‘Riverdale’ Brings in Shannen Doherty for a Special Luke Perry Tribute Episode

Riverdale Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty to guest star on ‘Riverdale’ (Photo Credit: Kurt Iswarienko)

The CW’s Riverdale will begin its fourth season with a special episode that pays tribute to recently deceased cast member, Luke Perry. Season four episode one will be titled “Chapter Fifty-Eight: In Memoriam” and, as just announced by executive producer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, will guest star Luke Perry’s friend and Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty. Aguirre-Sacasa made the announcement during the series’ panel at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.

“In Memoriam” will air on Wednesday, October 9, 2019 at 8pm ET/PT. Per The CW, “the season premiere will reflect Luke Perry’s enduring legacy and the indelible imprint his character, Fred Andrews, had on Riverdale.”

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa told the Riverdale fans in attendance at the Con panel that Perry had wanted Shannen Doherty to appear on the series since the show’s first season. “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. She read the script and immediately said ‘yes.’ It’s very impactful,” explained Aguirre-Sacasa.

Shannen Doherty’s credits include Charmed, North Shore, Our House, and Heathers. She’s reuniting with her 90210 co-stars for a limited series, BH90210.

It was also revealed there will be a new Riverdale High principal when the show returns for season four. Kerr Smith (The Fosters, Life Unexpected) joins the cast in the recurring role of Mr. Honey, a character described as “a bit of a hard-ass who takes a harder line with the students this year, especially with the seniors.”

The cast of season four includes KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Sprouse, Marisol Nichols, Madelaine Petsch, Mark Consuelos, Casey Cott, Charles Melton, Vanessa Morgan, Skeet Ulrich, and Mädchen Amick.