Air dates: 2013-2016
Network: Disney
Today I finished Gravity Falls, and I have to say it was one of the better kids shows that I've watched. I have a bit of a propensity to watch some shows that are created when they are particularly clever (e.g. Adventure Time) and this one was recommended by a close friend of mine.
Gravity Falls is a show about twins, Dipper and Mabel Pines, that go to their great uncle ("Gruncle") Stan's house in rural Oregon for summer vacation. The eponymous town, Gravity Falls, is full of mysteries and magic, from underground ruins and laboratories to gnomes and unicorns. The kids are guided by a mysterious journal detailing some observations made by an unknown author. Often the kids bring in their Grunkle Stan, Soos, and Wendy to join on adventures. Soos and Wendy are employees of Stan's that work at his tourist trap "The Mystery Shack" where they try to filch unsuspecting tourists out of their money to see fabricated mysteries and abominations.
Anyway, Gravity Falls is a show that has a couple different levels to it. There is the base level of absurdity that kids enjoy a great deal, but there is also a higher brow level full of references and implications made for an older audience. There are references to Harry Potter, tons of classic horror movies, and even some internet memes, it's quite the onion. Overall, the writing of the show is really good. They manage to bring up and discuss a lot of more adult topics in a way that's accessible to kids, which is masterful.
The main voice actors in the animated series are Jason Ritter, Kristen Schaal, and Alex Hirsch cast as Dipper, Mabel, and Grunkle Stan respectively. Alex Hirsch is the creator of the show, but Ritter and Schaal are hired onto the project. All of the voices and the music for the show fit the tone perfectly.
The monsters are very creative and well drawn. Some of the ones towards the end of the second season are quite creepy actually. The rest of the characters are kind of caricatures of what people look like, pretty standard for kids cartoons. The animators did a really consistent job using light and dark as a representation of tension in the story.
I think what really set this show apart in my mind though was the creativity of the story. I'd recommend this show to just about anyone! If they come out with the show on DVD I just might pick that up to support the creator.
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