Everything you need to know about OG 'The Archie Show' ahead of Zoya Akhtar's The Archies

The poster and trailer for Zoya Akhtar's OTT project The Archies have been generating a stir on the internet since its release. Fans can't get enough of the cast members and can't wait to witness this youthful musical drama on their screens.

Be it the common viewers or the members of the fraternity, everyone has been lauding the director and the ensemble star cast comprising of Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor and Agastya Nanda amongst others. But before we witness this journey, it is imposrtant to note that this film is insipred from an American musical animated sitcom, titled 'The Archie Show'. 

History

The Archie Show (sometimes referred to as The Archies) is a CBS musical animated sitcom series developed by Filmation. The Archie Show, based on the Archie Comics founded by Bob Montana in 1941, broadcast on CBS Saturday mornings from September 1968 through 1969. Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle, and Jughead Jones were among the key characters represented in the show. 

In 1969, the show was renamed The Archie Comedy Hour and stretched to an hour, with a half-hour dedicated to Sabrina the Teenage Witch.Archie's Funhouse debuted in 1970, and featured live-action portions. The Archie Show ended its three-season run on CBS in 1971.

Plot Overview

Archie Andrews, a 17-year-old singer/rhythm guitarist, and his Riverdale High School friends, including his best friend and food junkie drummer Jughead Jones, smart bassist Reggie Mantle, gorgeous, pampered girl vocalist/keyboardist Veronica Lodge, and enticing, blonde, girl-next-door tomboy vocalist/lead guitarist/percussionist Betty Cooper, feature in the show. The buddies performed as a bubblegum pop band on the show, with Archie on lead guitar.

Show Format

The Archie Show used a laugh track for the first time, making it the first of the so-called Cartoon shows. Because of The Archie Show 's popularity, most cartoon series begun employing laugh tracks until the early 1980s.

A typical episode began with Archie and possibly another character introducing the first Archie story. Following that was a "dance of the week" part that began with a prelude, then Archie presented the dance after the ad break, accompanied by The Archies performing the song of the week. The second Archie story was then followed by a brief joke. This format was used for all 17 episodes of the first season.

Zoya Akhtar's OTT film went on floors on April 18 and the filming has in process. The film will be releasing on Netflix in 2023.