Fans of Disney Channel growing up in the late 90s and early 2000s were spoiled for choice when it came to content. They had classic shows like That’s So Raven, The Proud Family, Kim Possible, Lizzie McGuire, and a ton of silly, but enjoyable original movies running their weekday TV block.
A lot of the shows from 2010 onward don’t get a lot of the recognition they maybe should, but there’s one piece of programming that you probably didn’t even realize was a Disney Channel original. It combined mystery, comedy, and coming-of-age tales into a package that young and old alike could enjoy.
If you’re wondering how that’s possible, that’s just Gravity Falls for ya!
Gravity Falls tells the story of twelve-year old twins, Dipper and Mabel Pines, who have been sent to spend the summer with their “Grunkle” Stan in the town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. Stan runs a sideshow tourist attraction (i.e. trap) called the Mystery Shack, but the real mysteries begin popping up in the town once Dipper finds a long-lost journal.
Series creator Alex Hirsch said he was initially inspired to get into animation because of The Simpsons, the popular animated sitcom that will outlive us all. Hirsch was able to pitch the idea to Disney Channel based off of a concept he had created for a student film while he studied at the California Institute of the Arts.
The show began running on Disney Channel in mid-2012 but with later episodes of season one premiering on an irregular schedule. Despite this, the show did so well that it was picked up for a second season and moved to the teenager-focused Disney XD. Episodes from season two would still appear on the channel at an irregular pace.
Season two would be the final one for the show as Hirsch didn’t want to leave the characters with an unsatisfying ending. Instead, he left a community of fans clamoring for more time in Gravity Falls. People took to the show for its clever writing, colorful characters (Bill Cipher is still up there as one of the craziest Disney Channel villains), and often-poignant storylines that didn’t talk down to kids while still being relatable.
If you don’t believe us, check out movie/television show rating site Rotten Tomatoes. As of right now, Gravity Falls is sitting at 100% on the Tomatometer and a 98% average audience score. For reference, that is a better score than all of the top movies from 2019.
If you’re ready to dive into the mystery, you can find both seasons of Gravity Falls as well as a few shorts right now on Disney+!
Get more Disney television and movies at the links below!
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- What Your Favorite Pixar Movie Says About You
- Did You Know These 11 Movies are Actually Owned by Disney?
- AllEars Quiz! Can You Name These Animated Disney Sidekicks?
- How Disney Tried (and Failed) at Crafting a Working Florida Studio
- The 10 Weirdest Disney TV Shows You Never Knew Existed
- These are the Highest Grossing Animated Disney Movies Ever (You Won’t Believe #1!)
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Gravity Falls is one of the best things Disney Channel has produced. I wish they’d have continued it.
My son and I watched this when he was a pre-teen and again later as a late teen and thoroughly enjoyed this show both times. We were disappointed when it ended. It was a good replacement for the early Phineas and Ferb shows that were very inventive and funny that we also enjoyed together.