert without him.
 * Ethan - One of Angelo's friends. He is addicted to video games and everything that has to do with technology.
 * Candy - Monica's best friend. She has blonde hair and can be sensitive and scared in certain situations, but she does have a tender heart.
 * Monica - A student in Angelo's class. She works as an editor at the school newspaper. She is Butterfingers' crush. As a journalist from her school and having good interviewing, writing and publishing techniques, she has a press card. She can sometimes annoy her friends with her perfectionist and serious attitude.
 * Ajay - One of Angelo's classmates. He's gullible and soft.
 * Brandy - A student in Alonzo and Clyde's class, and a very close friend of Hunter, whom she has a crush on. She is athletic and good at soccer. She is also obsessed with Slobber.
 * Alonzo - A student from a higher class than Angelo. He plays basketball and volleyball and is good at sports. He is, of course, one of Zonka's favorite students. He is very close to Clyde and Brandy.
 * Clyde - A student in Alonzo's class, who is his best friend. He is like him: good at sports, very relaxed and likes to play basketball.
 * Owen J. Foot (voiced by Bill Morgan) - Angelo's homeroom teacher. Suspicious, killjoy and naturally distrustful of children who make him see all the colors, he is a rather strict teacher in class, but he also turns out to be quite a wacky character. He also has a soft spot for Miss Perla and an incongruous talent for table tennis. When he was young, he was less rigorous and very soft. In season 2 it is revealed that he has a dog called Wellington, which is the password on his computer.
 * Miss Perla - Angelo's art teacher. Sweet, calm, and kind, she also leads yoga and relaxation workshops.
 * Vladimir Zonka - The physical education teacher at Angelo's school. Extremely loud and sporty (he claims to burn 2,000 calories a day and walks ten kilometers to get to school), he likes to tell his life to anyone who wants to hear it. According to Angelo, when a teacher is absent, Zonka is always the replacement.
 * Schmitty - The school chef. He is easygoing and cool-headed.

Other characters

 * Hunter - Butterfingers' older brother and Elena's boyfriend. He is very strong and plays on Coach Zonka's soccer team, and was the ex-captain before Sherwood.
 * Cooper Manetti - Walter Manetti's younger brother. He is Peter's best friend and often goes to his house for a snack or to play. He looks a lot like his brother and is very rough for his age.
 * Geezer - Angelo's old neighbor. He enjoys gardening. For his age he is extremely competitive, often managing to challenge Angelo to beat him. Angelo often agrees to help Geezer in exchange for a favor.
 * Ollie Van Dunk - A local skateboarder whom Angelo and friends idolize. When Angelo, Sherwood and Lola interview him, he reveals to them that he had several injuries before doing his extreme tricks. Angelo and the gang often try to copy him by doing his signature techniques such as the "yoyo", "kickflip" and then some, without getting a single scratch and in a single day. In the special episode "Brainscramble" it is revealed that he has a fear of heights.
 * Slobber - A punk rock duo consisting of brothers Alex and Eddy, who speak with British accents. They appear to be very popular among young people in Angelo's town.
 * Cathy - The local restaurateur and owner of Cathy's cupcakes. She sells tarts and cupcakes.
 * Gigi - Miss Perla's niece. She likes to ride a tricycle.
 * Damien Burst - A pretentious and snobbish artist. He is a photographer and designer. He feels that he is not appreciated at his fair value. Occasionally, Angelo's middle school hires him to take class photos. In another episode, he temporarily lodges with Angelo's family but ends up making himself unbearable.

Video game
A video game for Android phones and tablets named Angelo Rules: Crazy Day, originally scheduled for release in the 4th quarter of 2014, has been available since July 2015. Another game, named Angelo Skate Away, was released in late June 2016 and is available on the Android platform, before being also available in early July 2016 on iOS.

Episodes
Five seasons have been produced so far; the first season consisting of 78 7-minute segments and the second, third, fourth and fifth seasons having 46 11-minute segments and 3 22-minute specials.

Season 1 (2010)
All Season 1 episodes were directed by Chloé Miller.

Season 2 (2012-2013)
All Season 2 episodes were directed by Chloé Miller and Franz Kirchner.

Season 3 (2015-2016)
All Season 3 episodes were directed by Max Maleo.

Season 4 (2018)
All Season 4 episodes were directed by Thierry Marchand.

Season 5 (2022)
All Season 5 episodes were directed by Max Maleo and Kévin Marry.

Angelo's Tips
Alongside the main series, there is also a companion series of 30 one-minute episodes made under the title Angelo's Tips. All shorts were directed by Franz Kirchner.

Broadcast
Angelo Rules airs on Cartoon Network in over 152 countries. In the United States, the series was acquired by Cartoon Network and premiered on 1 January 2010, and season two debuted on 2 June 2014. In Ireland, an Irish language dub of the show broadcasts on TG4's children's block Cúla4.

Reception
Angelo Rules was one of 24 nominees for the second International Emmy Kids Awards in 2013.