Not gonna lie, as a tween and early teen whose father scored free mags and comics from his work, Archie and the gang will always have a place in my heart and comic collection. So it's with much excitement that I'm pleased to find the pilot episode ordered by CW of Riverdale, was good enough that the show was picked up for a full series! And it's about time, too. Even spin-off characters Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Josie and the Pussycats have had a live-action TV show or film AND cartoons. Sure, Archie and his pals in Riverdale have had several cartoons, a hit single in the 60s and a high school reunion movie in the 90s, but before now they haven't been portrayed in the flesh as the teens readers through the decades know and love.
So let's take a look at what we know about Riverdale.
So let's take a look at what we know about Riverdale.
What it's about
According to IMDB, CW's Riverdale will be "a subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, and their friends, exploring the surrealism of small town life - the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale's wholesome facade."
The cast and characters
This is how The CW describe the core four characters (Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead).
K.J. APA AS ARCHIE ANDREWS Boyishly handsome but “pumped and looking good after working construction for his dad during the summer.” Archie is grappling with heavy issues and juggling the interest of several girls while discovering his passion for writing and performing music against his father and his football coach’s better wishes. Oh, and he’s harboring more than one dark, terrible secret. LILI REINHART AS BETTY COOPER “Has some self-esteem issues and affinity for Adderall.” Eager-to-please, wholesome and studious, Betty has a super-crush on her longtime best bud, Archie. But tired of being the “perfect” everything, she turns to her new friend, Veronica, for life advice. Betty has an emotionally brittle mom, a goth-like sister and a coveted spot on the cheerleading squad — though with certain conditions…. CAMILA MENDES AS VERONICA LODGE A “silver-tongued” stunner, who has just returned to Riverdale from New York following a scandal which resulted in her father going to prison. Extremely intelligent, self-confident and immediately popular, Veronica is eager to reinvent herself — from Mean Girl to caring friend. COLE SPROUSE AS JUGHEAD JONES An“emo-heartthrob.” The lanky lad is Archie’s former best friend, seeing as the two still are smarting from a rift that took place between them. Angry, but with a philosophical bent, Jughead “refuses to take the olive branch being proffered by Archie, the hurt goes that deep.” |
Okay, so these are definitely a more modern take on the gang, and as TV Line put it, they're "not quite your grandma’s Archie comics come-to-life."
I don't know. I'm into some of it, but I don't like that they've turned sweet as pie, girl next door Betty Cooper into a drug addict. It has echoes of Empire Records academic Corey (Liv Tyler) / undercover "Speed freak". But there's gotta be drama, doesn't there! And Jughead who has always been way more into food and sleeping than - yuck, GIRLS - as an emo-heart-throb is somewhat disappointing and in contrast to 75 years of history of the character. Plus, it seems like a missed opportunity to portray (what I believe to be) the first asexual character on prime time TV, as, though he's never been labelled until recently, his asexuality has been declared canon to the series. I hope they remain true to the character in Riverdale.
Other cast
I like that there's been a good balance when it came to casting choices, of both sticking to the appearance fans would expect (e.g. Cheryl, top right) is still a redhead and Reggie (bottom right) still has dark hair (though Ross Butler is going to need to look a lot more smug and self-satisfied than this photo in order to pull it off!) but at the same time it's also refreshing to see a completely different take on some of the lesser characters, giving them fresh looks and potentially fresh histories and personalities to go with it. I never would have envisioned Luke Perry (bottom left) as Archie's dad, Fred, for instance. And it's fantastic that casting of canonically caucasian characters from the comics have been more diversified, such as Josie (Ashleigh Murray, top left), Coach Clayton (Colin Lawrence) and Pop Tate (Alvin Sanders). Mind you, Ashleigh Murray is the spitting image of Josie's cartoon bandmate, Valerie, though it doesn't appear she's making an appearance in Riverdale as yet. It would be funny if they cast a redhead as Valerie though, when/if they do.
Also, Betty has a goth sister? Mr. Lodge is in prison? Archie and Jughead are on the outs? There is darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale's wholesome facade?
I recently picked up a couple of the revamped, new look, new tone Archie comics, and all I can say is I hope the scene where Veronica vomits on herself in the school cafeteria on her first day makes it into the TV show.
Also, Betty has a goth sister? Mr. Lodge is in prison? Archie and Jughead are on the outs? There is darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale's wholesome facade?
I recently picked up a couple of the revamped, new look, new tone Archie comics, and all I can say is I hope the scene where Veronica vomits on herself in the school cafeteria on her first day makes it into the TV show.
Filming now, Riverdale is slated for the 2016-2017 season, so we can expect it to begin airing between September 2016 and August 2017.
I'm setting the DVR now.
I'm setting the DVR now.