I found the US of Archie to be one of my very favorite programs. It coincidentally explored just those very historical episodes in the 3rd or 4th grade which we were studying.
And instead of the characters becoming flat or stock, I though it showed the, "serious side," of these kids which they must have had in order to be so well-adjusted. It also showed them in learning situations which helped me, a 9 year old with no car in a town with no soda shops, to relate better to the characters.
I felt that the characters as a whole were -enriched- by showing this serious side.
Eric
