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Riverdale is an American teen drama television series based on the characters of Archie Comics. The series was adapted for The CW by Archie Comics' chief creative officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and is produced by Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios, in association with Berlanti Productions and Archie Comics. Originally conceived as a feature film adaptation for Warner Bros. Pictures, the idea was re-imagined as a television series for Fox. In 2015, development on the project moved to The CW, where the series was ordered for a pilot. Filming takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Backstages of the Series[]

Development[]

Warner Bros. began development on an Archie feature film in 2013, after a pitch from writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and director Jason Moore that would place Archie's gang into a teen comedy feature film in the John Hughes tradition. The duo brought the project to Warner Bros., where a VP recommended a more high-concept direction involving time travel or interdimensional portals, suggesting Louis C. K. to portray an older Archie. Dan Lin and Roy Lee became producers on the project, which eventually stalled as priorities shifted at the studio towards larger tentpole films and was reimagined as a television series. Riverdale was originally in development at Fox, with the network landing the project in 2014 with a script deal plus penalty. However, Fox did not go forward with the project. In 2015, the show's development was moved to The CW, which officially ordered a pilot on January 29, 2016. On March 7, 2017, The CW announced that the series had been renewed for a second season.

Casting[]

Casting Archie was a difficult process, with Aguirre-Sacasa stating "I think we literally saw every redheaded young guy in L.A. It certainly felt that way." The production team found KJ Apa just three days before they had to present screen tests to the network, which created tension in the last few days leading up to the studio presentation.

In April 2017, it was announced Mark Consuelos had signed on for the second season to play Veronica Lodge's father, Hiram Lodge. The role was in second position to his existing role on Pitch but the cancellation of that series was announced on May 1, 2017. The next month, it was announced Charles Melton was cast to take over the role of Reggie from Ross Butler in season 2 due to his status as a series regular on 13 Reasons Why. It was also announced that Casey Cott, who played Kevin Keller, was promoted to a series regular. In July 2017, it was announced that True Blood star Brit Morgan had been cast in the recurring role of Penny Peabody, an attorney the Southside Serpents call in case of any run-ins with the law. In August 2017, it was announced Graham Phillips had been cast to play Nick St. Clair, Veronica's ex-boyfriend from New York.

Filming[]

The Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe set in Vancouver, Canada

Filming of the pilot began on March 14, 2016, and ended on April 1 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Production on the remaining 12 episodes of season one began on September 7, 2016, in Vancouver. Sets include Pop Tate's Chock'lit Shoppe, a copy of the functioning diner used in the pilot that is so realistic a truck driver parked his 18-wheeler there, believing that it was open. Season two will also be filmed in Vancouver and the nearby Fraser Valley. Principal photography began on June 22, 2017. The aerial view of Riverdale is actually drawn from stock footage used in the series Pretty Little LiarsGilmore Girls, and the landmark setting are the same utilized in both of the aforementioned series as well as in Hart of Dixie.

Homages to other films and TV series[]

Several reviewers had noted that the series' episode titles, are often taken directly or slightly altered from the titles of older films. For example, De Elizabeth of TeenVogue points out that Riverdale's pilot episode was named "River's Edge" after the 1986 film of the same name, and the season finale also takes its name from 1997's The Sweet Hereafter. Executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa notes that this is a deliberate choice, in order to hint at what will happen in that episode.

Additionally, Katie-Kouise Smith, of Popbuzz, notes that the opening credits for Riverdale mirror those of the Twin Peaks television series, and are intended as an homage to that series' creator, David Lynch.

Summary[]

It's back to school in the small town of Riverdale, which is slowly recovering from the tragic death of young Jason Blossom. This comeback is a new beginning for Archie Andrews who decided to make a career in music despite the end of his secret relationship with his music teacher who serves as a mentor and the fragility of his friendship with his best friend Jughead Jones.

On her side, her best friend Betty Cooper, secretly in love with Archie, has to deal with her over-protective mother who drugs her to pharmaceuticals. But everything will start to change for her when she meets Veronica Lodge, a new and rich student who arrives in town after a scandal that has touched his family.

But all this is only part of the many stories and secrets that populate Riverdale, a quiet city with the perfect image, but hidden in the shadow of many dangers and a very dark face.

Casting[]

Seasons[]

Season Episodes Originally aired (U.S. dates)
Season premiere Season finale
1 13 January 26, 2017 May 11, 2017
2 22 October 11, 2017 May 16, 2018
3 22 October 10, 2018 May 15, 2019
4 19 October 9, 2019 May 6, 2020
5 19 January 20, 2021 October 6, 2021
6 22 November 16, 2021 July 31, 2022

Images[]

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External Links[]

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