Well, the boycott didn’t exactly work. Coven Academy, the supernatural teen drama that had one parent group sounding the alarm before it even premiered, is officially coming back for Season 2.
Disney made the announcement just weeks after the first season dropped on Freeform, Disney+, and Hulu. And honestly, after the numbers it pulled in, this was never really in doubt.
The Show Was a Huge Hit
Let’s talk numbers, because they’re wild. According to Disney, Coven Academy racked up 20.3 million hours watched around the world in its first three weeks on Disney+ and Hulu. Disney also dropped the first chapter on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where it got more than 30 million views.
Nielsen says it was the most-watched streaming series among teens ages 12 to 17 during premiere weekend, and it landed in the top five among all viewers by views.
And here’s the part that’s kind of funny given the controversy. Families watched it together. About half of viewers ages 12 to 17 and close to two-thirds of viewers ages 6 to 11 watched with an adult, as Variety first reported. So a lot of parents were clearly on board.
Wait, What’s It About?
If you haven’t watched yet, here’s the deal. Coven Academy is set at Crescent Veil, an elite magic boarding school in New Orleans. It follows three teenage witches and their way-too-charming warlock classmates.
Power is everything, secrets can get you killed, and falling for the wrong person is a real problem. Throw in ancient supernatural wars and forbidden romance, and you’ve got the kind of teen drama people binge in one weekend. It’s rated PG-V.
The Cast Is Stacked
Malina Pauli Weissman plays Briar, a sharp New Yorker who finds out she’s a witch. Malachi Barton is Jake, the magnetic warlock with a dangerous edge. Jordan Leftwich plays Sasha, who can read minds, and Ora Duplass is Tegan, who can bend time. Louis Thresher plays Ollie, a newly turned vampire.
And for the millennials, Tiffani Thiessen runs the school as the glamorous Miss Graves, and Devon Sawa guest-stars as the warlock professor Mr. Cole. Yes, really.
So Why Was It Controversial?
Back in August, before the show even aired, One Million Moms issued an alert urging parents to avoid it. The group claimed Disney was pushing witchcraft on tweens and teens and promoting secular worldviews to young viewers.
Its alert called the show a teen soap opera and took issue with things in the trailer like teen romance, witch sisterhood, and vampires. The group’s stance was openly religious, citing Bible passages it sees as warnings against witchcraft. It even asked people to sign a pledge not to support Disney or the show.
And Then the Internet Responded
A lot of fans and parents basically said, have you met Disney? Hocus Pocus has been an October staple forever. Wizards of Waverly Place ran four seasons on Disney Channel and got a sequel series. Bedknobs and Broomsticks came out in 1971, and The Sword in the Stone came out in 1963. Disney and witches go way back.
Plenty of people pointed out that this is fantasy, the same way watching a dragon movie doesn’t make you think dragons are real. Others noted the show is clearly rated PG-V, so it’s not like anyone was tricked into watching it.
Most families landed in the same spot: watch it or don’t, it’s your call.
A Fun Behind-the-Scenes Fact
Coven Academy was originally supposed to be Disney Channel’s first young adult series before it moved over to Freeform and streaming. Which, considering everything, was probably a smart move.
What We Know About Season 2
Creator Tim Federle, the guy behind High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, is back as executive producer, along with Darren Swimmer, Todd Slavkin, Amanda Row, and Bronwyn North-Reist.
No premiere date or episode count yet. But Federle has hinted that the mother-daughter story from Season 1 is far from over. No spoilers here, but if you saw that finale, you know there are a lot of questions left hanging.
Catch Up Before Season 2
All 21 chapters are streaming now on Disney+, Hulu, and Freeform On Demand. The episodes are short, but the whole season is a little over five hours. Perfect Halloween week binge.
Love it or hate it, Coven Academy isn’t going anywhere.
