Riverdale (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Riverdale is a Canadian
prime time
soap opera
which ran for three seasons (from 1997 to 2000).
The series was set in the Toronto
community of Riverdale, which had the reputation of being home to many CBC employees at the time. It focused on a variety of characters and their interactions in everyday life. 94 half-hour episodes were produced.
Riverdale was developed by the producers of the British
soap opera Coronation Street
and produced by Epitome Pictures Inc. in association with CBC Television
. Riverdale was the first soap to play in primetime on CBC since Dallas
several years earlier.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
which ran for three seasons (from 1997 to 2000).
The series was set in the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
community of Riverdale, which had the reputation of being home to many CBC employees at the time. It focused on a variety of characters and their interactions in everyday life. 94 half-hour episodes were produced.
Riverdale was developed by the producers of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soap opera Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
and produced by Epitome Pictures Inc. in association with CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
. Riverdale was the first soap to play in primetime on CBC since Dallas
Dallas (TV series)
Dallas is an American serial drama/prime time soap opera that revolves around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries. Throughout the series, Larry Hagman stars as greedy, scheming oil baron J. R. Ewing...
several years earlier.
Characters
- Wally Wowczuk (played by Chris Benson)
- Jimmy Snow (played by Christian PotenzaChristian PotenzaChristian Potenza is a Canadian actor born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.- Biography :He has been in television since 1997, when he first appeared in the television series Riverdale as the character Jimmy....
) - Maurice Long (played by Dave Nichols)
- Ben MacKenzie (played by Christopher ShyerChristopher ShyerChristopher Shyer is a Canadian actor who has appeared in over 50 film and television roles.-Acting career:...
& Hamish McEwan) - Joan MacKenzie (played by Marion Gilsenan)
- Jerome "Tiny" Sheffield (played by Martin RoachMartin RoachMartin Jamie Roach is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles on Aaron Stone as T. Abner Hall and in the films Cube Zero, Diary of the Dead, and The Lookout.-Filmography:* Producing Parker as Dr...
) - Costas Stavros (played by Paul SolesPaul SolesPaul Robert Soles is a Canadian actor and television personality.-Acting roles:He is best known as the voice of Hermie the misfit elf in Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in 1964....
) - Chrisa Stavros (played by Maria Ricossa)
- Patrick MacKenzie (played by Alex Campbell)
- Charles MacKenzie (played by Stewart Arnott)
- Alice Sweeney (played by Lynne GriffinLynne GriffinLynne Griffin is a Canadian actress. She is known for her work in film, television and stage.Griffin was born in Toronto, Ontario, the daughter of Kay, an actress, and James Joseph Griffin, a fashion photographer and soccer player. Currently, she is married to fellow actor Sean Gregory Sullivan.-...
) - George Pattillo (played by Hugo Dann)
- Gordo Johnson (played by Merwin MondesirMerwin MondesirMerwin Mondesir is a Canadian actor. His ancestry is Saint Lucian. Now he is living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.- Movies :*2000: Seventeen Again as Todd*2001: Bones as Bill Peetas*2004: Godsend as Maurice...
) - Stan Wilkes (played by Ken James)
- Gloria Wilkes (played by Jayne EastwoodJayne EastwoodJayne Eastwood , also credited as Jane Easton or Jane Eastwood, is a Canadian actress most famous for appearing in the 2002 film Chicago. She was one of the original cast members of the Toronto branch of The Second City, and was a semi-regular on SCTV...
) - Jenni Hernandez (played by Yanna McIntoshYanna McIntoshYanna McIntosh, sometimes credited as Yanna MacIntosh, is a Jamaican-born Canadian television, movie and theatrical actress.-Early life:...
) - Mike Hayes (played by Tyrone BenskinTyrone BenskinTyrone Benskin is a Canadian actor and politician. He was elected Member of Parliament in the Jeanne-Le Ber riding, in Montreal, Quebec, in the 2011 Canadian federal election.-Life and career:...
) - Jake Rose (played by Tom Melissis)
- Robin Hayes (played by Ashley BrownAshley BrownAshley Brown is an actress who is best known for playing the title character in the United States national tour and Broadway productions of Mary Poppins.-Career:...
) - Cassie Coulter (played by Melissa ThomsonMelissa ThomsonMelissa Thomson is an Australian basketball player in NSW, Australia. She is a forward with Sydney Comets of the Waratah Australian Basketball League ....
) - Stephanie Long (played by Diana Reis)
- Irene Stavros (played by Melissa DiMarcoMelissa DiMarcoMelissa DiMarco is an actor, producer, and television personality. She is currently the star, creator, and a writer on Out There with Melissa DiMarco , an award-winning television comedy which airs on Citytv's national network, OMNI.1, and in syndication on OUTtv...
) - Caroline Walker (played by Nicole Hughes)
- Terry Walker (played by Matt Cooke)
- Michelle Martin (played by Michelle MartinMichelle MartinMichelle Martin is a former professional squash player from Australia who was one of the game's leading players in the 1990s. During her career, she won three World Open titles and six British Open titles...
and Jennifer Podemski) - Katie MacKenzie (played by Jessica Greco)
- Shawn Ritchie (played by Kristen J. Holdenried)
- Gilmour (played by GilmourGilmour (surname)Gilmour is a surname, and may refer to:*Alan Gilmour, Scottish/Australian playwright and librettist*Bill Gilmour, various, including:**Bill Gilmour , television director for soap opera Coronation Street...
the dog) - Doug Wilkes (played by Simon FraserSimon FraserSimon Fraser may refer to:Universities:* Simon Fraser University, a university named for the explorer in British Columbia* Simon Fraser Clan, the athletic program of Simon Fraser UniversityLords Lovat:...
)