# Riverdale (2017)

> Archie, Betty, Veronica and their classmates confront murder and corruption in a small town whose wholesome surface hides something darker.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/60542

## Facts

- Seasons: 7
- Episodes: 137
- Episode runtime: 45 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama, mystery
- Created by: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
- Network: The CW
- Cast: KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Madelaine Petsch, Casey Cott, Charles Melton, Drew Ray Tanner
- TMDB rating: 6.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5420376/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: campy, melodramatic, noir, soapy, suspenseful

## What critics say

Audiences broadly find the bold, subversive reimagining of the Archie characters engaging in its early seasons, with a strong cast, though later seasons are seen as weaker and less coherent.

## Synopsis

Riverdale (2017-2023) is a US teen mystery drama series created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa for The CW. Adapted from the Archie comics, it reimagines Archie Andrews (KJ Apa), Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes) and Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse) as high school students in a contemporary small town whose wholesome facade hides crime, scandal and dark family secrets. The engine of the show is a murder investigation that spills into the lives of the whole class, with the friends acting as amateur detectives while navigating romance, rivalries and loyalty. Each season builds on a sprawling serialized story across seven seasons, with episodes built around cliffhangers, shifting alliances and escalating twists. Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom and Luke Perry as Fred Andrews add further heat and family tension. The tone swings between campy melodrama and noir atmosphere, with a heightened, soapy register and a glossy look. Viewers who enjoy the teen soap energy of Pretty Little Liars and the eerie small town mystery of Twin Peaks will find a familiar pull here.

## Shows like Riverdale

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- [Wednesday (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/98973)
- [The Hardy Boys (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/94151)
- [Cruel Summer (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/82584)
- [Twin Peaks (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/1812)
- [Twisted (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/42276)
- [The Archie Show (1968)](https://ember.film/tv/896)
- [Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/68610)
- [Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)](https://ember.film/tv/1916)

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