KJ Apa as Archie Andrews and Luke Perry as his father, Fred. (Photo: Diyah Pera/The CW)
Archie Andrews, America’s Favorite Teenager, is back on television, but not in the way most of us know him. Just in time for the 75th anniversary of the characters introduction in 1941, The CW is giving us a brand new take on Archie and his friends in Riverdale. The new series, executive produced by The Flash‘s Greg Berlanti, starts on Thursday, January 26 at 9 p.m. ET. Read on for a preview of the show.
All episodes of Riverdale start at 9 p.m. ET on Thursdays.
To the outside world – and to readers of Archie Comics for 75 years – Riverdale looks like a perfect place, but the town’s secrets are uncovered when high school student Jason Blossom is killed over the summer. Although the murder is at the center, many of the best-known characters from the Archie universe are part of the show, including Betty, Veronica and Jughead. Even Josie and the Pussycats are part of the show.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa developed the series. He previously worked on Glee and Big Love and is currently Chief Creative Officer for Archie Comics. Berlanit, the producer best known for overseeing the Arrowverse DC Comics shows (Arrow, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl) is among the executive producers.
TIME: 9 p.m. ET
CHANNEL: The CW. Click here to find your local The CW affiliate and type in your zip code.
EPISODE DESCRIPTION: “Chapter One: The River’s Edge” – “As a new school year begins, the town of Riverdale is reeling from the tragic death of high school golden boy Jason Blossom. Archie Andrews (KJ Apa) is still the all-American teen, but the summer’s events made him realize that he wants to pursue a career in music — not follow in his dad Fred’s (Luke Perry) footsteps — despite his forbidden relationship with Riverdale’s young music teacher, Ms. Grundy (guest star Sarah Habel). With the weight of the world on his shoulders, Archie must look for a new music mentor and turns to Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray) but she is focused solely on her band, Josie and the Pussycats. Weighing heavily on his mind is also his fractured friendship with budding writer Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse). Meanwhile, girl-next-door Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart) is anxious to see her crush Archie after being away all summer, but she’s not quite ready to reveal her true feelings to him. And Betty’s nerves, which are hardly soothed by her overbearing mother Alice (Mädchen Amick), aren’t the only thing holding her back. When a new student, Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes), arrives in town from New York with her mother Hermione (Marisol Nichols), there’s an undeniable spark between her and Archie, but Veronica doesn’t want to risk her new friendship with Betty. And then there’s Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch), Riverdale’s Queen Bee, who is happy to stir up trouble amongst the others even though she’s keeping a few secrets of her own.”
MAIN CAST: (Click their names to learn more about the actors.)
K.J. Apa as Archie Andrews
Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones
Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge
Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper
Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom
Ashleigh Murray as Josie McCoy
Luke Perry as Fred Andrews, Archie’s father
Madchen Amick as Alice Cooper, Betty’s mother
Marisol Nichols as Hermione Lodge, Veronica’s mother
CREDITS
Created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, based on Archie Comics characters
Executive Producers: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg Berlanti, Amy Myrold, Jon Goldwater and Sarah Schechter
Produced by Archie Comics, Berlanti Productions, CBS Television Studios & Warner Bros. Television
