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Archie Comics TV Show Picked Up By CW: Luke Perry To Play Archie Andrews’ Dad In Dark Drama ‘Riverdale’

By Victoria Miller
Published on: 22:36 PST, May 12, 2016

Archie is headed back to TV — but this time in a way you have never seen the characters before. The beloved gang from the longtime Archie comic book series will get their latest small screen incarnation via a live-action CW drama set at a high school. The new Archie Comics TV series is titled Riverdale, and it has been officially picked up by The CW for next season, according to CNN Money.

The upcoming Archie Comics TV drama will star KJ Apa as Archie, Lili Reinhart as Betty, Camila Mendes as Veronica, and Disney alum Cole Sprouse (Suite Life of Zack and Cody) as Jughead. Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Luke Perry, who knows a thing or two about high school dramas, will play Archie Andrews’ dad, Fred. In the CW series, Fred Andrews owns a construction business that he hopes his son Archie will take over someday.

There is no word yet on Riverdale’s premiere date or how many episodes have been ordered, but to give you an idea on how dark the drama could be, the pilot was penned by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who is best known for the zombie comic Afterlife With Archie, a series which had the Riverdale pals mingling with the undead.

The CW has described the Archie Comics TV series as a “subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica, and their friends” that will explore “the surrealism of small town life — the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ-NM1Icfv8

Last fall, when the Riverdale pilot was being shot, TV Line posted descriptions of the updated versions of the Archie characters that fans will see in the Greg Berlanti-produced drama, and the only thing that sounded familiar were the names. Not only will Riverdale now be a town where “secrets, intrigue and scandals abound,” but lead character Archie, once a clean cut, All-American teen, is now a buff sophomore who is harboring “more than one dark, terrible secret.”

Rich girl Veronica Lodge will be dealing with the aftermath of a scandal that landed her wealthy father in jail, while cheerleader Betty Cooper is no longer the girl-next-door but instead a teen struggling with self-esteem issues and an Adderall habit. Archie’s comic book bestie Jughead is now an “emo-heartthrob” who is on the outs with his longtime pal.

Deadline previously revealed that in addition to the classic Archie Comics characters, the new TV series will feature the characters from Josie and the Pussycats, too.

The Archie Comics characters have been around forever — the iconic crew from the series debuted in 1941 in a comic series from John L. Goldwater — and the fictional Riverdale has long painted a sunny picture of small town teen life. But the new TV drama is a dramatic departure from those idyllic days.

Riverdale actually marks the second time fans will see Archie, Betty, Veronica, and the gang as live-action characters out of their element. The beloved Archie Comics characters have been featured in numerous animated TV shows since the 1960s, but in 1990, NBC aired the campy live-action TV movie Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again, starring Christopher Rich and Lauren Holly as an adult Archie and Betty.

The new Archie Comics drama isn’t the only comic-themed TV show headed to the CW. Supergirl is flying over to the network for its second season.

Take a look at the video below for more on the Archie Comics TV drama.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBv5S_vna7A

[Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for GLOBAL GREEN USA]

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