Character: Archie Andrews
Based on: Characters by Archie Comics
Developed by: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Produced by: Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Jon Goldwater
Other cast: Cole Sprouse, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes
Premiere date: January 26, 2017
Episodes: 76 total; 14 (Season 1), 22 (Season 2), 22 (Season 3), 19 (Season 4)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Running time: 42–46 minutes
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Riverdale is an American teen drama television series based on the characters by Archie Comics. It was ordered to series at The CW in May 2016, and the 13-episode first season premiered on January 26, 2017. It was adapted for television by Archie Comics’ chief creative officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and executive produced by Greg Berlanti. On March 7, 2017, The CW renewed the series for a second season. The show features an ensemble cast based on the characters of Archie Comics, with KJ Apa in the role of Archie Andrews, Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, his next door neighbor who also happens to be crushing on him, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge, his new love interest that just strolled into town and Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones, his ex-best friend and the narrator of the show. The show also features Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy, the lead singer of the Pussycats and Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom, the twin sister of Jason Blossom, who is at the center of the series’ mystery. Other characters in the show include Fred Andrews, Alice Cooper and Hermione Lodge, the parents of Archie, Betty, and Veronica. |
Episode Guide
Season 1 |
Season 2 |
Season 3 |
Season 4 |
Synopsis
Based on the characters from Archie Comics, Riverdale gives a subversive take on small-town life. Things aren’t always what you expect in Riverdale. As a new school year begins, the town is reeling from the tragic death of high school golden boy Jason Blossom. The summer’s events made all-American teen Archie Andrews realize that he wants to pursue a career in music, but his fractured friendship with Jughead Jones, and Josie McCoy’s focus on her own band leaves Archie without a mentor. Meanwhile, girl-next-door Betty Cooper is not ready to reveal her true feelings for Archie, and new student, Veronica Lodge, has an undeniable spark with her crush. And then there’s Cheryl Blossom, Riverdale’s Queen Bee, who stirs up trouble amongst Archie, Betty and Veronica. But is Cheryl hiding something about the mysterious death of her twin brother, Jason? Riverdale may look like a quiet, sleepy town, but there’s more to the story.
Photos
Archie Andrews
Parents: Fred Andrews, Mary Andrews
First appearance: January 26, 2017
Occupation: Student, Football Player, Musician
Archie grew up in Riverdale the only child of Fred and Mary Andrews. His parents separated two years ago and his mother moved to Chicago, leaving him to be raised by his father. Archie, Betty Cooper, and Jughead Jones are childhood friends, but he and Jughead had a falling out after Archie cancelled a planned road trip, temporarily disrupting their friendship.
As he entered his adolescence, Archie started attending Riverdale High School, where he joined the football team. He spent the summer before his sophomore year working at his father’s company, Andrew’s Construction. This proved to be a defining summer for Archie, as he embarked on an illicit affair with his music teacher Geraldine Grundy, and during the course of one of their trysts, was startled by the sound of a gunshot ringing through the morning air. He later discovered that his fellow student Jason Blossom had died under mysterious circumstances. Fearful that their relationship would be discovered, he and Miss Grundy kept what they knew to themselves.
Trivia
Based on characters appearing in “Archie”, a long-running line of teen-comedy comic books and comic strips (and its spin-offs “Jughead”, “Betty and Veronica”, etc.) created by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana and published by Archie Comics Publications.
Both Cole Sprouse and KJ. Apa dyed their hair for their roles.
All episode titles are based on films.
The series was originally going to be on FOX, but was moved to The CW instead fitting since the network has adapted several comic books into TV Series.
Series creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa is also the chief creative officer of Archie Comics.
This is not the first time Archie’s comics have been put on screen, an attempt to this was already done unsuccessfully though.
The diner in this show is the same as the diner in the movie Horns (2013).
In the comics, the town of Riverdale is actually based off the small town of Hiawatha, Kansas, “The City of Beautiful Maples.”
KJ Apa is from New Zealand and pronounced a flawless American accent while filming Riverdale.
The television series is shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Quotes
(Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa on the influences that color Riverdale) “I love Twin Peaks and that’s definitely an influence, and I did watch Gossip Girl and I loved that. Weirdly, I would say Blue Velvet was an even bigger influence than Twin Peaks. What was really good about Twin Peaks was that it’s this great mystery, this FBI agent is solving this mystery, but it’s about the death about the high school homecoming queen and that’s such an iconic elemental figure in high school. It felt like we could do that with Riverdale. The movie that really, really influenced it was River’s Edge, the idea that the dead body of a kid was found at the river’s edge. So I like those comparisons.”
(KJ Apa on Archie being a sex object) “It’s always strange to play a sex object; it’s never a natural kind of feeling. But when I read the script, it was not hard to tell that was how they were taking it. So I was prepared for that, and I knew that people were going to take it like that as well. But yeah, it is strange. I don’t think it’s anything I’m ever going to get used to. As soon as you get used to becoming a sex object, that can be dangerous. When people look at you as a sex object, that’s not how you’re defined. I think you just need to come back to the heart of it. There’s more to Archie than abs and his body and getting with girls and stuff like that. He’s a humanized character, and people should see past that, you know what I mean? I think people do, but initially, at first glance, people are going to have that first impression of sex object.”
(On bringing Archie to life) “It’s a massive responsibility to play such an iconic character, and I see it as a responsibility because I need to protect and maintain the standard. I want to make this the best Archie that we can, for 2017.”
(On if he sees Archie as somebody who’s just not found himself yet) “Yes, and I think that’s what makes him so relatable. As I read the scripts, I’m realizing that he’s just a kid who’s trying to find his passion and trying to find what he’s good at. He makes mistakes and learns from them, through trial and error. I think we all go through that, at some stage in our lives, especially in high school where we have all these different opportunities. I had that, as well. I wanted to play rugby. My dad wanted me to play rugby. Fred wants Archie to play rugby. It caused a little bit of conflict because I couldn’t play rugby, if I was acting ‘cause I couldn’t get injured. In high school, you’re thrown into heaps of different directions and you’re not quite sure what to do. I think Archie is the perfect example of there not being a right or wrong thing. You’ve gotta follow your gut and what you’re good at, and Archie follows his gut.”
(On what draws Archie to Betty and Veronica) “Archie and Betty are best friends, maybe even more so than he is with Jughead. There’s a big history behind them. They’ve been neighbors for as long as they can remember. They’ve been in the same class together. They’ve been best friends for a long time, just not on that kind of intimate level that Betty was searching for in the pilot. Archie loves Betty, and Betty loves Archie. Who knows what could have happened, if he wasn’t approached by the dark-haired Veronica. But they are so different, and he’s attracted to both of them. That triangle is always going to be a part of the show, just like it is in the comics. There’s something there that’s not just going to dissipate or disappear. He will make a decision. You’ll see him go one way with it, while still having an attachment to the other side.”
(On the change of Judhead’s and Archie’s friendship) “It’s definitely something that people aren’t going to be used to. People are used to them being best mates. In the comics, they’re friends just because. They’re so different, and they’re friends just because they’re friends, but for no apparent reason. But in the pilot, you see us have our first moment together, and you immediately see that something has happened. I think that really gives us somewhere to go with it. From an acting point of view, there’s somewhere to go with it. The conflict makes it more interesting. I think it’s a lot more interesting than us just being best mates. And we are still best mates. A best mate is someone who tells you, “You shouldn’t be doing that.” That is more the brotherly relationship that we have. We’re more family than we are mates.”
