THE DiC ERA
    When the last Filmation Archie shows ended their run, there was no new shows for nine years.  That ended in 1987.  Enter DiC Entertainment.  If the name sounds familiar, this is the same company that brought us Inspector Gadget and countless other syndicated and Saturday Morning cartoons.  By that time, Archie Comics was all but through with Filmation.  So when they started a new show, they went to Inspector Gadget's principal distributer Saban (That company is also famous for The Power Rangers).  The new idea for a show was the Archies as nine year old children rather than teenagers, thus The New Archies was born as well as their association with DiC.  In fact, later in the mid-1990's, DiC started distributing the old Filmation Archie shows via The Family Channel (now known as ABC Family). 

     A resurgence came in Archie being on TV, and Archie Comics, Hartbreak Films, and Paramout Pictures developed a live-action version of Sabrina called (What else?) Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, starring Melissa Joan Hart, who at that time was best known for her title role in Nickelodeon's Clarissa Explains It All.  The show also starred Caroline Rhea (who recently took over Rosie O' Donnel's place on Rosie's hit talk show).  DiC also teamed up with Archie Comics and Hartbreak Films in developing a new animated version called Sabrina The Animated Series in 1999 which also starred Melissa as well as her younger sister, Emily in the role of Sabrina. 

     Also by that time, Archie Comics and DiC were developing a new Archie series with Savage Studios.  This show was to be, for the first time, based on a new series of comic book Archie Comics was starting called Archie's Weird Mysteries.  It's pretty much Archie meets X-Files.  The series of the same name aired on the new network PAX in the fall of 1999 and recieved favorable reviews (at least by myself).

     Archie Comics are still working with DiC Entertainment with developing new programs and movies.  In fact, two straight-to-DVD feature-length movies called The Archies in Jugman and Sabrina The Teenage Witch: Friends Forever is out in stores now, and a new Sabrina series called Sabrina's Secret Life hit the airwaves in October of 2003.  Let's look at the DiC Era shows, shall we?
ARCHIE/SABRINA SPECIALS AND MOVIES
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