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How to watch Riverdale, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and more in the Archie-verse

Who says you can't make something as innocent as Archie comics dark?

Riverdale season 1 screenshot
Image credit: CW

Over the years, a universe has slowly, almost imperceptively spread across TV and streaming networks. The Archieverse, with its origins in the seemingly harmless Archie comics we all know and love became surprisingly dark in the hands of the CW and Netflix. Starting with Riverdale and moving on to shows like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the loosely interconnected stories of the Archieverse have become an unlikely hit.

If you want to catch up on all the Archieverse shows, our helpful watch order can point you in the right direction.

Every show in the Archieverse in order

Sabrina screenshot
Image credit: Netflix

The Archieverse kicked off back in 2017 when Riverdale landed on the CW and gave the classic Archie comics a decidedly modern twist. These shows are all created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and take place in an established continuity, with characters from one show crossing over to others to make specific references to each other.

The release order for all the Archieverse shows is:

Is Pretty Little Liars part of the Archieverse?

Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin promotional shot
Image credit: HBO Max

There is a bit of a gray area when it comes to Pretty Little Liars and its spin-offs. The series came out in 2010, seven years before Riverdale kicked off what we know as the Archieverse, so surely it can’t be connected, right? Well, it isn’t quite so simple. A new series called Pretty Little Liars came out in 2022 which was created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, the same person who created Riverdale, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Katy Keene.

Normally, this wouldn’t be enough to make a show part of the same universe, but there is a single line in the first season of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin that references the Sisters of Quiet Mercy in Riverdale, a home for troubled youth run by nuns in that show. This off-hand comment could place the original Pretty Little Liars, Ravenswood, and Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists retroactively in the Archieverse.

However, there is no other reference to the other shows so it can probably be disregarded as being part of the same universe. Pretty Little Liars has a tenuous connection at best to the Archieverse so don’t worry about including it in your rewatch anytime soon.

Where can I watch Riverdale and other shows in the Archieverse?

Katy Keene screenshot
Image credit: CW

Interestingly, Riverdale didn’t really find its audience until the first season landed on Netflix and everyone realized just how wild that show can get. Subsequently, the streamer commissioned the first spin-off, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, in 2018. You can still find both shows on Netflix now that they’ve come to an end.

The only difficult show to track down is Katy Keene, which isn’t readily available on any streaming service. Your best bet is to find a physical copy of the short-lived series or to rent the series on Amazon Prime Video.

What’s next for the Archieverse?

When the final season of Riverdale aired in 2023, it effectively brought the Archieverse that it had established to a close. As of yet, there haven’t been any plans to revive it, which isn’t always a bad thing. After seven years and nearly 200 episodes, there is already plenty of television to fuel your Archie binge.


Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:

And if you're looking for specific franchises or genres, we've also got lists for the:

Finally, if you're a fan of superheroes and not specific to just Marvel or DC, we have overall guides to:

 

Trent Cannon

Trent Cannon: Trent is a freelance writer who has been covering anime, video games, and pop culture for a decade. (He/Him)

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