Ostensibly a one-shot animated special, Archie and His New Friends was designed not only to promote the popular Saturday-morning The Archie Show, but also to introduce Prime Time viewers to the series' newest character (actually not new at all, since she'd been appearing in comic-book form since 1962), Sabrina the Teenage Witch. In her first major adventure with Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica and the rest, newcomer Sabrina tries her best to "fit in" as a typical 15-year-old student at Riverdale High School, but her status as an apprentice witch all but requires her to use magic every once in while--especially during a hotly contested student election. As a balm to the kiddie fans, the special includes performances of several of The Archies' bubble-gum song hits, including "Get on the Line" and "You've Got to Have an Image." While Archie and His New Friends was first broadcast by CBS on September 14, 1969--the day after Sabrina made her initial appearance on The Archie Show--the weekly Sabrina the Teenage Witch series would not appear until September 1, 1971 (it was of course preceded by the hybrid series Sabrina and the Groovie Ghoulies.
by Hal Erickson
synopsis
