Riverdale (2017)
To save the future, they must survive the past.
Set in the present, the series offers a bold, subversive take on Archie, Betty, Veronica and their friends, exploring the surreality of small-town life, the darkness and weirdness bubbling beneath Riverdale’s wholesome facade.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 26 January 2017 |
| Status | Ended, last episode 23 August 2023 |
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| Created by | Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa |
| Starring | KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes |
| Seasons | 7 seasons, 137 episodes |
| Episode length | about 45 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 103 hours |
| Rated | TV-14 |
| Scores | TMDB users 8.4/10 |
Where to watch Riverdale
Riverdale is streaming on Netflix ($17.99 a month) in the US. At ten hours a week, all of the series takes about 3 months of Netflix, or $53.97 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 30 September 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
Riverdale is a 2017 crime drama and mystery that treats small-town America as a horror story wearing a cheerleading uniform. Created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, it digs into the darkness bubbling beneath a wholesome facade. With 7 seasons and 137 episodes, the full run takes about 103 hours to watch. That is a significant time investment for a show where every suburban cul-de-sac hides a body. It is for viewers who want their teen drama to feel like a conspiracy thriller.
What the critics said
Critics gave the first season a pass, mostly. Rotten Tomatoes reports 88% positive reviews from 62 critics, averaging 7.22 out of 10. Metacritic scores it 68, a figure that sits comfortably in the "generally favorable" bracket. The consensus notes the show is an amusingly self-aware reimagining that proves eerie and addictive. Dave Nemetz of TVLine awarded a B+, calling it an artfully crafted teen soap with loads of potential. He might have meant that as a warning, but it landed as a compliment.
How it did with audiences
No box office figures exist for this series, so the verdict rests on the audience score. On TMDB, users rate it 8.4 out of 10. That is a high mark for a show about teenagers in a town that is secretly a conspiracy. It suggests the viewers were either very invested or very confused, though the former seems more likely given the length of the run.
What came next for the cast
Lili Reinhart moved from The Kings of Summer and The Good Neighbor into Charlie’s Angels and Hustlers. Cole Sprouse, who once starred in Friends, shifted toward Five Feet Apart and Lisa Frankenstein. The credits show a jump in scale, though not necessarily in luck. One didn’t cause the other.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Riverdale.
Sources
- Riverdale on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q23001951 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Riverdale (American TV series)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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