The CW decided that Archie comics needs to be put back in our lives again so they made a show called Riverdale , named after the town our heroes live in. That sounds nice and funny.
Oh a Dark gritty reboot, with a mystery... that's what I was expecting.
Just imagine if they had made that Sabrina Teenage Witch series now and for the CW. Wait there's a mystery element to this show? But Archie has already done that.
See that ? It's Educational !
Archie's Weird Mysteries was a cartoon series that began in 1999 and ran until the year 2000. (Well the real mystery is who killed it?) It was produced by Dic entertainment for PAX TV who aired it and later it re ran in syndication part of Dic block. For those reading on Joshuaonline Canada (hello) it aired up there on Teletoon. It was an E/I show in the states meaning that it was educational and informational.
The best way to talk about this show is to take a look at an episode and I am going to start with episode 1 (cheap) called Attack of the killer spuds. (Well kids do hate vegetables and this show will educate them on how to hate them?) The episode starts with Jughead watching something he has already watched before. (we know how that works!) Archie doesn't want to do that he wants to go outside and ride his bike and stuff. (darn teenagers want to not watch TV.. wait what?)
He has a full bowl of popcorn he's not going anywhere/copyright DIC/DHX
It jump cuts to the next day and Archie is driving his car with Jughead and he tells Jughead I guess so we know, that Jughead sat in front of that TV for 12 hours. (Well to be fair , It was when TV was good so we don't blame him) Jughead's 12 hours of sitting there paid off he won a prize. (moral of the story: sit infront of TV for hours on end and you win! take that! E/I) Jughead says he won when at midnight a lady came on the air to announce that if you call now , and name all the movies that aired in the marathon you win a prize. (And what radio station plays the greatest hits, Y95.5 that's who!) The prize is a potato trophy but something seems off with the lady with no name.
You should really get those eyes checked /Copyright DHX
It seems that lady is not really that lady because she has the real one tied up in the back. (Informational) She might be an alien. Back at Jughead's :he is back watching the television or to our readers on Joshuaonline UK , the telly. (hello) Archie seems annoyed by this again. (Also Archie do you have your own house?) Archie wants them to go watch a football game , Riverdale vs Springfield. (Insert Simpsons joke here) Stop! The potato prize seems to stick one of it's roots out and scare the dog and nobody notices the dog jumping. Oh I know the message of the episode is going to be, do you? (Maybe) Archie leaves Jughead to himself. (Jughead here : Thank goodness too all he does is yammer yammer) The Potato prize's roots come out and wrap around Jughead.
I guess the mystery starts here /Copyright DHX.
Then it turns into evil Jughead. (The real Jughead is dead, yes that's what we think happened) Potato Jughead (or P-Jug) is at Pop's the next day with his feet in a flower pot. (Yes that will make you pass for the real thing) Archie , Betty, and Veronica are surprised by this. (Darn Jughead not sharing the pot, low blow yes..but it was too easy) When P. Jug sees the french fries he leaps to save them and no one thinks this is strange apparently, Veronica's annoyed about her dress from Paris (Texas?) has a stain on it. They do find it strange though he says he would never eat French fries, nobody should. Then he gives everybody a potato. (What am I watching?)
You know what? We are 7 minutes in and we don't have any Archie and Betty... oh wait hold on. Archie wants to do put his arm around Betty but he's unsure and Betty wants him to put his arm around him but doesn't want to be seen as too eager.
Umm then he kills her?/ Copyright DHX
Betty thinks that Archie eventually did put his arm around her and she's excited by this. (It's the potato) Archie sees the roots around her and acts very calm and looks for the source of the roots and as they come toward him he says eww. (yeah that's a normal reaction to this) He then gets the roots of her and kicks the potato. ( In my day we didn't kick potatoes because they cost a nickel and they had to last the entire week.) Archie up roots her from the seat (sorry) and they run. They go to Jughead's and see him in the roots and Betty passes out after tripping on a root.
great another mess I have to clean up/ Copyright DHX
When do the spuds start killing? What? It's called Attack of the Killer Spuds. Potato Jughead decides to answer Archie's question of what is he? (Umm polite Potato alien thing?) He mentions that he was a potato and was freed by the great potato.
No Linus, Potato, not Pumpkin, gosh!
He does seem happy / Copyright DHX
We'll be right back after the Jump
Then Potato Betty and Potato Jughead want Archie to join them. (Peer pressure?) But Archie decides instead to smash the potatoes that are try to root him. (He thus invented a new food, mashed Potatoes) Archie finds out that everyone is now the zombie people things, well except Dilton who was hiding in Archie's car and decides to tell him not to visit the police. (They were alright though never the same after Sting left) Dilton and Archie go to the television station. (Good thing there's only one in the Riverdale part of the Riverdale -Springfield market)
This is thriller... thriller night/ Copyright DHX
At the TV station , Archie and Dilton try to take out the transmitter to stop the Great Potato's signals. The zombie hoard is out there trying to stop them, though they did get Dilton.
Poor Dilton / copyright DHX
Archie climbs up the tower while 3 of the zombies follow them up , but of course Archie makes it and kills the signal and the zombies turn back into potatoes. While everyone else wakes up from their trance. The great potato is defeated and it flew away. (Nobody was eaten) . Apparently the message of the episode was too much TV is bad. (you know Educational rules) And Nobody potatoes anymore (wimps!).
That one of many episodes. It was an entertaining episode with a weird shoved message of don't watch too much TV or you will be taken over by potato people or something. But it was interesting to say the least and had funny moments. This was the 2nd Archie series made by DIC and this was the last Archie related TV series for 17 years until "Riverdale".
That's our look back , tune in next time when we find out what the Lettuce has been doing.
I remember this show , it was the first Archie thing I ever saw so I never knew it was a comic series until much later. It was a strange one but enjoyable. Does look like they were trying to add that whole TV in moderation message to make the show seem educational but it doesn't fit the plot well.
ReplyDeleteAlso the show still re-runs on the Qubo channel.