Three teenage witches walk down Bourbon Street at night, and a young man tells them to “stay safe.” Then he reveals he is a vampire, and the attack begins. That is the pitch for Coven Academy, the new Freeform/Disney+ series from creator Tim Federle, and it lands with all the breezy confidence of a show that is still figuring out exactly what it wants to be: a teen witch drama with a school for magic, where New Orleans is under threat from vampires and other monsters.
The show follows Briar (Malina Weissman), Tegan (Ora Duplass), and Sasha (Jordan Leftwich) as they form a coven at Crescent Veil Academy. The trio learn to control their powers and protect the city from vampires and other monsters. Briar arrives at the academy after a run-in with the headmistress, Ms. Graves (Tiffani Theissen), who reveals that Briar got into trouble back home in Brooklyn. When Briar unleashes powers she didn’t know she had, Tegan steps in to guide her through a secret entrance.
The Coven Academy Formula
Coven Academy borrows from two existing properties. It feels like a combination of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Wednesday. The setup is straightforward: three witches, one academy, a city under threat. The difference is the scale. Each episode runs between 12 and 18 minutes, without commercials, which gives the show a brisk, microdrama feel.
The show’s budget shows in spots. The CGI feels unfinished in some early scenes, and the veteran actors spend time finding the right tone for their characters. But the core trio works well together, even at the start when their bond is still tenuous. Weissman, Duplass, and Leftwich have enough narrative room to let viewers get to know Briar, Sasha, and Tegan individually.
The Vampire Boss and the Missing Students
Jake (Malachi Barton) is one of the students at Crescent Veil. Tegan can rewind time, and Sasha can read people’s feelings. The warlocks are organizing to find the three missing students they think were attacked by vampires. Sasha suspects Briar is hiding something, and she is right: Briar’s mother was murdered a year prior, and her killer has not been caught yet.
Sasha is gushing over Ollie (Louis Thresher), who drove Briar to the school. Ollie works for a hybrid vampire-witch named Tamora (Keegan Connor Tracy), but he doesn’t want to drink human blood. No one knows exactly why Ollie is interested in Briar. Each episode tries to end on some sort of cliffhanger, with the promise that Ollie is being tasked with drawing Briar in for his boss.
The Lead Performance Problem
Tiffani Theissen is a good actor with almost 40 years of screen credits. But she struggles to find the right tone for Ms. Graves in the first few episodes. The show doesn’t quite believe her as a stern taskmaster, and the warmth that is Theissen’s hallmark takes time to reveal itself. The performance is the one weak link in an otherwise promising package.
Why the Show Works Anyway
The quick pace of the episodes keeps things fun and interesting. The chemistry between the leads is strong, and the narrative gives viewers room to care about all three witches. The show also touches on Briar’s grief over her murdered mother, which adds depth beyond the monster-of-the-week format.
The series is available to stream on Freeform and Disney+. It is a light, enjoyable watch for fans of supernatural teen dramas, though it is not a serious prestige project. The budget limitations are visible, and the tone shifts occasionally, but the central relationship between Briar, Tegan, and Sasha holds the whole thing together.
The Verdict
Coven Academy is worth streaming. The show suffers from a limited budget and a lead performance that takes time to settle, but the quick episodes and strong chemistry among the leads keep it engaging. The cliffhangers land, and the premise is silly enough to be fun.
For viewers looking for a quick fix, Coven Academy delivers. It is a teen witch drama with a clear identity and a clear mission: entertain. It does that, mostly successfully, even when the effects look unfinished and the tone wavers.
STREAM IT.
Key Facts Box
- Network: Freeform/Disney+
- Creator: Tim Federle
- Episodes: 21 total, each 12–18 minutes
- Premise: Three teenage witches form a coven at Crescent Veil Academy to protect New Orleans from vampires and monsters
- Main cast: Malina Weissman (Briar), Ora Duplass (Tegan), Jordan Leftwich (Sasha), Tiffani Theissen (Ms. Graves)
- Supporting cast: Malachi Barton (Jake), Louis Thresher (Ollie), Keegan Connor Tracy (Tamora)
The show is a pleasant, low-stakes entry in the teen witch genre. It is not trying to reinvent the wheel, and it does not need to. The chemistry among the leads, the quick pacing, and the silly premise are enough to recommend it. The budget limitations are visible, and the lead performance takes time to settle, but the show earns its place in the crowded supernatural teen drama category.
See the video the story is built around at Decider.
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