What is ‘Katy Keene’ about?
According to CW, Katy Keene “follows the lives and loves of four iconic Archie Comics characters — fashion legend-to-be Katy Keene, singer/songwriter Josie McCoy, performer Jorge Lopez/Ginger (Jonny), and “It Girl” Pepper Smith (Julia) — as they chase their twenty-something dreams in New York City…together. Katy designs clothes for anyone she can, including her friend and roommate Josie, whose singing talent catches the attention of Alexander Cabot (Lucien), a CEO who hopes to reboot the record label division of his father’s corporate empire. But Alexander’s dream of signing Josie to a recording contract meets resistance from Cabot Media’s powerful senior vice president Alexandra (Camille), who also happens to be his twin sister. Josie and Katy’s roommate Jorge works at his family’s bodega and has his eye on Broadway, but after a series of rejections, he hopes to take his drag performance career as Ginger to the next level. The mysterious Pepper Smith plans to open her own version of Andy Warhol’s Factory. She has the connections, but no one seems to know where she got her money — or if she really has any at all. Katy struggles to manage the pressures of her day job at Lacy’s Department Store and her very demanding boss, Gloria (Katherine), who is a legendary personal shopper. But Katy has the support of her longtime boyfriend, KO Kelly (Zane), who has his own dream of becoming a professional boxer. As these aspiring artists take on the runway, the recording studio, Broadway, and the NYC social scene, they will find more than just a career in the big city — they’ll find long-lasting friendship.”
How epic does that sound?!
“The show is all about the ups and downs of life. It follows this group of friends who are trying to make their dreams come true,” Lucy told Entertainment Tonight. “It really is about the strong bond between these friends.”
And although it’s made by the same people who created Riverdale, don’t expect it to be too similar.
“They have much different worlds. Katy Keene is much brighter. It’s about four friends optimistically trying to make their dreams come true in New York City. The way we shot the pilot, it looks like old-school New York. It’s beautiful,” the actress told W Magazine. “You feel really optimistic and inspired, so tonally it’s a lot different from Riverdale. But I think lovers of shows like those will still gravitate to our show, because it leaves you feeling good and ready to go out and chase whatever it is you’re chasing. I’ve never quite done a show like this. There’s a musical element to it, and lots of amazing clothes.”
“We want the show to look like the nostalgic New York that we have in our heads. It’s a heightened, fairy-tale version,” Lucy also told the Daily News. “[Katy] really doesn’t have it all figured out. She’s faking it until she makes it. She’s a little insecure, but she’s going to figure it out. You see her and she seems really put together, but it’s been nice to humanize her, see her flaws.”
But don’t expect it to be too much like Riverdale!
“They’re calling it a Riverdale spinoff but it really doesn’t have anything to do with Riverdale,” she added. “Tonally, they probably couldn’t be more opposite.”
