Riverdale TV series: Die-hard Archie fans talk about their fandom, expectations from the CW show and much more

Do you remember Archie Andrews and his gang?

CW is going to premiere its much-anticipated teen drama series based on the 75-year-old popular Archie Comics, in which the characters have received a massive makeover.

The series is the brainchild of veteran Archie writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who also gave us the excellent Afterlife With Archie and Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina comics.

Riverdale follows an all-American teen Archie Andrews, the love triangle between Archie, girl-next-door Betty, and Veronica, and other students of Riverdale High School. The story revolves around the murder of Jason Blossom (Cheryl Blossom), the captain of Riverdale High's water polo team.

Watch the series as it airs on CW and Netflix on January 26 at 9 pm EST.

Also read: See classic Archie characters through Riverdale actors' eyes

But Archie Comics fans seem to be a bit sceptical about the series. While comparing the show with Twin Peaks, most fans are eager to give it a try. A few fans clearly agree that the series is not going to be a carbon copy of the comics, but they are ready to accept the much-changed, sexier and darker version.

Ahead of its much-anticipated premiere, we interacted with some die-hard Archie fans and here's what they think about the adaptation.

As an avid Archie follower, what do you expect from the upcoming Riverdale series?

Part of me is looking forward to it, any exposure for Archie is a good thing... that being said it's not the Archie I grew up with, and the reviews make it seem closer to Dawson's Creek right down to a student sleeping with a teacher. I will watch it and give it a chance. — Sean Allen

I'm looking forward to seeing a skewed universe (similar to the newer comic lines) -- same characters, but with that sort of weird dramatic Twin Peaks-y vibe. I am NOT expecting it to be a carbon copy of the charming original comics, nor am I offended by the tone/plot shift. Frankly, I think it looks like a ton of fun. I love Archie, and have for decades. This new Archie looks exciting to me. — Erin Page

I am looking forward to the series. It sounds a bit like Archie with a dash of Twin Peaks. I hope the writing is good. Interested to see the comicbook characters portrayed by real people. — Alan Duran

I expect an amalgamation of the classic feel that the comic books have and a touch of unique, original content, so that it feels like a new story but with a lot of nostalgic elements. Something on lines of Marvel movies. — Shubhang Sinha

I've been an on-and-off Archie Comics fan my whole life. I liked them as a kid, went through a long period where I ignored them, and got back into them again over the last 5-6 years or so when the Life With Archie series and introduction of Kevin Keller came along. So, as far as Riverdale the TV show goes, that's what I want to see. If the show maintains the established personalities of characters that have been around for 75 years, I am OK with them being taken out of their traditional element. I have only seen trailers, but right now I am definitely planning to watch it and hopefully enjoy a fresh, modern, more mature look at these classic comicbook icons. Not all characters physically look like what I was expecting, but I will hope I get to love them in their new portrayal! — Marc Goldberg

I'm not expecting a carbon copy of the comic books in any way (including the reboot). I'm going to enjoy it for what it is, an alternate version of the Archie comics, or just as a show with some Archie references/homages. — Chris Collins

I'm really happy that CW got linked with the new Riverdale series. I think that they have done a great job adapting DC's various superhero comics such as The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. After watching several of the promotional clips, I have high hopes for Riverdale as a high-quality program. — Jon Trouten

It was exactly as I expected once they announced who the head writer was. He previously wrote other Archie series with a darker tone. But without that information I would have expected a teen sitcom similar to Young and Hungry. — Archie Lewallen

Archie was my escape mechanism from a very lonely childhood. They were, for years, my only friends. They mean the world to me. However, I am looking forward to and excited about this show. It's OK that it strays from the white picket fence world of classic Archie. It's trying to appeal to new fans, but I don't think they're trying to alienate the older ones either. Things have to change and evolve, that's just how life is. — Lauren Michele

Eh, it's a show. I'll watch it the same was I have a ton of other shows in my queue to watch. I don't get too excited about TV. It's different, but as they keep saying, we have like five pages of classic Archie every month, so why are we complaining? — Adam Alamo

I've been following the production of this for a bit so I'm very aware of it and who's behind it. As far as expectations go, I really just expect a pulpy, slightly ironic take on the characters Much like the Archie Horror fare which keeps the characters fairly recognizable while putting them in extreme circumstances. — Justin Partridge

How would you like to see the pan out?

I'm a die-hard Archie fan. Original art hangs on my walls. I have Archie characters tattooed on me. However, everything I see and learn about the show is offensive, twisted and vile. It's not that I don't like the type of story the show is telling. I do, but this is not why I like to go to Riverdale. I read a lot of horror and crime comics, and then I go to Riverdale to have a few laughs and hang out with some old friends. But from the weird casting to the cheap sexual overtones, this show isn't about Archie comics as much as a twisted show where they wrote their own story and just put the names of Archie characters on their cast. I won't be watching this show. I have no interest. I find it cheap, sad and exploitative. — Sam Tweedle

I've been reading Archie Comics most of my life, and I really love the comic factor of it. I am very excited about the new Riverdale series because it's based on these comics. However, I heard it will be more mysterious and suspenseful (even involving death?) rather than comical. I understand they're doing this to make the show more interesting, but the comedy of it is my favorite, which the show might lack. I am still looking forward to seeing how these characters that I grew up with, have been created into real people. — Desislava Iolova

I think it would be refreshing to see a wholesome comedy about friendship, which is true to the characters we have loved for 75 years. I think it would be interesting to see if anyone will watch. I certainly would. The show should have been a comedy. Sorry, but the whole idea offends me. It does not sound like Archie they are just using the names and dragging our beloved characters through the mud. The trailer looks like I Saw What You Did Last Summer. Maybe a good show, but not Archie. — Glenda Vick

I tend to like the darker sides of Archie. I feel that taking a group of wholly innocent and naive characters and throwing them into an unrealistic and terrifying situation makes for a nice read. Sharknado, Archie vs. Predator, Afterlife with Archie, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, all of these work for me. And the comic book platform is perfect for these types of departures from the norm. TV, on the other hand, hasn't established the classic Archie world, so they're going to try to start out in a place that seems, to me at least, very un-Archie like. So, where do you go from there? As has been pointed out, Dawson's Creek has already been done. And I'm not much into soap operas, I'm going to watch and give it a chance, but if it's not great then I'll drop it in a heartbeat. — Jim Bailey

The characters in Archie comics are real to me and I view them as old friends and therefore any deviation from their normal conduct is a concern to me! Reading the outline of this show and watching the clips has caused me to think, "My Archie wouldn't do THAT! " it's a different world and things always change, but somehow I always believed the gang at Riverdale High were above that. — Gary R. Moore

What does Archie Comics mean to you?

Archie Comics are special to me because I've been a fan since I was a young kid, and I've continued to be at least a casual fan all throughout my life. Archie Comics are good because they're always good-natured fun, and are usually short stories that can be picked up on a whim, and the older ones especially were quite often laugh-out-loud funny. I also loved the art of Dan DeCarlo and Harry Lucey in the old comics and they were huge influences on me as an artist of unpublished comics throughout my life. — Chris Collins

Archie comics have always meant to me a period of innocence. I'm a 43-year-old man and often go to sleep with an Archie Digest at my side to read before I doze off. I like the humour, the simple stories, the classic art and the fun and innocence they bring. I also appreciate that in recent years, they have been modernized, and the introduction of the character of Kevin Keller by Dan Parent was a huge step forward to have an openly gay male character in a mainstream comic book, and have it be no big deal. As a gay man, this has been an important part of comic history that has affected me personally, in a very positive way. —Marc Goldberg

I grew up reading hell lot of Archie comics. It means a lot of things to me. It made me understand various aspects of life like friendship, love, competitions and being street smart in a better way. Overall, reading Archie has always been a learning procedure for me.  — Shubhang Sinha

For me... they mean family in a way. There has been a time where I've called almost every character my "favourite". I've been reading these for 20 years now and I'm currently 26. So I have memories of searching, collecting and reading these comics at every age of my life. I've had small points of depression in the past and I always go buy a digest and read it that day as a way of mellowing me out and bringing me back to reality. So I guess in a way it's my comfort food. — Archie Lewallen

Archie Comics means a lot to me, especially Jughead and Kevin, because those are the two that I relate to the most that will be on the show. Those two characters brought me back to Archie Comics after a long break and for that, I adore them both. — Demetrius Demi Inooshi

I'm also a die-hard Archie fan. I have original art on my walls, have Archie tattoos, multiple copies of key Archie books, and have somehow managed to make a decent living out of my obsessive fandom. — Lauren Michele

Archie means adaptability to me. The comics, new and old, have shown me that you can tell whatever kind of story you want in Riverdale about any kind of person, be they cool teen or queer weirdo and that means a great deal to me. — Justin Partridge