Archie had a long absence from the television though the comics continued it was time for him and the gang to return. This brings us to the year called 1987. Dic along with NBC brought uas a new Archie series, it was the first non Filmation "Archie" based series. Saban also got to help along in this project. This is what is called "The New Archies" (New means better right? )
This series decided to be new by de-aging the Archies to pre-teens in middle school or junior high. (That makes sense)
This later spawned a comic as well.
you can now buy this issue for $5.00!
Let's see what the critics had to say about this TV series though.
"The New Archies" captures neither the doo-wop '50s humor of Bob Montana's original comic strip, nor the bubble gum rock sound that made the Filmation cartoon series a hit from 1968-78. The characters have been shifted to junior high (which means their adult heads are incongruously stuck on adolescent bodies) and given an upscale wardrobe by Guess?/Esprit. Nothing distinguishes "The New Archies" from countless other shows about groups of kids, except its utter lack of humor. Miss Grundy should flunk the writers and artists.
--- The LA Times
I guess that means it's a good series then.
It's so 80's
I am going to do what I did with the the "Archie's Mysteries" series and look at an episode of the series, and of course going with episode 1. In-speaking of episode 1 , this series has 14 episodes and that's it, so it did well.
The first 11 minutes block is called "The Visitor".
Archie is sitting by some weird machine and he instantly dozes off and hits the machine by accident causing it to do whatever it's doing. Apparently it's an invention made by a kid named Eugene. Yes, Dilton doesn't show up in this series Eugene replaced him for this series and just this series. The machine escapes out the window and the three (Archie, Jughead, and Eugene) chase it. I guess school is over. The machine stops and sends a beam into space where it hits an alien's ship. (What am I watching?) The alien space ship crashes to Earth and it crushes the machine in the process. (R.I.P machine) Also the alien's ship doesn't seem to work anymore either.
Like a good neighbor I should have gotten State Farm / Copyright DHX
Un important editor's note: Dude is a timeless word , but umm they mentioned it alot in this exchange..
Back to the lookback.
Archie dresses the alien to disguise him like a normal kid.
Well I can't tell now / Copyright DHX
Now they are back at school (I don't think the day changed , I just think the school really doesn't care). Betty and Veronica are cheer leaders, and Betty calls her Ronnie. (Ah the 80's) Archie brings in (I'm going to call the Alien , Dude just to make this simple) Dude to watch him pratice basketball. Dude sees Betty and Ronnie (yes I know) and he howls and has hearts for eyes. (ah cartoons) He jumps into Betty's arms and gives her a hug then he decides to rush into the basketball practice. They find out that Dude is good at basketball.
Darn budget cuts , we only have two cheer leaders / copyright DHX
But forget that , that spaceship is fixed but there's one problem -- no fuel. So now the plot is to find some fuel. Reggie over hears them and finds out there's an alien a foot and thinks about the only thing you can think about with an alien near by- - - the money. (of course) He gets Veronica into his plan.
This the most 80's thing we've seen/ Copyright DHX
Veronica tricks Dude into a trap by saying that Betty is outside and he runs and gets captured by Reggie. (Darn love of Betty gets aliens captured) So Archie chases after them on his skateboard. We also find out the fuel that his ship needs is hamburgers. (I see) Dude sees Betty and jumps out of the bike basket. (Yes he could have left before that) Archie then grabs him from Betty and they met up with Jughead who flew the spaceship to Pop's. (That was a sentence) They say their goodbyes and Dude flies away before Ronnie and Reggie make it to Pop's where her Father is waiting.
End of part one , Dudes
Join us after the Jump
The 2nd 11 minute segment is called "Ballot box Blues"
When I think of Ballot boxes I think this/ copyright DHX
It's class president election season! (Nooo that'll take 18 months of stupidty noooo!) Ms. Grundy asks the students one by one if they would like to run. Betty and Veronica say they can't run against each other because best friends don't run against each other. (Foreshadowing?) So after a couple odd fantasy sequences they both decide to run. (That was quick!)
Now you at home Vote for Betty or Vote for Veronica, time for 3rd party/ Copyright DHX
Betty and Veronica decide to go for their swing vote-- Archie-- to vote for him and he's already made up his mind, Betty because he's her campaign manger. Reggie decides to be Veronica's campaign manager. Veronica's tactic is to bribe people to vote for her like giving girls designer jeans and boys baseball jackets. After some weird campaigning they both decide not to run anymore. That's all solved that was quick. (Budget cuts?) The other students could pick between the two , but then there's Jughead who wrote in his own name (with out paying attention ) and he wins the election.
President Jughead our bias is he's the best choice/ Copyright DHX
That's the episode, that was fun. The pacing of the plots were kind of quick , maybe too quick but could still bring some laughs. That review posted at the top is right that nothing really distinguishes it from other 80's shows with a bunch of kids. It's very eighties but it's not too bothersome of a show really, it's like a pop corn show it's quick bites of fun and a little silly.
A fun fact : The voice of Veronica is Alyson Court , if you crew up in the 90's and had any remembering of PBS and a show called the Big Comfy Couch, that's her. (The clown girl) She's also done voicing in a lot of children's series and the Resident Evil video games.
Stay tuned next time when they de aged the Mystery inc gang , put them in the 80's and .... oooooooh.
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