The town of Riverdale was incorporated in 1941. The characters Archie, Betty, and Veronica, created by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana, were introduced in Pep Comics #22 in December 1941.
The top view of the whole town is also used in Pretty Little Liars (2010), Witches of East End (2013), The Carrie Diaries (2013), Gilmore Girls (2000), Bitten (2014), and Hart of Dixie (2011). The set itself is used on Pretty Little Liars, Gilmore Girls, and Hart of Dixie. And the diner in The Carrie Diaries is the same place as the Chock Lit Shoppe in Riverdale.
Cole Sprouse originally wanted to audition for the role of Archie, but he ended up liking Jughead's character better.
Cole Sprouse had just finished binge-watching La quatrième dimension (1959) when he auditioned, which inspired him to read his character's narration in the style of Rod Serling.
In this series, Jughead wears a pronged beanie as an updated version of the whoopee cap that the character traditionally wears in the comics. The whoopee cap was a popular hat for kids of the early 20th century, made by cutting a fedora into a crown-like shape.