Hiram's Lodge: A RIVERDALE Aftershow

Tim & Bob continue to lose entusiasm for Riverdale and create 5 plots way more interesting than any of the plots currently running on Riverdale now.  Archie's viral video results in negative repercussions, as Principal Waldo Weatherby demands he disband the Red Circle. Though Archie refuses, the Red Circle disbands regardless due to the football team being suspended but later reassembles when Archie runs afoul of the Serpents and assists him in a rumble, in which Dilton is injured. Veronica finds out that Archie intends to murder the Black Hood and convinces him to discard his gun. Betty receives a letter from the Black Hood, revealing that her speech from the jubilee ball inspired his actions and gives her a cipher that only she could solve. Mayor Sierra McCoy (Josie's mother) hosts a town meeting to discuss action against the Black Hood, in which Alice blames the Serpents, but Fred argues against letting fear rule them. Betty and Jughead figure out that the Black Hood intends to attack town hall and have the meeting evacuated, before showing the letter to her parents, Sheriff Keller and Mayor McCoy. Later, Betty receives a call from the Black Hood.

Tim & Bob continue to slowly burn out on a show that's not targeted at them anyway, but they still love Archie Comics.  Still.  Kevin, who was in the forest, hears the gunshots and rushes to find Midge crying. Moose, who shielded Midge from the gunfire, is hospitalized and survives. Following the incident, Archie founds a vigilante group called the Red Circle, to protect Riverdale High students. The Coopers receive a letter from "the Black Hood", taking responsibility for the shootings and the murder of Ms. Grundy, and detailing his intentions to target sinners. Polly leaves town, fearing for her babies. Meanwhile, Jughead begins his tenure at Southside High, befriends Toni Topaz, a Serpent, and refounds the school newspaper, the Red and Black, under the advisory of English teacher Robert Philips. Kevin keeps going out late at night, which concerns Betty. Betty follows him on one of his runs, which leads to him lashing out at her. Hiram tells Archie that he should utilize the Black Hood's main weapons for the Red Circle. Inspired by this, the Red Circle makes a video calling out the Black Hood.

Tim & Bob finally get out of Jingle-Jangle rehab and break down Seaon 2, episode 2 of RIVERDALE on the CW.  After learning of Ms. Grundy's murder, an increasingly anxious Archie suspects that her death is connected with Fred's shooting, which pushes him to get a gun from Dilton Doiley. Following the shooting, business at Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe has declined, leading Pop to consider selling the diner, but Betty convinces Pop to let her throw a retro fun night to drum up business. Jughead learns that F.P. is facing 20 years in prison and seeks help from Penny Peabody, a Serpent lawyer, who advises Jughead to ask the Blossoms to testify on F.P.'s behalf. Cheryl initially refuses, but relents when Betty extorts her with the video of Jason's murder. With Cheryl's testimony, the judge decides to revisit F.P's sentence. Hiram quietly buys the diner from Pop, but tells Veronica he made a "charitable donation". In the woods, Moose Mason and Midge Klump take some jingle jangle (a new drug to Riverdale), and as they do so, they are shot by Fred's shooter.

Tim & Bob return with their usual shenanegans.  Leave us a nice review on iTunes, would you please?  After being shot, Fred is rushed to the hospital by Archie, who is soon joined by his friends. Sheriff Keller gains a description of the shooter from Archie and calls him in for a lineup, but none of the men in the lineup are the shooter. When Veronica searches Fred's belongings, Archie sees that his wallet is missing. Betty and Jughead visit Pop's to look for the wallet but find nothing; instead, they learn from Pop that the shooter did not take any money from the register, meaning that it was actually a hit against Fred. Jughead asks the Southside Serpents to investigate the shooting, but to no avail. Veronica accuses Hermione of hiring a hitman to kill Fred, but she vehemently denies this and tensions develop between them when Veronica is not sure of her mother is telling the truth. Meanwhile, Cheryl intimidates Penelope—who suffers severe burns due to the fire at their mansion and is hospitalized—into lying that it was an accident. Fred survives his shooting. Hiram returns to Riverdale, further escalating the tensions in the Lodge family. In the nearby town of Greendale, Ms. Grundy is strangled to death by Fred's shooter.

Tim & Bob return for their thoughts on the season 1 finale and their hopes for season 2-- and SABRINA.  Also, Bob got married while we were on hiatus.  Please leve a nice comment on itunes, please.  We love you.  Follow us on Twitter.  It is revealed that Clifford was in the drug business and Jason found out. Clifford killed Jason to stop him from exposing the family business. F.P. is cleared of all charges relating to the murder, but remains in police custody. Alice reveals to Betty that, in high school, she found out she was pregnant, but Hal sent her to the Sisters of Silent Mercy and made her give up the child, a baby boy, for adoption. Jughead is placed in the care of a foster family and transfers to Southside High. Devastated by her father's secrets and suicide, Cheryl attempts to drown herself in Sweetwater River, but Archie, along with Veronica, Betty, and Jughead, saves her. Cheryl later burns down the Thornhill mansion, much to Penelope's dismay. The next day, Archie meets Fred at Pop's, where a masked gunman arrives and demands Pop turn over his money. He then tells Fred to turn over his wallet at gunpoint. When Archie tries to intervene, the gunman shoots Fred.

Bob and Tim return to bring you their take on RIVERDALE, epsidoes 10, 11 and 12.  We review The Party, the Homecoming dance and the BIG REVEAL.  We also give shout outs to some very supportive friends-- maybe that means YOU!  Jughead calls his mother, but she refuses to let him move in with her. F.P. confesses to everything, including Jason's murder. Jughead subsequently learns that he is being suspended from school. Betty and Alice catch Hal trying to destroy evidence, and learn the family secret: the Coopers are, in fact, Blossoms by blood, and Jason and Polly's relationship was thus technically incest. The Coopers take Polly back to their home. Mary, posing as F.P.'s lawyer, advises Jughead to visit his father, who tells him never to come see him again. With Joaquin's help, the group tracks down one of F.P.'s associates, but find him dead of overdose. The police are summoned, and find a bag full of money with Hermione's initials on it. With both Hal and Hermione cleared as suspects, Jughead and Betty investigate a lead from Kevin, and find Jason's varsity jacket. Inside one of the pockets, they find a thumb drive and discover Clifford murdered Jason, before informing Cheryl. Nevertheless, Jughead learns that his father's other charges will not be dropped. Veronica learns that her father has been formally released, and Mary returns to Chicago. When the police go to arrest Clifford, Cheryl directs them to his corpse hanging in the syrup distillery, next to several open casks filled with drugs.

On the verge of starting a construction job, Fred loses his crew, which could jeopardize his livelihood, so Archie rounds up his friends to pitch in and help, but things don't go well. With his secret exposed, Jughead worries about how his friends will take it; Betty and Veronica consider throwing a baby shower for Polly, who is apprehensive in light of knowing how everyone feels.  AndA reluctant Archie has an ulterior motive for agreeing to escort Cheryl to her family's official start of maple-syrup tapping, where he picks up information about Betty's sister; Veronica attempts to be nice and befriends a classmate whose father's illegal doings cause problems; Hermione wrestles with telling Fred the truth. Meanwhile, Alice plots revenge on the Blossoms with the help of her two daughters. (Thanks, TV Guide)   

Only a few more days until the next Riverdale.In the meanwhile, dig this:When we look back at American family life in the late 1930s, many of us view it not through the eyes of reality but, instead, thru the rose colored glasses of popular culture. If you were young yourself at that time, you have a more realistic memory of those years - but, if you're a baby boomer and beyond, you're more likely to imagine a typical American home, circa 1940, as being in Carvel where a teenager named Andy Hardy lives: clean, pleasant, prosperous, and where every challenge, crisis, or misadventure is resolved in time for a happy ending - complete with the occasional musical number.It's not surprising that we have this rosy vision of the past; after all, every entertainment medium did its best to create and sustain this image. Hollywood gave us a seemingly endless series of Andy Hardy movies, the Broadway stage gave us "What a Life!" which introduced the perpetually teenaged Henry Aldrich, and radio quickly turned Henry and his friend Homer into comedy characters that would endure for over a decade. As the 1940s progressed, the trend continued: perky teenager Corliss Archer came to radio in 1943, as did "A Date with Judy" - both sit-coms featuring a typical teenage girl dealing with her boyfriends, her often baffled parents, and the overwhelming dramas of high school social life. But it wasn't the stage, screen, or radio that would bring us our most enduring and innocent image of teenaged life; it was, instead, the comics.In December of 1941, just two weeks after Pearl Harbor, Pep Comics introduced a new character that continues to entertain readers to this very day - and his name is Archie Andrews. From the beginning, Archie was the epitome of the American teenager of the 1940s: dressed in a polka dot bow tie and a letterman's sweater that proclaimed his loyalty to Riverdale High, he drove a souped-up jalopy, hung out with the perpetually lazy Jughead Jones, and spent most of his time in a lovesick haze. Aside from occasional crushes on movie goddesses, Archie divided his affection between two teenaged beauties: Betty Cooper, a bright and down-to-earth blonde, and Veronica Lodge, a wealthy brunette who loved to toy with Archie's affections. Hitting just the right mix of familiarity, slapstick comedy, and small-town warmth, Archie and his pals were an instant hit with teen readers - and, in less than a year, the characters had made their way from comic books to a daily newspaper comic strip and to radio.In its first incarnation, "The Adventures of Archie Andrews" was a daily fifteen-minute radio series, aired over the Blue Network. Ratings were respectable and, after a brief move to a half-hour weekly slot, the five-a-week format returned on Mutual in 1944. But the series really hit its stride in June of 1945, when a largely new cast was introduced and it premiered over NBC in a Saturday morning slot that it would happily occupy for eight years. For the majority of the Saturday morning run, Archie was played by Bob Hastings, a talented young actor who had already made his reputation playing juveniles on dramatic programs. Woman-hating food-loving Jughead was played by Harlan Stone, perky Betty was played by Rosemary Rice, and the honey-voiced Veronica was played by Gloria Mann. If you were looking for subtlety or teenaged angst, you were never going to find it on "The Adventures of Archie Andrews"; in typical sit-com fashion, the plots usually revolved around some simple misunderstanding that quickly turned into bedlam. Aimed straight at a pre-teen audience, the programs were designed to be nothing more than loud, goofy, and fun - and, from the reactions of the studio audience that attended each live broadcast, the show was clearly adored by its listeners. 

While you're waiting for the next episode of RIVERDALE to air on the CW, check out the Riverdale your grandparents (or great-grandparents) used to enjoy.  rchie Andrews began on the NBC Blue Network on May 31, 1943, switched to Mutual in 1944, and then continued on NBC radio from 1945 until September 5, 1953. The program's original announcer was Kenneth Banghart, later succeeded by Bob Shepard (during the 1947-48 season, when Swift and Company sponsored the program) and Dick Dudley. Archie was first played by Charles Mullen (1943-1944), Jack Grimes (1944) and Burt Boyar (1945), with Bob Hastings (1945-1953) as the title character during the NBC years. Jughead was portrayed by Hal Stone, Cameron Andrews and later by Arnold Stang. Stone later wrote about his radio career in his autobiography, Relax... Archie! Re-laxx! (Bygone Days Press, 2003). During the NBC run, Rosemary Rice portrayed Betty, Gloria Mann portrayed Veronica, Alice Yourman portrayed Archie's mother, Mary Andrews and Arthur "Art" Kohl was Archie's father, Fred Andrews.

While you're waiting for the next episode of RIVERDALE to air on the CW, check out the Riverdale your grandparents (or great-grandparents) used to enjoy.  rchie Andrews began on the NBC Blue Network on May 31, 1943, switched to Mutual in 1944, and then continued on NBC radio from 1945 until September 5, 1953. The program's original announcer was Kenneth Banghart, later succeeded by Bob Shepard (during the 1947-48 season, when Swift and Company sponsored the program) and Dick Dudley. Archie was first played by Charles Mullen (1943-1944), Jack Grimes (1944) and Burt Boyar (1945), with Bob Hastings (1945-1953) as the title character during the NBC years. Jughead was portrayed by Hal Stone, Cameron Andrews and later by Arnold Stang. Stone later wrote about his radio career in his autobiography, Relax... Archie! Re-laxx! (Bygone Days Press, 2003). During the NBC run, Rosemary Rice portrayed Betty, Gloria Mann portrayed Veronica, Alice Yourman portrayed Archie's mother, Mary Andrews and Arthur "Art" Kohl was Archie's father, Fred Andrews.

Bob Peterson and Tim Powers, two grown men who love Archie Comics, return to gush like pre-teen fangirls about this episode of The CW's hit series, RIVERDALE.  Tim and Bob discuss alcoholism, mental health, gender norms, high school and, of course, the fun of Archie Comics.  Don't forget to leave a review on iTunes.  Be sure to visit your local comic shop and ask for Archie Comics.  Follow us on Twitter at @lodge_hiram . he destruction of an important piece of evidence triggers new speculation as to whom murdered Jason; things intensify when Jughead's father gets back into the fray, which reveals unsolved issues between him and Fred. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of her fight with Hermione, Veronica decides to take matters into her own hands; and Cheryl makes an unexpected proposal to Betty.

Tim and Bob return with their geeked-out, too-old-for-this-but-loving-every-minute opinions on Episode 6 of RIVERDALE, "Faster Pussycat, Kill!  Kill!"Follow us on twitter at @lodge_hiramWe love you.  Thanks for listening.  Be sure to tell a friend about Hiram's Lodge With Riverdale High’s annual variety show around the corner, Valerie’s (guest star Hayley Law) efforts to help Archie (KJ Apa) prepare for his big performance lead to some major fallout between her and Josie (Ashleigh Murray).Meanwhile, Betty (Lili Reinhart) and Jughead’s (Cole Sprouse) investigation into Jason’s death brings them to a home for troubled youth and face-to-face with Polly (guest star Tiera Skovbye).Just as her relationship with her mother was on the upswing, an unexpected betrayal sends Veronica (Camila Mendes) spiraling, while Josie deals with her own pressures at home after her overbearing father returns for her performance at the variety show.Finally, Hermoine’s (Marisol Nichols) first day at Andrew’s Construction finds her and Fred (Luke Perry) growing closer.Madchen Amick also stars. Steve Adelson directed the episode written by Tessa Leigh Williams & Nicholas Zwart.

From 1943, yet another old time radio show featuring Archie, Reggie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and all their friends.Be sure to follow us on twitter @lodge_hirams   and please leave us feedback on iTunes.  Tell your friends. 

Tim and Bob discuss episode 5 of RIVERDALE.  Tell your friends, post us on social media.  FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @Lodge_Hirams and leave feedback on itunes, please.   We love you!   The Blossom family's preparations for Jason's funeral include a secret agenda; an opportunity to work with a music mentor derails Archie's attempt to refocus on football; Veronica befriends Cheryl; Hermoine seeks Fred's help.

Yet another Archie radio program from the 40's.  Like Riverdale?  This is the Riverdale your grandparents enjoyed.  

Tim and Bob discuss episode 4 of RIVERDALE.  Tell your friends, post us on social media.  FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @Lodge_Hirams and leave feedback on itunes, please.   We love you!  Jughead discovers an anonymous buyer for the drive-in plans to tear it down and launches a battle to keep it open; Betty's friendship with Archie takes a hit after she uncovers shocking information about Miss Grundy's past. Meanwhile, Veronica confronts her mother about a suspicious meeting between her and a shady Southside Serpent; and after uncovering Betty's diary, Alice seizes the opportunity to destroy Archie's golden-boy image.

Tim and Bob are back again with their collective elation over the new episode of The CW's RIVERDALE.  These two grown-up, college educated men spend an hour discussing this new interpereation of the 75 year old franchise featuring the beloved Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, Reggie and Cheryl Blossom.  This third episode, we think, is the best of the bunch as there are new details surrounding Jason Blossom's death, revelations about Dilton Doiley, more hints at Alice Cooper's impending alcoholism, and--- it's about to hit the fan for Archie and Miss Grundy.  We love comments and, gosh, we hope to get some someday.  Leave your comments on iTunes or on our homepage www.HiramsLodge.com . Thanks for listening, especially if you're in the writers' room. 

In advance of the next episode of the CW's RIVERDALE, we present another episode of the 1940's radio series featuring Archie and the Gang.   Enjoy and laugh!  Tim and Bob will join you on the next aftershow. 

Episode 2 of The CW's RIVERDALE revelaed all kinds of mysteries, scandal and character development.  On this show, two college educated, grown up men discuss a teen show featuring America's most legendary teens.  This episode:  Episode 2:  A Touch of Evil.  Cheryl gets busted for the murder of Jason Blossom, Betty and Veronica establish themselves as Fremeies for life, they finally sing Sugar Sugar, and... much to our hosts' delight, MORE JUGHEAD.  Your hosts, Tim Powers and Robert J. Peterson weave in and out of the Riverdale universe, DC Comics, Star Trek, The Sopranos and all kinds of other wonderful goodness as they disect RIVERDALE like Cheryl disects the frog.  

Before RIVERDALE came to TV, before the various Saturday Morning Cartoos, even before Sabrina moved to Riverdale, Archie and the gang were stars of a radio series which ran for 10 years on both the NBC and Mutual radio networks.  The shows are fairly simple, basic sit-com content featuring our beloved heroes from Riverdale, and it's easy to imagine the gang in their classic incarnations.   We sure have come a long way since then, haven't we?If you like what you hear, leave a comment on iTunes.  Post episodes on social media.  Call your mom and tell her to listen.  Tim & Bob would really appreciate it.  

Author Robert J. Peterson and Comedian Tim Powers discuss the first episode of CW's RIVERDALE as well as their love for the source material, ARCHIE COMICS.