musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...
comedy-drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
television series developed by
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (born 1973) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the television series '' Glee'', '' Big Love'', '' Riverdale'', '' Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' ...
and Michael Grassi. It was based on the
Archie Comics
Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York.character of the same name. It chronicled the origins and struggles of four aspiring artists trying to attain successful careers on Broadway, on the runway, and in the recording studio. ''Katy Keene'' was a spin-off of '' ''Riverdale'''', and took place five years after the events of the former series. The series was produced by
Berlanti Productions
Berlanti Productions is an American film and television production company founded by screenwriter, producer and filmmaker Greg Berlanti and producer Mickey Liddell.
History
The company was founded in 2000 as Berlanti-Liddell Productions by ...
, in association with Archie Comics,
CBS Television Studios
CBS Studios, Inc. is an American television production company which is a subsidiary of CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. It was formed on January 17, 2006, by CBS Corporation as CBS Paramount Television, as a renaming of the ...
, and
Warner Bros. Television
Warner Bros. Television Studios (operating under the name Warner Bros. Television; formerly known as Warner Bros. Television Division) is an American television production and distribution studio of the Warner Bros. Television Group division of ...
.
Lucy Hale
Karen Lucille Hale (born June 14, 1989) is an American actress, singer, and television personality. She has received various accolades, including seven Teen Choice Awards (the most for any actress in a single series), a Gracie Award, a People ...
starred as Katy Keene, an aspiring fashion designer trying to navigate her way in New York City.
Ashleigh Murray
Ashleigh Monique Murray (born January 18, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She portrayed Josie McCoy, the lead singer of the band Josie and the Pussycats, on the CW television series '' Riverdale''. Murray reprised this role in the '' R ...
, Camille Hyde, Jonny Beauchamp,
Julia Chan
Julia Chan, also known as Julia Taylor Ross, is an English actress and television host. She is best known for her portrayal of Sophia in the horror film '' Silent House'' (2011), Dr. Maggie Lin in the television series ''Saving Hope'' (2012-2017 ...
Zane Holtz
Zane-Ray Brodie Holtz (born January 18, 1987) is a Canadian actor and model. He is best known for playing Richie Gecko on the El Rey Network television series '' From Dusk till Dawn: The Series'' (2014–2016) and K.O. Kelly on The CW
''T ...
, and
Katherine LaNasa
Katherine LaNasa (born December 1, 1966) is an American actress, former ballet dancer and choreographer. She starred in films '' Jayne Mansfield's Car'', '' The Campaign'', and '' The Frozen Ground''. On television, LaNasa had a leading role in t ...
also starred, with Murray reprising her role as
Josie McCoy
''Josie and the Pussycats'' (initially published as ''She's Josie'' and ''Josie'') is a teen-humor comic book about a fictional rock band, created by Dan DeCarlo and published by Archie Comics. It was published from 1963 until 1982; since then, o ...
from ''Riverdale''. In January 2019, the series received a pilot order from
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
, to be considered for a series order in the 2019–20 television season. The series was filmed in New York City. The show was picked up to series in May 2019. The series premiered on The CW on February 6, 2020, with the series finale airing on May 14, 2020. In July 2020, the series was canceled after one season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Following the season finale, it was announced that the show would be the first CW show not to be released on either
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
or the CW's own website and app, but instead would be part of
HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in the United States on May 27, 2020, the service is built around the libraries of HBO, Warner Bros., Cartoon Ne ...
's debut lineup as an exclusive. It was the first CW show not to be offered to Netflix following the completion of its broadcast season. Following the announcement of the series' cancellation, the entire series was also made available on the CW website and app.
Premise
The series followed the professional and romantic lives of four
Archie Comics
Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York.characters
Character or Characters may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk
* ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
, including fashion legend-to-be Katy Keene and singer-songwriter
Josie McCoy
''Josie and the Pussycats'' (initially published as ''She's Josie'' and ''Josie'') is a teen-humor comic book about a fictional rock band, created by Dan DeCarlo and published by Archie Comics. It was published from 1963 until 1982; since then, o ...
, five years after the events of ''Riverdale'', as they chased their dreams in New York City. The series infused music into the plotlines and followed the origins, trials, and tribulations of four struggling artists who are desperate to make it in the spotlight.
Cast and characters
Main
*
Lucy Hale
Karen Lucille Hale (born June 14, 1989) is an American actress, singer, and television personality. She has received various accolades, including seven Teen Choice Awards (the most for any actress in a single series), a Gracie Award, a People ...
as Katy Keene: An aspiring fashion designer trying to navigate her way in New York City. This character was introduced in a crossover episode with ''Riverdale''.
*
Ashleigh Murray
Ashleigh Monique Murray (born January 18, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She portrayed Josie McCoy, the lead singer of the band Josie and the Pussycats, on the CW television series '' Riverdale''. Murray reprised this role in the '' R ...
as
Josie McCoy
''Josie and the Pussycats'' (initially published as ''She's Josie'' and ''Josie'') is a teen-humor comic book about a fictional rock band, created by Dan DeCarlo and published by Archie Comics. It was published from 1963 until 1982; since then, o ...
: A singer-songwriter chasing her music dreams in the Big Apple. This character was introduced in ''Riverdale''. McCoy is now an adult, with ''Katy Keene'' being set five years after the previous series.
*
Katherine LaNasa
Katherine LaNasa (born December 1, 1966) is an American actress, former ballet dancer and choreographer. She starred in films '' Jayne Mansfield's Car'', '' The Campaign'', and '' The Frozen Ground''. On television, LaNasa had a leading role in t ...
as Gloria Grandbilt: A personal shopper at the luxury department store Lacy's, which caters to the rich and famous.
*
Julia Chan
Julia Chan, also known as Julia Taylor Ross, is an English actress and television host. She is best known for her portrayal of Sophia in the horror film '' Silent House'' (2011), Dr. Maggie Lin in the television series ''Saving Hope'' (2012-2017 ...
it girl
An "it girl" is an attractive young woman, who is perceived to have both sex appeal and a personality that is especially engaging.
The expression ''it girl'' originated in British upper-class society around the turn of the 20th century. ...
with a mysterious background who wants to open up a studio for aspiring artist. The character is loosely based on Russian-German con artist
Anna Sorokin
Anna Sorokin (russian: Анна Сорокина; born January 23, 1991), also known as Anna Delvey, is a con artist and fraudster who posed as a wealthy heiress to access the upper echelons of the New York social and art scenes from 2013 to 2 ...
.
* Jonny Beauchamp as Jorge / Ginger Lopez: An aspiring Broadway performer who wants to take his drag career to the next level. A different version of the character was introduced in the first season of ''Riverdale'', portrayed by Caitlin Mitchell-Markovitch.
* Lucien Laviscount as Alexander "Alex" Cabot: The CEO of his father's company who dreams of reopening a dead record label.
*
Zane Holtz
Zane-Ray Brodie Holtz (born January 18, 1987) is a Canadian actor and model. He is best known for playing Richie Gecko on the El Rey Network television series '' From Dusk till Dawn: The Series'' (2014–2016) and K.O. Kelly on The CW
''T ...
as K.O. Kelly: A boxer and Katy's longtime boyfriend who dreams of fighting a
welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like Muay Thai, taekwondo, and mixed martial arts also use it for their own weight division system to classify th ...
championship in
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
, and makes ends meet as a personal trainer and bouncer.
* Camille Hyde as Alexandra "Xandra" Cabot: A powerful New York socialite who is trying to work her way up in her father's company. She is the senior vice president of Cabot Entertainment. She also dislikes Josie McCoy.
Recurring
*
Nathan Lee Graham
Nathan Lee Graham (born September 9, 1968) is an American actor and singer. He has been the originator of over 17 roles on stage and screen. Currently he is "Hermes" in the North American tour of the hit musical Hadestown. He is most known for ...
as François: A visual merchandiser at Lacy's.
* Heléne Yorke as Amanda: One of Gloria's assistants who sees Katy as a competitor.
* Daphne Rubin-Vega as Luisa Lopez: Jorge's mother, a former Rockette and now co-owner of a bodega.
* Saamer Usmani as Prince Errol Swoon: A royal prince of a foreign country.
*
André De Shields
André Robin De Shields (born January 12, 1946) is an American actor, singer, dancer, director, and choreographer.
De Shields originated the role of Hermes on Broadway in the musical '' Hadestown'', winning the 2019 Tony Award for Best Actor ...
as Chubby: Josie's boss at a record store.
* Erica Pappas as Patricia Klein: Prince Errol's fiancee.
* Ryan Faucett as Bernardo Bixby: A firefighter and Jorge's love interest.
*
Frank Pando
Frank Pando is an American actor. Pando's screen acting career debuted in 1999 in the TV series ''The Sopranos'' as Agent Frank Grasso. He has since acted in several television shows, movies, and plays, including roles as policemen in '' The Vi ...
as Luis Lopez: Jorge's father and co-owner of the bodega with Luisa.
* Candace Maxwell as Didi: Pepper's assistant and love interest.
* Abubakr Ali as
Raj Patel
Rajeev "Raj" Patel (born 1972) is a British Indian academic, journalist, activist and writer who has lived and worked in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the United States for extended periods. He has been referred to as "the rock star of social ju ...
: KO's roommate, a filmmaker and one of Pepper's love interests.
* Luke Cook as Guy LaMontagne: A famous fashion designer.
*
Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...
as Miss Freesia: A wealthy Upper East sider and Pepper's mother figure who taught her the art of the con.
* Eric Freeman as Buzz Brown: A former love interest of Jorge's
*
Mary Beth Peil
Mary Beth Peil (born June 25, 1940) is an American actress and soprano. She began her career as an opera singer in 1962 with the Goldovsky Opera Theater. In 1964 she won two major singing competitions, the Young Concert Artists International Au ...
as Loretta Lacy: Lacy's owner.
* Azriel Crews as
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by st ...
: the shy keyboardist in the revived Josie and the Pussycats
* Emily Rafala as Trula Twyst: The activist drummer in the revived Josie and the Pussycats
Guest
*
Casey Wilson
Cathryn Rose "Casey" Wilson (born October 24, 1980) is an American actress, comedienne, and screenwriter. She starred as Penny Hartz in the ABC comedy series '' Happy Endings'' for which she was twice nominated to the Critics' Choice Television ...
as herself: An actress and Guy LaMontagne's client for the Meta Gala. Wilson played a fictionalized version of herself.
*
Cary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes (; born 26 October 1962) is an English actor and writer. He is known for his leading film roles as Westley in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), Robin Hood in '' Robin Hood: Men in Tights'' (1993), and Dr. Lawrence Gordon in ...
as Leo Lacy: Loretta Lacy's son who seems to have a connection with Katy's mother.
Robin Givens
Robin may refer to:
Animals
* Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae
* Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including:
** European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'')
**Bush-robin
** Forest ...
as Sierra McCoy: Josie's mother, lawyer and former mayor of Riverdale.
*
Casey Cott
Casey Morton Cott (born August 8, 1992) is an American actor, known for his role as Kevin Keller on The CW series '' Riverdale''.
Early life and education
Cott was born in 1992, the middle of three children of Rick Cott, an investment manager ...
as Kevin Keller: Josie's step-brother and friend from high school.
*
Mark Consuelos
Mark Andrew Consuelos (; born March 30, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Mateo Santos on the ABC soap opera ''All My Children'' (1995–2001; 2010) and as Hiram Lodge on The CW drama '' Riverdale'' (2017–2021) ...
as Hiram Lodge: A businessman from Riverdale and the CEO of Lodge Industries.
Episodes
Production
Development
In August 2018,
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (born 1973) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics and for the television series '' Glee'', '' Big Love'', '' Riverdale'', '' Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' ...
revealed that another spin-off was in the works at
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
. He said that the potential spin-off would be "very different from ''Riverdale''" and that it would be produced "in he 2018–19development cycle." On January 23, 2019, The CW issued an official pilot order for the series that will " ollowthe lives and loves of four iconic Archie Comics characters — including fashion legend-to-be Katy Keene — as they chase their twenty-something dreams in New York City. This musical dramedy chronicles the origins and struggles of four aspiring artists trying to make it on Broadway, on the runway and in the recording studio." On May 7, 2019, The CW ordered the show to series. On January 7, 2020, The CW ordered thirteen more scripts for the series. On July 2, 2020,
The CW
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
canceled the series after one season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Casting
On February 4, 2019, it was announced that Ashleigh Murray, who stars in ''Riverdale'', had been cast in a lead role in the spinoff, exiting ''Riverdale''. On February 21, 2019, Jonny Beauchamp and Julia Chan joined the cast of the series as Jorge Lopez and Pepper Smith, respectively. A few days later, on February 26, 2019, Camille Hyde and Lucien Laviscount joined the cast as brother and sister duo, Alexandra and Alexander Cabot. Finally, on March 11, 2019,
Lucy Hale
Karen Lucille Hale (born June 14, 1989) is an American actress, singer, and television personality. She has received various accolades, including seven Teen Choice Awards (the most for any actress in a single series), a Gracie Award, a People ...
was cast in the series' lead and titular role.
Filming
The series is filmed in New York City.
Connection to ''Riverdale''
On August 4, 2019, Michael Grassi announced that there was going to be a crossover between '' Riverdale'' and ''Katy Keene'' in the future. The
crossover episode
A crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, unofficial efforts by ...
aired on February 5, 2020, as a part of ''Riverdale'', and introduced Katy for the first time.
''Katy Keene'' crosses over with ''Riverdale'' in the sixth episode when
Robin Givens
Robin may refer to:
Animals
* Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae
* Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including:
** European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'')
**Bush-robin
** Forest ...
reprises her role as Sierra McCoy from ''Riverdale''. Four episodes later,
Casey Cott
Casey Morton Cott (born August 8, 1992) is an American actor, known for his role as Kevin Keller on The CW series '' Riverdale''.
Early life and education
Cott was born in 1992, the middle of three children of Rick Cott, an investment manager ...
reprises his role as Kevin Keller in episode ten. In the last episode of the first season,
Mark Consuelos
Mark Andrew Consuelos (; born March 30, 1971) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Mateo Santos on the ABC soap opera ''All My Children'' (1995–2001; 2010) and as Hiram Lodge on The CW drama '' Riverdale'' (2017–2021) ...
reprises his role as Hiram Lodge.
Despite the cancellation, characters from ''Katy Keene'' appear in ''Riverdale'':
Zane Holtz
Zane-Ray Brodie Holtz (born January 18, 1987) is a Canadian actor and model. He is best known for playing Richie Gecko on the El Rey Network television series '' From Dusk till Dawn: The Series'' (2014–2016) and K.O. Kelly on The CW
''T ...
reprised his role as K.O. Kelly in the first episode of season five and in the tenth episode of season six, followed by Ryan Faucett as Bernardo in the seventh episode of the same season, Lucy Hale reprised her role in a voice-over cameo in the eighth episode, and Camille Hyde reprised her role as
Alexandra Cabot
Alexandra "Alex" Cabot is a fictional character within the ''Law & Order'' universe portrayed by Stephanie March. She is a primary character in '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' and ''Conviction''.
Character overview
Cabot first appears in ...
in the fifteenth episode. The character Chad Gekko, who appeared in two episodes of ''Katy Keene'', also returns as a recurring characters in season five, played by Chris Mason. Mason replaces Reid Prebenda, who portrayed the character in the spin-off.
Music
Musical performances are featured throughout the series, a blend of cover versions and originals. Songs performed in episodes are released as digital singles after broadcast by
WaterTower Music
WaterTower Music (formerly New Line Records from 2000 to 2010) is an American record label serving as the in-house music label and run by entertainment company Warner Bros., ultimately owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The name and logo are based ...
.
Following the end of the season, the label released a digital compilation for season 1 songs. The series also include a musical episode with its own soundtrack was released on WaterTower. The ''Kiss of the Spider Woman'' soundtrack, was released on March 20, 2020.
Release
Marketing
On May 16, 2019, The CW released the first official trailer for the series. The series' extended trailer was released in August 2019.
International broadcast
The series was acquired for the UK by the BBC in July 2020 for its on-demand service BBC iPlayer
Reception
Critical response
On
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
, the series has an approval rating of 91% based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "''Katy Keene'' definitely has style to spare, but its greatest strength is its warm, joyous tone that sparkles in a sea of gritty YA TV." On
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
, it has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 based on 8 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".