Currently, The CW has three comic book adaptations airing on the network all taking place in the same shared universe - Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow. Greg Berlanti, the architect behind the network’s DC Comics TV universe, has also brought the Girl of Steel to life over on CBS with Supergirl. However, more recently Berlanti traded DC Comics characters for the iconic flagship brand of Archie Comics, shepherding new comic book adaptation Riverdale through the pilot stages of TV production.
Berlanti first worked on the Riverdale series for Fox, before it was moved to The CW, which gave the pilot a green light earlier this year. Now, with production on the pilot complete and The CW looking to make a decision whether to pick up the Archie adaptation, early buzz seems to suggest Riverdale will be joining the network’s other comic book-based series in the lineup.
THR named Riverdale as one of 10 television pilots this season that are likely to receive a series commitment from their respective networks, even despite The CW’s renewal of 11 of its scripted series. In fact, Riverdale seems to be the front-runner out of all the pilots in development at The CW:
Of the network’s six pilots, another Greg Berlanti comic book show has emerged as the top dog. Riverdale, a present-day take on the iconic Archie Comics, is considered a lock to join Berlanti’s Arrow, Flash and Legends of Tomorrow at the younger-skewing network.
Deadline is additionally reporting positive buzz surrounding the Riverdale pilot, as they also suggest the Archie adaptation is likely to receive a series commitment: “Greg Berlanti continues to march toward a fourth comic-based series on the CW with Riverdale flying high.”
Of course, considering the young and fresh-faced cast of Riverdale and Berlanti on board as producer, all aspects of the series seem to indicate the show was almost certainly going to be granted a series order since it falls in line with most of The CW’s programming lineup. Additionally, the modern take of the show that follows the All-New Archie Comics series from writer Mark Waid and artist Fiona Staples is perfectly tailored to an adaptation of the characters for the network’s “younger-skewing audience.”
However, The CW’s already-full lineup, which will carry over into the 2016-2017 season thanks to its renewals, called into question whether the network would be able to add any new series in the coming season. During this past year, The CW only added two new scripted series: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Containment - the latter of which was a spring replacement of iZombie. That being said, as was the case with Containment and other midseason premieres like The 100 and Legends of Tomorrow, The CW has proven capable of shifting its schedule to include worthwhile programming, which, if the early buzz is to be believed, will include Riverdale.
Next: Riverdale Images Offer a Look Around Archie’s Hometown
Screen Rant will keep you updated on Riverdale as more information becomes available.
Source: THR, Deadline
