‘Coven Academy’ Is About to Make Disney Channel History with Its Boldest Teen Series Yet

Disney Channel has spent decades perfecting a very particular formula: bright multi-cam comedies, wholesome storylines, and characters who never quite outgrow their teenage awkwardness. That formula built empires, but it’s also left the network chasing an audience that keeps aging out faster than new shows can replace them.

For years, industry watchers have wondered whether Disney would ever be willing to chase the moodier, soapier teen drama space that other networks once dominated. That genre thrived elsewhere for a generation of viewers who wanted their coming-of-age stories with a little more edge, a little more heartbreak, and a little more danger than the average sitcom could offer.

Now, Disney is finally stepping into that territory in a way it never has before. Resembling the soapy, addictive output of The CW in its heyday, ‘Coven Academy‘ is the first-ever young adult series to air on Disney Channel and Disney+, and has enough blood and grit potentially to bring back the teens who might otherwise be aging out of Disney’s wholesome multi-cams.

The series comes from Tim Federle, the writer-director behind the beloved ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,’ a show that helped launch the career of Olivia Rodrigo. Set in New Orleans, the supernatural dramedy follows a trio of teenage witches-in-training who are bound by destiny to guard their city against dangerous, ancient forces, all while navigating the heartbreaks and deep bonds that come with growing up.

Federle’s casting choices for the project reflect a deliberate effort to age up alongside his ‘HSMTMTS’ audience. Federle recalls telling star Malachi Barton ahead of shooting, “Malachi, your audience is growing up. I think it’d be great for you to start growing up with them. Ground it. Shake off anything multi-cam. Just be a guy. Step into your greatness by actually doing less. This is a single camera; it’s on you, and the camera does a lot of the work. Just trust that you’re enough.”

That casting decision didn’t happen in a vacuum, either. Federle recalled that Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids & Family, told him, “Tim, I haven’t seen a reaction to a young actor like this ever in my career. It’s visceral in the room, and you should consider writing him a little role in ‘Coven Academy.'” That kind of executive-level enthusiasm speaks to how much confidence Disney is placing in the project’s ability to break through with an older, more discerning fanbase.

The series stars Malina Pauli Weissman as Briar, Tiffani Thiessen as Miss Graves, Malachi Barton as Jake, Louis Thresher as Ollie, Jordan Leftwich as Sasha, and Ora Duplass as Tegan, with Devon Sawa joining in a guest-starring role as Mr. Cole. The show follows three teenage witches and their dangerously charming warlock peers at an elite magic school where power is currency, secrets are lethal, and attraction is a liability, forcing the coven to decide how far they’re willing to go to protect their city and themselves.

Production has already wrapped, with filming completed earlier this year in Burnaby, British Columbia, and the series is slated to premiere on Disney Channel on September 15, before moving to Disney+ later that month. Given the ten-episode season order and the show’s clear ambitions to lean into darker, more mature storytelling, ‘Coven Academy’ represents one of the more significant format experiments Disney Branded Television has attempted in years.

What makes this pivot particularly notable is the timing. The CW itself has undergone massive changes in recent years, leaving a gap in the teen soap landscape that once felt permanently occupied by shows chasing that exact tone. Disney stepping into that void, using a built-in fanbase from its own successful IP, suggests the studio sees real commercial opportunity in courting viewers who’ve traditionally aged out of its programming entirely.

Whether ‘Coven Academy’ can successfully walk the line between grit and family-friendly branding remains to be seen, but the ambition alone marks a meaningful departure for a network long associated with squeaky-clean storytelling. If it works, it could open the door for Disney to build an entirely new pipeline of YA content aimed at retaining audiences well into their teenage and young adult years.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!