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Gravity Falls

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Gravity Falls
GenreAdventure fiction
Mystery
Comedy[1]
Created byAlex Hirsch
Directed byJohn Aoshima
Aaron Springer
Joe Pitt
Rob Renzetti
Matt Braly
Stephen Sandoval
Sunil Hall
Creative directorMichael Rianda (Season 1)
Voices of
Opening theme"Gravity Falls Main Title Theme",[2] composed by Brad Breeck
ComposerBrad Breeck
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes39 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producerAlex Hirsch
ProducersTobias Conan Trost (line producer, season 1)
Brian Doell (line producer, season 2)
Suzanna Olson (line producer, season 2 episode 12; 14-)
Rob Renzetti (supervising producer)
Running time22 minutes
Production companyDisney Television Animation
Original release
NetworkDisney Channel
Disney XD
ReleaseJune 15, 2012 (2012-06-15) –
early 2016 (early 2016)

Gravity Falls is an American animated television series created by animator Alex Hirsch[3] for Disney Channel, now on Disney XD. The series follows adventures of Dipper Pines (voiced by Jason Ritter) and his twin sister Mabel (voiced by Kristen Schaal) in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, while on summer vacation. At the start of the series, twins Dipper and Mabel are sent to spend the summer with their great-uncle (or "Grunkle") Stan (voiced by Hirsch), in the mysterious town full of unexpected situations that involve various paranormal and supernatural creatures. Grunkle Stan has the kids help him run The Mystery Shack, the tourist trap that he owns. The twins try to adapt to the weird surroundings but sense there is something strange about Gravity Falls and begin to unlock its secrets. When Dipper uncovers a cryptic journal that offers insight into the town's mysteries, he and Mabel use it and their enthusiastic desire to solve the imminent mysteries that surround them. The series officially premiered on the Disney Channel in the United States on June 15, 2012.[4][5]

Series creator Alex Hirsch first coined the concept for the show in an 11-minute low-budget student film which he made at the California Institute of the Arts.[6] Hirsch was called in to do a pitch for the Disney Channel for a show based on the short pilot.[6] The Disney Channel bought the idea and started airing the series in the summer of 2012. The series was inspired by Hirsch's own childhood experiences with his twin sister during their summer vacations.[7]

On March 12, 2013, the show was renewed for a second season as stated by creator Alex Hirsch in a tweet. However, Disney didn't officially confirm the second season until July 29, 2013, just four days before the season one finale "Gideon Rises" aired. On May 31, 2014, it was announced that the second season would air on Disney XD and Disney Channel.[8] On June 14, 2014, it was confirmed that season 2 would premiere on August 1, 2014 on Disney Channel,[9] with the rest of the season airing first on Disney XD beginning on August 4, 2014, as it is considered the new home for the series.[10]

On June 12, 2015, it was announced that J. K. Simmons had been cast for the recurring role as Stan's twin brother, and his role would be introduced in the season two episode "A Tale of Two Stans". The episode aired on July 13, 2015.[11]

On November 20, 2015, creator of the show Alex Hirsch announced that the second season of the show would be its last. The decision was made by him in order for the show to not lose its original spark. The show will conclude with a one-hour special event titled "Weirdmageddon 3" which is expected to air in 2016.[12][13]

Overview

For their summer vacation, 12-year-old twins Dipper and Mabel Pines are dropped off from their home in Piedmont, California to the fictitious town of Gravity Falls, Rogue Hill County, Oregon to live with their Great Uncle Stan Pines (often shortened to Grunkle Stan). Things are not what they seem in this small town, and with the help of a mysterious journal that Dipper finds in the forest, they realize that their everyday lifestyle has changed. With appearances from Wendy Corduroy, Dipper's crush; Soos Ramirez, friend of Dipper and Mabel and handyman to Grunkle Stan; plus an assortment of other characters, Dipper and Mabel always have an intriguing day to look forward to.[14]

Cast and primary characters

Main article: List of Gravity Falls characters

Main

  • Wendy Corduroy (voiced by Linda Cardellini)[14] – A 15-year-old[17] girl who is a part-time employee at The Mystery Shack, whom Dipper also has a crush on.

Recurring

  • Fiddleford Hadron "Old Man" McGucket (voiced by Alex Hirsch) – The "local kook" of Gravity Falls, and former friend of Stanford.
  • Bill Cipher (voiced by Alex Hirsch) – A powerful dream demon from another plane of existence (what he calls the Mind Scape) that can influence or control citizens of Gravity Falls through a trans-dimensional mindscape.
  • Toby Determined (voiced by Gregg Turkington) – Homely proprietor of and sole editor for the Gravity Falls' Gossiper.
  • Pacifica Elise Northwest (voiced by Jackie Buscarino) – The most popular and wealthy girl in Gravity Falls.
  • Robert "Robbie" Stacy Valentino (voiced by T.J. Miller) – A local teenage punk rock boy who is Dipper's primary rival for Wendy's affections.

Episodes

Main article: List of Gravity Falls episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast airedNetwork
Pilot——
120June 15, 2012 (2012-06-15)[a]August 2, 2013 (2013-08-02)Disney Channel
220[b]August 1, 2014 (2014-08-01)[c]February 15, 2016 (2016-02-15)Disney XD


Development

Concept

Prior to working on the series, series creator Alex Hirsch's primary inspiration growing up was the popular animated sitcom The Simpsons, where he observed that "animation could be funnier than live-action. That animation didn't have to just be for kids. That it could be satirical and observational and grounded in a sense of character interaction". Hirsch graduated from the California Institute of the Arts, and was hired to work as writer and storyboard artist for the Cartoon Network series The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, where he was paired up with Pendleton Ward, the creator of Adventure Time. Afterwards, he moved on to co-develop the Disney Channel animated series Fish Hooks; shortly before he pitched (and was subsequently green-lit) Gravity Falls.[19]

Production

Gravity Falls's main production offices are located at Disney Television Animation in Glendale, California.

Hirsch explained in an interview with The A.V. Club during production of season 1, that a typical episode is conceived in a room reserved for writers, where a simple synopsis is presented, and from then on dramatic structure is defined, and the plot is modified to include a character-driven subplot, which Hirsch expresses as "the hardest thing ... to find a character story that actually uncovers, explores, or pushes tension—on something our characters care about—that is properly explored via the magic or monster or impossibility of the week."[19]

B- and A-stories are created, and are given to a writer to produce an outline, which is then subsequently checked-off by Hirsch for feedback. The writer produces a draft from these edits, where more notes may be given. Hirsch states that he and creative director Mike Rianda may personally create a draft for themselves before a final script is produced, in which the dialogue from the draft received from the writer is majorly revised; Hirsch states that the revising process "is not a discredit to our writers—it's just we have a very particular vision. In particular, I usually rewrite almost all of Dipper's dialogue and most of Mabel's dialogue, just because I have them in my head. Me and Mike will stay up for about 48 hours prior to the delivery of every script. We'll take the weekend, we'll work all night, we'll drink Red Bull, we'll sleep on the couch in shifts like maniacs, we'll slap each other in the face."[19]

A script is delivered, which then gets translated into a storyboard, where feedback is received from Hirsch to the board artists if a certain element, such as a gag, doesn't work. Afterwards, a pitch for the episode is given to the network, where they do a read-through, and then the episode is either checked out by the network, or retooled in the small amount of time allocated before an animation studio must receive something to work with.[19]

Ciphers

At the end of every episode, there is a ciphered text in one of many substitution ciphers:

Season 1

  • Caesar cipher, hinted at by a voice in the opening sequence, which played backwards says "three letters back".[20] This cipher was used in episodes 1–6.
  • Atbash cipher, which is announced in an episode in Caesar cipher that it will be used this time.[20] This cipher was used in episodes 7–13.
  • A1Z26 cipher is a simple substitution cipher decoded by substituting the nᵗʰ letter of the alphabet for given number was used in episodes 14–19.
  • A combined cipher is a mix of two or more ciphers seen in the show. The first time such cipher has been used is at the end of "Gideon Rises". It's solved by converting to letters using the A1Z26 cipher, then flipping the letters with the Atbash cipher, and finally by using the Caesar cipher. Season 2's combined ciphers start with the Vigenère cipher.
  • A symbol cipher appears in the 2 part season finale. It also frequently appears in the journals. The symbols for Q, X, and Z are currently unknown.

Season 2

  • Vigenère cipher which is used in the end credits like all the other ciphers. The keyword for the cipher is hinted at by subtle clues in the episode. The voice at the end of the theme song hints at this cipher so when played backwards it says "Key Vigenère".
  • Season 2 also uses the symbol cipher mentioned above.

Reception

Critical reception

Gravity Falls has received critical acclaim. Brian Lowry of Variety stated: "The show has a breezy quality that should play to kids, and tickle some twinges of nostalgia among their parents."[21] Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd referred to the program as "...gently twisted, with some Disneyfied action and heart-warming folded in".[22] In his review, David Hinckley of New York Daily News called Gravity Falls, "quirky and endearing", and offered praise for the character of Mabel Pines.[23] Matt Blum, writing for Wired, favorably compared the show to Cartoon Network's animated program Regular Show and Disney Channel's animated program Phineas and Ferb, hailing Gravity Falls as "clever, strange, and somewhat poignant".[24] Erik Kain of Forbes called Gravity Falls "the best thing on TV at the moment".[25]

Ratings

A special preview of the series following the Disney Channel Original Movie Let It Shine was watched by 3.4 million viewers.[26] The series garnered high views on its fifth episode, which aired on July 13, 2012 and attracted 3.6 million viewers. On March 15, 2013, the episode "The Deep End" was watched by 4.5 million viewers after the premiere of Wizards of Waverly Place's The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex, becoming the highest-rated episode of the series so far. WatchMojo.com ranked Gravity Falls as the third best cartoon of the 2010s.

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result
2012 40th Annie Awards Production Design in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production[27] Ian Worrel Nominated
Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production[28] Kristen Schaal Won
2013 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Animated Show[29] Gravity Falls Nominated
41st Annie Awards Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children's Audience[30] Gravity Falls Nominated
Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production[30] John Aoshima Nominated
Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production[30] Alonso Ramos-Ramirez Nominated
Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television: Animation[31] Gravity Falls Nominated
PAAFTJ Television Awards Best Animated Series ”Gravity Falls” Nominated
Best Directing for an Animated Series “Gravity Falls” John Aoshima for “Tourist Trapped” Nominated
Best Writing for an Animated Series “Gravity Falls” Michael Rianda & Alex Hirsch for “The Inconveniencing” Nominated
Best Voice Actor in an Animated Series Alex Hirsch for “Gravity Falls” Nominated
Best Voice Actress in an Animated Series Kristen Schaal for “Gravity Falls” Nominated
Best Artistic/Visual Achievement in an Animated Series “Gravity Falls” Phil Rynda (production design), Ian Worrel (art direction), Chris Houghton & ‘C’ Raggio IV (character design) & Mark Garcia (storyboard) for “Fight Fighters” Nominated
Best Main Title Theme Music (New Shows Only) “Gravity Falls” Disney Channel Won
2014 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Animated Animal Sidekick[32] Waddles Nominated
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation Ian Worrel for "Dreamscaperers" Won
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Animated Show[33] Gravity Falls Nominated
2015 42nd Annie Awards Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children’s Audience[34] Gravity Falls Won
Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production[34] Rob Renzetti Nominated
Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production Luke Weber, Alonso Ramirez Ramos, Neil Graf & Steve Heneveld Nominated
5th Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Animated Series[35] Gravity Falls Nominated
67th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation[36] Alonso Ramirez Ramos for "Not What He Seems" Won
British Academy Children's Awards International[37] Production team of Gravity Falls Won

DVD releases

Collection Included episodes Release date
Six Strange Tales "Tourist Trapped", "The Legend of Gobblewonker", "Headhunters", "The Hand That Rocks the Mabel", "The Inconveniencing", "Dipper vs. Manliness" October 15, 2013 (2013-10-15)
Even Stranger "Double Dipper", "Irrational Treasure", "The Time Traveler's Pig", "Fight Fighters", "Little Dipper", "Summerween", "Boss Mabel", "Bottomless Pit!" August 26, 2014 (2014-08-26)

Broadcast

Disney Channel

The series began airing on Disney Channel Canada on September 1, 2015, following Corus Entertainment's acquisition of Disney Channel rights in Canada. In Canada the show began airing on Disney XD starting on December 1, 2015, following the launch of Disney XD.The show started broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland on July 20, 2012 as a preview and officially premiered on September 7, 2012.[38] In Australia and New Zealand it previewed on August 17, 2012 and premiered on September 24, 2012.[39] It also premiered in Southeast Asia on October 27, 2012.[40] In India it premiered on September 16, 2013.[41] In the Middle East region, the series was previewed on October 19, 2012, and premiered on November 10, 2012.

Other

The series preview in Canada on June 15, 2012 and premiered on July 6, 2012 on Family Channel, until January 2016, following Corus Entertainment's acquisition of Disney Channel rights in Canada.[42] In Australia, the show airs on Disney XD and 7mate[43] while in Chile, the show is aired on Canal 13 on November 24, 2013 under its programming block CuBox. In the Philippines, the show is broadcast on TV5 beginning on May 4, 2014 while in Brazil, the show began airing on Rede Globo on May 10, 2014.[44] In Indonesia, the show premiered on RCTI on August 17, 2014.[45]

References

  1. ^ "Amazon.com: Gravity Falls Season 1". Amazon.com. Retrieved June 26, 2014.
  2. ^ "iTunes: Gravity Falls Main Title Theme (from "Gravity Falls") – Single". iTunes. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  3. ^ BETTER GRAB SOME SUNGLASSES, THE FUTURE AROUND HERE IS BRIGHT, Disney Channel Medianet
  4. ^ "Watch the Series Preview of Gravity Falls Friday, June 15". Disney. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012.
  5. ^ Lowry, Brian (June 12, 2012). "TV Reviews – Gravity Falls". Variety. Archived from the original on June 14, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Brooks Barnes (August 17, 2012). "An Undercurrent of Darkness, Even at Disney". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  7. ^ Christina Radish (2012). "Creator Alex Hirsch Talks GRAVITY FALLS, How He Ended Up Making a Show for the Disney Channel, His Love for TV Animation and More". Collider. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  8. ^ "TV Guide – First Look: Disney XD Premieres New Gravity Falls Shorts". Wicked Local West Bridgewater. May 30, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  9. ^ "Twitter / _AlexHirsch: The Shack is Back! Gravity Falls Season 2 premieres Aug 1st 9:00 PM on the Disney Channel, fools!". Twitter.com. June 14, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  10. ^ "Second Season of "Gravity Falls" Premieres Friday, August 1 on Disney Channel and Monday, August 4 on Disney XD". The Futon Critic. June 16, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  11. ^ a b Lin, Joseph C. (June 12, 2015). "J.K. Simmons to Join Cast of Disney's Gravity Falls". Time.
  12. ^ "The Mystery Shack".
  13. ^ "Gravity Falls' Finale 'Weirdmageddon 3' Won't Air Until Next Year, But Disney XD Promises Surprises; Bill Cipher and Time Baby To Face Off In Gravity Falls Finale". KPOPSTARZ. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  14. ^ a b c d e f "Gravity Falls". Disney Channel Media Net. May 2012. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012.
  15. ^ a b "The Inconveniencing". Gravity Falls. Season 1. July 13, 2012. Disney Channel.
  16. ^ "Blendin's Game". Gravity Falls. Season 2. Episode 8. November 10, 2014. Disney XD.
  17. ^ "Verified Twitter of Alex Hirsch Stating Wendy's Age". July 30, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
  18. ^ "A Tale of Two Stans". Gravity Falls. Season 2. Episode 12. July 13, 2015. Disney XD.
  19. ^ a b c d Adams, Erik (September 28, 2012). "Comedy Showrunners Week: Alex Hirsch on the real in the unreal of Gravity Falls". A.V. Club. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  20. ^ a b "Why Gravity Falls Is the Smartest Cartoon on Television". Adam Warrock (AKA Z) at Wired.com. September 28, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  21. ^ Lowry, Brian (June 12, 2012). "Gravity Falls". Variety. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  22. ^ Lloyd, Robert (June 11, 2012). "Review: Bouncy, weightless fun with 'Gravity Falls'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  23. ^ Hinckley, David (June 29, 2012). "New animated Disney series 'Gravity Falls' rises to an endearing level of tween cool". New York Daily News. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  24. ^ Blum, Matt (June 28, 2012). "Gravity Falls Rises to the Level of Disney Channel's Best". Wired Magazine. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  25. ^ Kain, Erik (August 27, 2015). "'Gravity Falls' Is The Best Show On Television". Forbes.com. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  26. ^ "Friday Cable Ratings: 'Let it Shine' Premiere, + US Open, 'WWE Friday Night Smackdown', 'Common Law', 'Fairly Legal', & More". TV By the Numbers. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  27. ^ Beck, Jerry (December 3, 2012). "Annie Award Nominations 2012". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  28. ^ Beck, Jerry (February 2, 2013). "Annie Award Winners". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  29. ^ Lewis, Casey. "Teen Choice Awards Nominations Announced! Who Made The Cut This Year?". Teen Vogue. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  30. ^ a b c Amidi, Amid (December 2, 2013). "Complete List of 2013 Annie Award Nominations". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  31. ^ "The 61st MPSE Golden Reel Awards Nominees (Television)". Archived from the original on August 25, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  32. ^ Shenton, Zoe (March 30, 2014). "Kids' Choice Awards winners: One Direction, Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Justin Timberlake and more". 3am & Mirror Online. Retrieved May 31, 2014.
  33. ^ "FIRST WAVE OF "TEEN CHOICE 2014" NOMINEES ANNOUNCED". Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
  34. ^ a b Amidi, Amid (December 1, 2014). "Annie Award Winners". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  35. ^ "Critics' Choice Awards Winners: Full List". Variety. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  36. ^ "Juried Award Winners Announced for the 67th Emmy Awards". Television Academy.
  37. ^ "British Academy Children's Awards Winners Announced". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  38. ^ "What's On TV". Disney UK. September 7, 2012.
  39. ^ Gravity Falls – Sneak Peek – Disney Channel on YouTube
  40. ^ "Gravity Falls – Disney Channel Asia".
  41. ^ "New show debuts on Disney Channel today". Times of India. September 16, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  42. ^ "Schedule". Family.ca. July 6, 2012.
  43. ^ "Gravity Falls on 7mate, Sydney, Guide for 21/4/14". http://www.guidetv.com.au/. April 21, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2014. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  44. ^ "'Gravity Falls: Um Verão de Mistérios' estreia na telinha da Globo dia 10". Globo.com (in Portuguese). May 8, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  45. ^ "TENTANG GRAVITY FALLS" (in Indonesian). RCTI. Retrieved November 16, 2015.


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