25 shows to watch if you like Riverdale
By Sundi Rose
iZombie
Not your mama’s zombie story, iZombie has that CW cool that you can recognize from a mile away. Adroit and quick, this show is Riverdale-lite, with the undead mixed in pretty heavily.
The premise: An up and coming doctor reluctantly goes on a cruise with her dreamy boyfriend. It crashes and she wakes up, pale-skinned and white haired, as a member of the undead.
Olivia Moore, cleverly nicknamed Liv, is a recently turned zombie, who is trying to “pass” as human. More accurately, she is trying to hide her status as a zombie, while solving crimes and mysteries as an assistant medical examiner.
She’s not the leg-dragging, moaning, decomposing sort of zombie. Rather, she’s a healthy, perky, fully-realized type, who retains her keen sensibilities and human proclivities. You won’t see Liv as an extra on The Walking Dead, but instead she’s an intellectual with a big heart, ready to save humanity, even though she’s sort of living on the fringes of society.
Why you’ll like it: Like so many Rob Thomas-produced shows, it’s cheeky and quirky. It also features a strong female lead character that’s a little bit Veronica and a little bit Betty. There’s also some crime-solving, since Liv can take on the personality and memories of the owners of the brains she eats. As soon as a victim lands in the Seattle coroner’s office, Liv transforms it into a spicy dish, and she’s soon privy to their characteristics and memories.
Although it might not be as classically noir as Riverdale, it definitely has a dark side. Also based on a graphic novel, it takes on some pretty serious issues and allows its characters to go through some pretty icky stuff.
Where to find it: The first three seasons are available on Netflix. The first half of the first season is a little more macabre than the rest of the show, so stick with it. Season 4 is available on The CW website and app.