With trailers dropping left and right, as well as spinoff chatter already occurring, Riverdale is easily one of the most anticipated new shows to premiere at the midseason mark. And considering that Archie Comics are currently enjoying a creative renaissance, it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.
The latest round of promotional material comes in the form of six new character photos featuring the likes of Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Cheryl Blossom, Jughead Jones, and Josie McCoy. Capturing the moody and dramatic tone of the series, the images somehow manage to be dark and vibrant at the same time, so kudos go to The CW and their photographers for pulling off such a feat.
Despite being somewhat of a departure from the source material, it is quite amusing to see classic elements from the comic books be retained. As goofy as it may sound, no Archie story would be complete without someone sipping a malted milkshake or soda pop.
Riverdale premieres on Thursday, January 26 on The CW. Be sure to check out a detailed synopsis of the pilot episode below:
SERIES PREMIERE — 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. Lee Toland Krieger directed the episode written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (#100.)
