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| runtime = 100 minutes
| runtime = 100 minutes
| company = [[Archie Comics|Riverdale Productions and Kent/QMA]]<br />Patchett Kaufman Entertainment<br />[[DIC Enterprises]]
| company = [[Archie Comics|Riverdale Productions and Kent/QMA]]<br />Patchett Kaufman Entertainment<br />[[DIC Enterprises]]
| distributor = [[NBC]]
| budget =
| budget =
| network = [[NBC]]
| network = [[NBC]]
| first_aired = {{start date|1990|5|6}}
| released = {{Start date|1990|05|06}}
| preceded_by = ''[[The New Archies]]''
| related = {{Plainlist|
| followed_by = ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (film)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]''
* ''[[The New Archies]]''
* ''[[Sabrina the Teenage Witch (film)|Sabrina the Teenage Witch]]''
}}
}}
}}


'''''Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again''''' is a 1990 American [[live action|live-action]] [[television film|made-for-television]] [[comedy film]] based on [[comic book]] characters published by [[Archie Comics]]. It was produced by [[DIC Entertainment|DiC Entertainment]] and premiered on ''[[NBC Sunday Night Movie|NBC Sunday Night at the Movies]]'' on May 6, 1990. It was shown in Britain as '''''Weekend Reunion'''''.
'''''Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again''''' is a 1990 American [[live action|live-action]] [[television film|made-for-television]] [[comedy film]] based on [[comic book]] characters published by [[Archie Comics]]. It was produced by DIC Entertainment and premiered on ''[[NBC Sunday Night Movie|NBC Sunday Night at the Movies]]'' on May 6, 1990. It was shown in Britain as '''''Weekend Reunion'''''.


==Plot==
==Plot==
[[Archie Andrews (comics)|Archie Andrews]], fifteen years after graduating from [[Riverdale High School (Archie Comics)|Riverdale High]], has become a successful lawyer and is preparing to marry his fiancée, Pam, and move to "the big city". Before doing that, however, he returns home to [[Riverdale (Archie Comics)|Riverdale]] for his [[class reunion|high school reunion]] and save his friend Pop Tate's diner.
[[Archie Andrews (comics)|Archie Andrews]], fifteen years after graduating from [[Riverdale High School (Archie Comics)|Riverdale High]], has become a successful lawyer and is preparing to marry his fiancée, Pam, and move to "the big city". Before doing that, however, he returns home to [[Riverdale (Archie Comics)|Riverdale]] for his [[class reunion|high school reunion]] and in an attempt to save his friend Pop Tate's diner.


Archie and company are all now in their early thirties, with the trials and tribulations one might expect to have happened to such a group over the years:
Archie and company are all now in their early thirties, with the trials and tribulations one might expect to have happened to such as a group over the years:


* [[Betty Cooper|Betty]], a [[primary education|grade school]] teacher, has had problems finding permanent employment, and is constantly bossed around by a crummy boyfriend named Robert.
* [[Betty Cooper|Betty]], a [[primary education|grade school]] teacher, has had problems finding permanent employment, and may or may not have relationship issues.
* [[Veronica Lodge|Veronica]], having lived in [[France]] since graduation, has been married (and divorced) four times to very wealthy men.
* [[Veronica Lodge|Veronica]], having lived in [[France]] since graduation, has been married (and divorced) four times to very wealthy men.
* [[Jughead Jones|Jughead]], now a successful [[psychiatry|psychiatrist]], is also divorced (although only once), and now has sole custody of a son named Jordan. Due to the divorce and other failed relationships, Jughead carries [[emotional baggage]] that manifests itself in a terrible fear of women. A [[running gag]] in the movie is Jughead's desperation to avoid seeing [[Ethel Muggs|Big Ethel]] during his visit to Riverdale. This is played for laughs at the end when at the reunion it turns out that Big Ethel is no longer the gangly, awkward teenager she once was but is now a striking beauty and still has a crush on Jughead.
* [[Jughead Jones|Jughead]], now a successful [[psychiatry|psychiatrist]], is also divorced (although only once), and now has sole custody of a son named Jordan. Due to the divorce and other failed relationships, Jughead carries [[emotional baggage]] that manifests itself in a terrible fear of women. A [[running gag]] in the movie is Jughead's desperation to avoid seeing [[Ethel Muggs|Big Ethel]] during his visit to Riverdale. This is played for laughs at the end when at the reunion it turns out that Big Ethel is no longer the gangly, awkward teenager she once was but is now a striking beauty and still has a crush on Jughead.
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* [[Reggie Mantle|Reggie]] is a successful gym owner and owns a car lot.
* [[Reggie Mantle|Reggie]] is a successful gym owner and owns a car lot.


When Archie sees Betty and Veronica for the first time in fifteen years, all his old feelings for them come flooding back, threatening his engagement—and it doesn't help that the girls renew their pursuit of Archie, heedless of the fact that he has a fiancée. Meanwhile, Archie also tries to keep Reggie, helped along by an uncharacteristically menacing [[Hiram Lodge|Mr. Lodge]], from evicting Pop Tate from his [[soda shop]], under the pretext of expanding his gym. Hiram Lodge doesn't want Archie near Veronica and still thinks they are wrong for each other. Archie ultimately saves the Chock'lit Shoppe, though he loses Pam in the bargain, and decides to stay in Riverdale. Veronica, Betty, and Jughead decide to move back to Riverdale as well. Reggie sees the error of his ways and reconciles with his friends.
When Archie sees Betty and Veronica for the first time in fifteen years, all his old feelings for them come flooding back, threatening his engagement—and it does not help that the girls renew their pursuit of Archie, heedless of the fact that he has a fiancée. Meanwhile, Archie also tries to keep Reggie, helped along by an uncharacteristically menacing [[Hiram Lodge|Mr. Lodge]], from evicting Pop Tate from his [[soda shop]], under the pretext of expanding his gym. Hiram Lodge does not want Archie near Veronica and still thinks they are wrong for each other. Archie ultimately saves the Chock'lit Shoppe, though he loses Pam to Robert, who Betty dumps after growing sick of his bullying, and decides to stay in Riverdale. Archie and Pam break up and decide to stay in Riverdale where he belongs. Veronica, Betty, and Jughead decide to move back to Riverdale as well. Reggie sees the error of his ways and reconciles with his friends as they take a group photo along with Jordan by Pops.


==Cast==
==Cast==
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{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="CCCCCC"
! Actor !! Role
! Actor !! Role
|-
|-
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{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="CCCCCC"
! Actor !! Role
! Actor !! Role
|-
|-
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|-
|-
| Christina Haag|| Pam
| Christina Haag|| Pam
|-
| [[Christian Hoff]]|| Pop's Worker 1
|-
| Robert Munic|| Chip
|}
|}


==Reception==
==Reception==
⚫
The NBC movie, broadcast during the May sweeps period, was seen as a [[television pilot#Backdoor pilot|pilot]] for a possible series.<ref name="back91"/> It received mixed reviews,<ref name="soggy">''Yuppie Archie falls apart like a soggy comic book'', Michael Hill, [[Toronto Star]], May 4, 1990</ref> though was well received by some critics, who especially praised the casting and performances from the actors.<ref name="back91"/><ref name="soggy" /><!-- This review is negative overall, but praises the acting and says there is "some real cleverness" in the writing -->

⚫
The NBC movie, broadcast during the May sweeps period, was seen as a [[television pilot#Backdoor pilot|pilot]] for a possible series.<ref name="back91"/> It received mixed reviews,<ref name="soggy">''Yuppie Archie falls apart like a soggy comic book'', Michael Hill, [[Toronto Star]], May 4, 1990</ref> though was well received by some critics, who especially praised the casting and performances from the actors.<ref name="back91"/><ref name="soggy" /><!-- This review is negative overall, but praises the acting and says there is "some real cleverness" in the writing --> The movie finished a disappointing 51st in the [[Nielsen ratings]].{{citation needed|date=September 2017}}


==Comic book version==
==Comic book version==
[[Archie Comics]] published a [[one-shot (comics)|one-shot]] comic book adaptation of the TV movie which coincided with its premiere. [[Stan Goldberg]] and [[Mike Esposito (comics)|Mike Esposito]] drew the sections of the book featuring the characters in flashback as teens, while [[Gene Colan]] drew the characters as adults, in a realistic style and more "serious" look akin to [[Rex Morgan, M.D.]], and [[John Byrne (comics)|John Byrne]] drew the cover. The comic also shows a flashback to the incident where Archie and Betty were alone in a motel room together (from ''[[Betty and Me]]'' #40, February 1972). ''[[Back Issue!]]'' described the one-shot as "an offbeat, impressive package".<ref name="back91">{{cite journal |last=Thompson|first=Steven |title=Archie's Antagonist, Reggie Mantle|journal=[[Back Issue!]]|issue=91 |pages=63–67|publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date=September 2016|location=Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref>
[[Archie Comics]] published a [[one-shot (comics)|one-shot]] comic book adaptation of the TV movie which coincided with its premiere. [[Stan Goldberg]] and [[Mike Esposito (comics)|Mike Esposito]] drew the sections of the book featuring the characters in flashback as teens, while [[Gene Colan]] drew the characters as adults, in a realistic style and more "serious" look akin to [[Rex Morgan, M.D.]], and [[John Byrne (comics)|John Byrne]] drew the cover. The comic also shows a flashback to the incident where Archie and Betty were alone in a motel room together (from ''Betty and Me'' #40, February 1972). ''[[Back Issue!]]'' described the one-shot as "an offbeat, impressive package".<ref name="back91">{{cite journal |last=Thompson|first=Steven |title=Archie's Antagonist, Reggie Mantle|journal=[[Back Issue!]]|issue=#91 |pages=63–67|publisher=[[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date=September 2016|location=Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref>


==Home media==
==Home media==
The film was released on [[VHS]] in 1997 from New Horizons Home Video, with the movie re-titled as '''''Archie: Return to Riverdale'''''. In Australia, it was released on VHS as '''''Archie's Weekend Reunion'''''.
The film was released on [[VHS]] in 1997 from New Horizons Home Video, with the movie re-titled as '''''Archie: Return to Riverdale'''''. In Australia, it was released on VHS as '''''Archie's Weekend Reunion'''''.

The film is also available on [[Amazon Prime Video]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Archie-Riverdale-Again-Christopher-Rich/dp/B0B8RV1P34/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1MW6XLF8CZXNL&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Fy5KUyY6utSaYXoJXzJHmwpUklEXChI73wMAByV8bfSQjnb6wO-k1HXVFuOCbr8L2qc81Jvs8vTB4qlz2yMA5LgRLf_zr2jKtWNM9WZx-jgMTMAd8VVDT-bi0l4666EO5fOJI9fuHHQn8MavTU0lLJubnYpJ7DU37-e23Si2DOgnr_584bLwwZGcyol4utWkYsbK2jOl8317ToGz3jWzqZc0dbk1fGx8KeeNpaqNZks.W2i0N7lgwKeP5oHis2bQlQvb8bDZASKSR19RUXvzPD4&dib_tag=se&keywords=archie+to+riverdale+and+back+again&qid=1732596177&s=instant-video&sprefix=archie+to+%2Cinstant-video%2C163&sr=1-1 |title=Watch Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again on Amazon Prime Video}}</ref>


== References==
== References==
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[[Category:1990 films]]
[[Category:1990 films]]
[[Category:1990 television films]]
[[Category:1990 television films]]
[[Category:1990 comedy films]]
[[Category:1990s children's comedy films]]
[[Category:American children's comedy films]]
[[Category:American children's comedy films]]
[[Category:Class reunions in popular culture]]
[[Category:Films about class reunions]]
[[Category:Films scored by Mark Snow]]
[[Category:Films scored by Mark Snow]]
[[Category:Films about infidelity]]
[[Category:Films about infidelity]]
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[[Category:Films set in the United States]]
[[Category:Films set in the United States]]
[[Category:Live-action films based on comics]]
[[Category:Live-action films based on comics]]
[[Category:NBC network original films]]
[[Category:NBC original films]]
[[Category:Television films as pilots]]
[[Category:Television films as pilots]]
[[Category:Television pilots not picked up as a series]]
[[Category:Television pilots not picked up as a series]]

Latest revision as of 16:02, 11 December 2024

Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
GenreComedy
Based on
Archie Andrews
by
Written byEvan Katz
Directed byDick Lowry
StarringChristopher Rich
Lauren Holly
Karen Kopins
Sam Whipple
Gary Kroeger
Theme music composerMark Snow
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerGraham Cottle
CinematographyFrank Byers
EditorsByron "Buzz" Brandt
Anita Brandt-Burgoyne
Running time100 minutes
Production companiesRiverdale Productions and Kent/QMA
Patchett Kaufman Entertainment
DIC Enterprises
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseMay 6, 1990 (1990-05-06)
Related

Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again is a 1990 American live-action made-for-television comedy film based on comic book characters published by Archie Comics. It was produced by DIC Entertainment and premiered on NBC Sunday Night at the Movies on May 6, 1990. It was shown in Britain as Weekend Reunion.

Plot

[edit]

Archie Andrews, fifteen years after graduating from Riverdale High, has become a successful lawyer and is preparing to marry his fiancée, Pam, and move to "the big city". Before doing that, however, he returns home to Riverdale for his high school reunion and in an attempt to save his friend Pop Tate's diner.

Archie and company are all now in their early thirties, with the trials and tribulations one might expect to have happened to such as a group over the years:

  • Betty, a grade school teacher, has had problems finding permanent employment, and may or may not have relationship issues.
  • Veronica, having lived in France since graduation, has been married (and divorced) four times to very wealthy men.
  • Jughead, now a successful psychiatrist, is also divorced (although only once), and now has sole custody of a son named Jordan. Due to the divorce and other failed relationships, Jughead carries emotional baggage that manifests itself in a terrible fear of women. A running gag in the movie is Jughead's desperation to avoid seeing Big Ethel during his visit to Riverdale. This is played for laughs at the end when at the reunion it turns out that Big Ethel is no longer the gangly, awkward teenager she once was but is now a striking beauty and still has a crush on Jughead.
  • Moose and Midge have gotten married and become chiropractors. They also have a son, Max, who hits it off with Jordan.
  • Reggie is a successful gym owner and owns a car lot.

When Archie sees Betty and Veronica for the first time in fifteen years, all his old feelings for them come flooding back, threatening his engagement—and it does not help that the girls renew their pursuit of Archie, heedless of the fact that he has a fiancée. Meanwhile, Archie also tries to keep Reggie, helped along by an uncharacteristically menacing Mr. Lodge, from evicting Pop Tate from his soda shop, under the pretext of expanding his gym. Hiram Lodge does not want Archie near Veronica and still thinks they are wrong for each other. Archie ultimately saves the Chock'lit Shoppe, though he loses Pam to Robert, who Betty dumps after growing sick of his bullying, and decides to stay in Riverdale. Archie and Pam break up and decide to stay in Riverdale where he belongs. Veronica, Betty, and Jughead decide to move back to Riverdale as well. Reggie sees the error of his ways and reconciles with his friends as they take a group photo along with Jordan by Pops.

Cast

[edit]

Almost all of the characters in the movie are regular or recurring characters in the originating comics:

Actor Role
Christopher Rich Archie Andrews
Lauren Holly Betty Cooper
Karen Kopins Veronica Lodge
Sam Whipple Forsythe "Jughead" Jones
Gary Kroeger Reggie Mantle
Jeff Hochendoner Moose Mason
Debi Derryberry Midge Mason
Mike Nussbaum Pop Tate
Fran Ryan Miss Grundy
David Doyle Mr. Weatherbee
J. D. Hall Coach Clayton
Cindy Ambuehl Ethel Muggs (Big Ethel)
James Noble Hiram Lodge

Additional characters were mostly created for the movie to indicate the passage of time, such as the regulars' children or new romantic partners:

Actor Role
Billy Corben Jordan "Jughead Junior" Jones
Aeryk Egan Max Mason
Matt McCoy Robert Miller
Christina Haag Pam
Christian Hoff Pop's Worker 1
Robert Munic Chip

Reception

[edit]

The NBC movie, broadcast during the May sweeps period, was seen as a pilot for a possible series.[1] It received mixed reviews,[2] though was well received by some critics, who especially praised the casting and performances from the actors.[1][2]

Comic book version

[edit]

Archie Comics published a one-shot comic book adaptation of the TV movie which coincided with its premiere. Stan Goldberg and Mike Esposito drew the sections of the book featuring the characters in flashback as teens, while Gene Colan drew the characters as adults, in a realistic style and more "serious" look akin to Rex Morgan, M.D., and John Byrne drew the cover. The comic also shows a flashback to the incident where Archie and Betty were alone in a motel room together (from Betty and Me #40, February 1972). Back Issue! described the one-shot as "an offbeat, impressive package".[1]

Home media

[edit]

The film was released on VHS in 1997 from New Horizons Home Video, with the movie re-titled as Archie: Return to Riverdale. In Australia, it was released on VHS as Archie's Weekend Reunion.

The film is also available on Amazon Prime Video.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Thompson, Steven (September 2016). "Archie's Antagonist, Reggie Mantle". Back Issue! (#91). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 63–67.
  2. ^ a b Yuppie Archie falls apart like a soggy comic book, Michael Hill, Toronto Star, May 4, 1990
  3. ^ "Watch Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again on Amazon Prime Video".
[edit]
  • Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again at IMDb
  • ‹The template AllMovie title is being considered for deletion.› Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again at AllMovie
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