Archie and the gang are returning to TV this month, but not in a form fans have ever seen before. Riverdale takes the timeless saga of Archie Andrews and his love triangle with Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge and gives it all a thoroughly dark and psychological spin. The result is a new series that has as much in common with Twin Peaks as it does the classic Archie Comics stories.

How Riverdale Remixes the Archie Comics 26 IMAGES

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Because not everyone is intimately familiar with the Archie franchise, we've put together a helpful guide to the major players in Riverdale. We break down all the characters you need to know and how Riverdale has changed them from their comic book counterparts.Riverdale looks to be the start of a major new push for the Archie franchise. Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa recently described the series as "the mothership" around which other new projects will form. "We want to do some animated movies. We want to do some stage work," he said.For more on what to expect from Riverdale, check out what the cast had to say at Comic-Con last summer:Riverdale will premiere on The CW on Thursday, January 26.

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