The CW’s Katy Keene, a spinoff of Riverdale, ran for one season, with 13 episodes, from February 6, 2020, through May 14, 2020. It was a musical comedy-drama about four young people pursuing fame on Broadway, the runway, and in the recording studio. But the show spent more time on the pursuit of success than on the music itself. That imbalance is what kept the series from fully landing, and it is also the reason it earns a middling score.
Trailer, via Rotten Tomatoes TV.
The Origin Story
The series Katy Keene draws its inspiration from an Archie Comics character by the same name. It centers on four young aspirants who seek fame through music, fashion, and the stage. These characters pursue success on Broadway, on the runway, and in the recording studio, all while facing the challenges that come with trying to make it in New York City. As a spin-off of Riverdale, the story picks up five years after that show’s events. The premise is straightforward: young people in New York City want to be famous, and the show watches them fail while they sing about it.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Michael Grassi created the series. It was produced by Berlanti Productions, working together with Archie Comics, CBS Television Studios, and Warner Bros. Television. The CW gave the show a pilot order in January 2019, and the pickup came in May 2019. It first aired on February 6, 2020, before being canceled in July 2020, which made it the single CW cancellation of the 2019–2020 season.
The show’s production history shows how quickly it moved from order to screen. The pilot order came in January 2019, the pickup arrived in May 2019, and the premiere followed less than a year later on February 6, 2020. The series lasted just 13 episodes before its July 2020 cancellation, making it a relatively brief run for a CW show.
The Four Artists
The show follows four main characters:
- Katy Keene (Lucy Hale): an aspiring fashion designer trying to navigate her way in New York City.
- Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray): a singer-songwriter reprising her role from Riverdale.
- Pepper Smith (Julia Chan): a fashionista and businesswoman.
- Alexander “Alex” Cabot (Lucien Laviscount): a struggling Broadway actor.
K.O. Kelly (Zane Holtz) is a street artist and rapper who makes up the fifth member of the group. Gloria Grandbilt (Katherine LaNasa) is a wealthy socialite and investor who fills the sixth spot. Francesca Arnault (Traci Wolfe) is a fashion designer and rival to Katy, taking the seventh position. Jorge / Ginger Lopez (Jonny Beauchamp) rounds out the eighth member as a fashion designer and Katy’s friend.
Four artists are desperate to make it in the spotlight, and the series tracks their origins, trials, and tribulations. It is a musical comedy-drama, though the comedy is thin and the drama centers on rejection letters and unpaid bills.
The Cancellation
One season was all the show got. Back in July 2020, word came that the series would mark a first for the CW: it would be the network’s first show not put out on either Netflix or its own website and app, instead landing on HBO Max. That news arrived after the season finale played on May 14, 2020.
The series concluded with its final episode, leaving Katy, Josie, Pepper, and Alex still chasing after their dreams, while the show itself had come to an end.
The Lead Role
Katy Keene, the fashion designer played by Lucy Hale, is the main character and the title figure of the show. Hale plays her with a clear sense of determination. The role does not require her to be a natural musical actress, and the show never asks for that skill either. Instead, her scenes tend to involve conversations with other characters, walks down the city streets, and glances at fabric.
The Spin-Off
The new show Katy Keene branches off from Riverdale, and it picks up five years after that series ends. Josie McCoy, played by Ashleigh Murray, came back for the spin-off. She reprises her role from the original show as one of the four artists whose dreams drive the story. The tale follows these four creators as they chase their ambitions in New York City, with music playing a central part throughout the plot.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 2019 | Pilot order from The CW |
| May 2019 | Show picked up to series |
| February 6, 2020 | Premiere on The CW |
| May 14, 2020 | Season finale |
| July 2020 | Show canceled |
The Cast Announcements
A lead role in the spinoff went to Ashleigh Murray, who stars in Riverdale, when it was announced on February 4, 2019. She exits Riverdale as part of the deal. Two days after that announcement, Jonny Beauchamp and Julia Chan came aboard as Jorge Lopez and Pepper Smith, respectively. Then, a few days later, on February 26, 2019, Camille Hyde and Lucien Laviscount joined the cast as siblings Alexandra and Alexander Cabot. The last casting addition for the series came on March 11, 2019, when Lucy Hale took the lead and titular role.
The Final Season
On May 14, 2020, the last episode of the series aired. The news about HBO Max followed that broadcast, though the source does not state where the final season was placed. The series concluded with its four principal characters still chasing their ambitions.
After one season, the series was canceled, and the announcement about HBO Max made clear that it would not be found on Netflix or the CW’s own website and app. It marked the first time a CW show took that route.
The series never fully settled into a clear direction. Its goals were vast — Broadway, the runway, the recording studio — yet its delivery remained modest. Lucy Hale shouldered the lead part with resolve, while Ashleigh Murray returned Josie from Riverdale with her customary vigor. The program’s most memorable scenes came from the performers themselves, rather than from the music.
The show follows people who are desperate for fame, and it grasps their hunger entirely. Yet it fails to turn that hunger into anything worth watching.
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