‘Coven Academy’ Creator Tim Federle Talks Witches, the YA “White Space” and Why All the Episodes Are Atypically Short (It’s Not the Reason You Expect)
Disney’s *Coven Academy*, created by Tim Federle, is a supernatural teen drama set at a New Orleans magic boarding school. Federle says the idea grew from his interest in witch stories and a conversation with Disney about trying a shorter, fast-moving format; he hopes the series will offer a bingeable YA drama at a time when he sees space for more stories aimed at that audience.
The episodes run from 10 to 22 minutes, but Federle says their brevity is not intended to cater to short attention spans. Instead, they use chapter-like breaks while building longer story arcs, twists and payoffs across the season. The cast includes Malina Pauli Weissman, Malachi Barton and Tiffani Thiessen; the series was scheduled to premiere on Freeform on 1 October, with the full season available the following day on Disney+, Hulu and Freeform On Demand.
- *Coven Academy* is a new supernatural YA drama set at a magic boarding school.
- Its short episodes are designed as chapters in a longer, bingeable story.
- The season was due on Freeform and streaming services from 1 October.