During the first season (2017), many 75th annual events occur in the town of Riverdale, such as the 75th Annual Variety Show and the 75th Anniversary Jubilee. Seventy-five years before this, the characters Archie, Betty, and Veronica were created by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana, and they 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.
After the untimely death of Luke Perry the episode that aired after he died was dedicated in his honor and show runner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa said that every episode till the end would do the same.
Cole Sprouse had just finished binge-watching The Twilight Zone (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.