'Riverdale' Season 4 Premiere: How to Watch, What Time and What Channel

Riverdale is back for Season 4, and fans can expect many tears in the season premiere. The CW teen [...]

Riverdale is back for Season 4, and fans can expect many tears in the season premiere. The CW teen drama is back Wednesday with a special episode, which will pay tribute to late cast member Luke Perry and reveal how the show will handle Fred Andrews' death. The series returns on its usual time Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

Fans with DVRs can record the episode and watch it later, but make sure the recording times are accurate by the minute so you don't miss a second of the action. The episode will also be made available on demand and on The CW's website and app one day after the show airs.

Netflix viewers will have to wait some time for the episode to become available in the U.S., as the show releases all episodes of its current season on the streaming service a week after the season finale airs.

The Season 4 premiere, titled "In Memoriam", will be a special tribute to Perry. The actor passed away in March after suffering a massive stroke. He was 52 years old.

The official description for the episode reads: "As the residents of Riverdale prepare for its upcoming Independence Day parade, Archie receives a phone call that will change the rest of his life forever."

The series previously explained his absence from episodes by saying he was out of town on business, with creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa saying they did not want to rush the tribute to the actor for the end of Season 3, with their intention to do the story and the character justice at the start of Season 4.

"We didn't want to rush it. We didn't want to sandwich it in between all the other plotlines," he told TVLine ahead of the premiere. He also revealed they considered ending the season with news of Fred's death, but "that felt a little cheap. So we thought, 'Let's just hold it, so we can think about it over the hiatus and reflect on it.'"

The episode will also feature a special appearance by Perry's former co-star and longtime friend Shannen Doherty. She is set to play a small but pivotal role in the episode.

"They were such good friends, and when we were putting together this tribute episode, we wanted to make it as special as possible, and so we asked Shannen to do a pivotal, super-emotional role," Aguirre-Sacasa told media in July. "She read the script and immediately said 'yes.' It's very impactful."

Ready for more Riverdale? Tune in for the Season 4 premiere Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on The CW.

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