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Riverdale prepares for the end with a seventh and final season

The town of Riverdale is preparing for the end.

Yes, the hit CW show about sexy teens doing sexy things will officially conclude with the upcoming season 7, which is set to premiere during the 2022-2023 midseason sometime next year.

The network announced the news on Thursday morning ahead of its big Upfront presentation.

Riverdale, from showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, premiered in January 2017 and made stars of its young cast: KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Cole Sprouse, Camila Mendes, Madelaine Petsch, Ashleigh Murray, and Casey Cott. Alongside the fresh faces came veterans of '80s and '90s entertainment, actors Mädchen Amick, Skeet Ulrich, and Luke Perry.

The crazier the show got — a speakeasy run by teenagers, the Jingle Jangle drug craze, a cult, and a connection to a certain teenaged witch — the more it satiated fans.

Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge and Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones in Riverdale
Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper, KJ Apa as Archie Andrews, Madelaine Petsch as Cheryl Blossom, Camila Mendes as Veronica Lodge and Cole Sprouse as Jughead Jones in Riverdale

Kailey Schwerman/The CW 'Riverdale' prepares for the end with a final season in 2023.

"As The CW looks towards the future, we are evolving and adapting to become more than just a network. We are a brand that drives our passionate and dedicated audiences to engage directly with our programming across all platforms, both linear and digital," Mark Pedowitz, the network's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

Pedowitz highlighted "an exciting new crop of series" coming as part of the fall lineup, including Supernatural prequel The Winchesters (to air Tuesdays from 8-9 p.m. ET/PT), Walker spin-off Walker Independence (to air Thursdays from 9-10 p.m. ET/PT), a new action original Professionals (to air Tuesdays from 9-10 p.m. ET/PT), legal drama Family Law (to air Sundays from 8-9 p.m. ET/PT), the celebrity reality show Magic with the Stars (to air Saturdays from 8-9 p.m. ET/PT), and DC Comics show Gotham Knights (to make a midseason debut).

Pedowitz concluded, "We will also be saying goodbye to an iconic CW series that shaped and defined popular culture, Riverdale."

Riverdale is currently in the midst of airing season 6, which is poised to introduce Caroline Day as Heather, a former crush of Cheryl's (Petsch). It also brought us Rivervale, the official Riverdale crossover event with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, when actress Kiernan Shipka returned to her role as the titular teen witch after her own Netflix show ended.

Shipka had teased to EW "the door's open" for another Sabrina appearance. And with season 7 of Riverdale now being the final season, we can imagine the gang will pull out all the stops.

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