I actually quite liked the spin they gave to "Riverdale," given the unrealistic wholesomeness of the comic. I didn't expect to enjoy it, but I did. It was actually better than you might expect. 

They did some clever references to the original. For instance, the illegal drug of choice among Riverdale teens was called "Jingle Jangle." 

"Jingle Jangle" was the follow-up to "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies on the pop charts. It didn't have the success of the big hit, but those who knew that and watched the show got the in-joke. 

If you're curious, you can watch all 7 seasons of the show for free here.