Wednesday, March 2, 2016

The Rise of Gravity Falls: An Industrial Analysis



This analysis was written on 12/7/2015, before the finale of Gravity Falls aired.  This blog has no affiliation with Disney, nor does this analysis represent the views of Disney in any way.  All images used here are for the purpose of education.  No copyright infringement intended.

 The Disney Channel has been a source of entertainment for children for ages.  Kids in elementary and middle school enjoyed the content targeted toward their age group and parents enjoy the luxury of knowing that if their child is watching Disney Channel, then they aren’t being exposed to inappropriate content.  This also means, however, that Disney Channel is only allowed to exhibit certain content.  There is even a theory that the idea that they will have to “play it safe” has warded off potential showrunners.1  This theory has been challenged greatly in recent years, however, since the arrival of Alex Hirsch at Disney and the production of his hit cartoon Gravity Falls. 
The show focuses on two twin siblings, Dipper and Mabel, as they spend a summer at their Great Uncle “Grunkle” Stan’s home turned tourist trap, called the Mystery Shack, in the backwoods town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. What appears to be a boring summer in a lazy town quickly takes a turn for the bizarre as Dipper finds a journal with a six-fingered hand and a giant 3 on the cover that describes in detail the strange, supernatural beings that exist in the town and carries a warning: trust no one.  With his sister by his side, the two navigate through whatever quandary life throws at them, whether it be battling gnomes, fighting dinosaurs, impressing a crush, or trying to fit in with the teenagers.  The show is a blend of supernatural, comedic, thriller, family, and dramatic elements.  Hirsch himself describes it as a cross between Twin Peaks and The Simpsons.2  While the target audience is still the younger crowd that Disney channel caters to, the show often pushes past what audiences had previously thought Disney would deem appropriate. The occasional bought of crude humor aside, the weird and bizarre elements of the show sometimes delve into the more horrific, especially as the show progresses.  The second to last episode of the first season contains a prime example of this when the season’s main antagonist, 9-year-old fraudulent child psychic and town darling Lil’ Gideon, actually summons a demon [see Figure 1].  From there on and into the second season the show takes more liberties with how much far they go with horror [see Figure 2].  These moments are shocking to see on the normally tame Disney Channel and cause many viewers to question how such content makes it past what was previously thought to be stringent censors.  Yet when questioned about the content, Hirsch explains that one thing he would never put in his show is “something [he] wouldn’t feel comfortable seeing in a Pixar film.”3  As the content does make it to air, it appears that Disney agrees with Hirsch.  Perhaps the execs were even looking for someone to push the limits of what they were willing to show the public.  In fact, evidence to support this theory takes root in the conception of the show itself.


Figure 1: Li’l  Gideon summoning Bill Cipher. Courtesy of youtube.com.



Figure 2: Body horror in the episode Weirdmaggedon Part 1. Courtesy of tvtropes.com.

            An interesting thing to note about Gravity Falls is that Alex Hirsch did not actually pitch it to Disney.4  The series is based on a student animated film that Hirsch made while at California Institute of the Arts.  After seeing it, Mike Moon, an executive of animated series at Disney, called Hirsch to see if he would like to develop a series for Disney.  Moon himself was an animator for several years, his most notable work being on that of the Emmy-winning series Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends on Cartoon Network.5  As Hirsch agreed and began development, he found that he had immense creative control as a showrunner.6  The series, which is semi-autobiographical as it is based on Hirsch’s childhood memories of spending summers with his own twin sister at his Grandpa Stan’s house, is a personal one for the creator and it was important that Disney didn’t seek to change anything or add in gimmicks.  Luckily, Disney seemed to be eager to see what Hirsch would come up with and Gravity Falls was born.
A Star-Studded Cast
            Due to the many connections at Disney, there is no lack of star power in the show.  Famous guest stars are littered throughout the series including talk show host Larry King, 90s rapper Coolio, Lance Bass of N’Sync, comedian Nick Offerman, parody artist Weird Al Yankovic, and even physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.7  Some of the other guests are friends that Hirsch wanted to bring into his project.  Prior to joining forces with Disney, Hirsch was an animator on Cartoon Network’s The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack in 2008 and 2009.  In 2010 he had his first brush with Disney with his work on the network’s Fish Hooks, for which he animated as well as voice acted.8  Through his previous work experiences Hirsch made connections with fellow animators and actors who would help him bring his creation to life.  It was while working on Flapjack that he met Justin Roiland who would later go on to create Rick and Morty on Adult Swim.  The two have remained close and have even guest starred on each other’s shows.  On Gravity Falls, Roiland voices the character of Blendin Blandin, a stuttering time traveler who reappears several times throughout the series. 
Another character from Hirsch’s past is Thurop Von Orman.  Orman, who previously voiced the character Flapjack of The Misadventures of Flapjack, was brought on the main antagonist of the first season, Li’l Gideon.  Gideon is a fraudulent child psychic slightly younger than the Pines twins who, with his first appearance in The Hand That Rocks the Mabel, forms a rather persistent crush on Mabel [see Figure 3].  It is revealed that he has a journal much like Dipper’s with a number 2 on the cover, and it is implied that this is how he found the amulet that gave him the powers he used to trick the townspeople into thinking he was a psychic.  Throughout the series he comes up with plots to steal the Mystery Shack, although in some episodes he seems content to only irritate the Pines family [see Figure 4].  With his vocal talents, von Orman manages to deliver a performance that is sometimes terrifying in how creepily adorable Gideon is.


Figture 3: A magazine article printed after Li’l Gideon coerces Mabel into going on a date. Courtesy of gravityfalls.wikia.com



Figure 4:
Li’l Gideon overjoyed at stealing Stan’s chair at the local pool. Courtesy of gravityfalls.wikia.com

            The voice actors who make up the main cast come with a considerable amount of star power as well.  The biggest star of the show is actually Kristen Schaal, who plays Mabel Pines.  Mabel is a charming personality whose passions include boys, pigs, scrapbooks, and sweaters.  Sometimes immature, Mabel is shown to have a vivid imagination and a large heart.  Her charisma and cheery nature serve as a contrast to her grumpy and cynical Grunkle Stan, which is what makes the development of their relationship as the series progresses so interesting.9  The character is based off of Hirsch’s twin sister Ariel, and early on he decided that without Schaal to voice Mabel there would be no show at all.10  Schaal is known for her work in projects such as Flight of the Concords and Fox’s hit cartoon Bob’s Burgers.  Aside from acting, she has also earned awards for her comedy.11
            Dipper, who is actually the main character of the show, was harder to find a voice for.  As an intelligent yet awkward and often paranoid character, Dipper has a tendency to be a bit neurotic and skeptical of everyone.  After finding the journal, Dipper often becomes obsessed with it, often going overboard and putting both his sister and himself in danger trying to uncover the mysteries of the town.  It was important to Hirsch that they find someone who could sound both youthful and serious, and ultimately it was Jason Ritter who won the role.  After comparing Ritter’s voice to Schaal’s, Hirsch thought that the contrast would be amusing dynamic for the two siblings to have.12  Ritter’s acting resume is a long one both on and off screen and includes roles on hit TV shows such as NBC’s Parenthood and HBO’s Girls.13
Alex Hirsch himself, however, provides quite a few voices for the show.  Some of those characters include the twins’ surly Grunkle Stan, the dim but lovable handyman Soos, the local kook Old Man McGucket, and the main villain of the series Bill Cipher.  Despite his voice acting abilities, Hirsch did not plan on voicing the characters.  After spending so much time developing his characters, however, he found that he had a very particular idea as to what their voices would sound like.14  With that knowledge, he decided to voice the characters himself.  As Stan and Soos in particular are principle characters who frequently interact, Hirsch sometimes voices entire scenes by himself.
Other principle cast members include Linda Cardellini (Wendy Corduroy), TJ Miller (Robbie Valentino), J.K. Simmons (Stanford Pines), Jon DiMaggio (Manly Dan), Jennifer Coolidge (Lazy Susan), and Kevin Michael Richardson (Sheriff Blubs).  Part of the draw of the series is the cast of colorful, and often insane characters.  Perhaps Soos says it best in the episode The Stanchurian Candidate when he says, “Everyone in this town is a tad strange.  Except, ironically, Tad Strange.” [see Figure 5].

Figure 5: Quote: “Hi guys. Tad Strange is the name and being normal’s my game.” Courtesy of gravityfalls.wikia.com


Gravity Falls on the Rise
            Since it first aired in 2012, Gravity Falls has received high praise from both fans and critics alike.  Brian Lowry, a columnist for Variety, cites the 9:30pm Prime Time show time as a possible attempt for the show to pull in a newer audience for Disney Channel.15  He goes on to identify tween girls as the usual audience  member of the network at the time, and considering that the majority of the shows at the time featured female teen and young adult leads it seems like a fair assessment.  The next few years featured shows with more gender neutral casts in shows like I Didn’t Do It, but today the majority of the shows on the channel are still female led.16  In August of 2014, just after the premier of the second season, Gravity Falls was moved to the decidedly more action and cartoon-driven Disney XD channel.
            Over the years the series has met a lot of critical acclaim.  When the show first aired, the Los Angeles Times described it as having “Disneyfied action” amongst its heart-warming and at times “gently twisted” elements.17  The review also goes on to praise Kristen Schaal in particular, claiming the actress has a way of making the audience feel like she has been given the best lines even when she hasn’t.18  The voice acting talent in the show in general is rather phenomenal, with several actors being nominated for Behind the Voice Actors (BTVA) Awards for their performances.  Schaal herself has won 2 BTVAs as well as an Annie in 2013 for her performance as Mabel. Alex Hirsch, as well, has received a BTVA for his portrayal of Grunkle Stan, and in 2015 the cast was nominated for Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series.19
            Voice acting aside, the show has also garnered various nominations and awards for animation, writing, and sound editing.  In 2014 and 2015 it was nominated for Golden Reel Awards for sound design, and in 2015 it won the Annie for Best Animated TV/Broadcast for a Children’s Audience.  Animators for the show have also received Emmys for Outstanding Individual Animation in both 2014 and 2015.  Most recently, however, the series won the BAFTA Children’s Award for Best International Series.20
            The ratings that the series has garnered over the years are quite impressive as well.  The summer premier of 2015 was watched by a record breaking 2.3 million viewers.21  The episode, entitled A Tale of Two Stans, had been eagerly anticipated by fans for four months after the previous episode, Not What He Seems, ended with a large cliff-hanger and plot twist.  A Tale Of Two Stans aired on July 13 and earned the cable TV number one spot for viewership of a scripted series for that week.22
Despite the popularity of the show, however, there are a few things that not even Gravity Falls can get away with.  Although a lot does happen in the show that most would have previously expected to be too graphic for Disney, the censors do prevent a couple of things from making it to air.  The most controversial incidence of this occurs in the second season, aired in 2015, with the episode The Love God.  Oddly enough, the part of the episode that got censored had nothing to do with horror, but rather the inclusion of a same-sex couple.  The episode featured a cherub known as the Love God (voiced by John DiMaggio) parading around Gravity Falls as a musician for the annual Woodstick music festival.  While there, Love God goes to the local diner and shows off his powers by causing people to fall in love with the snap of his fingers.  In the original storyboards, the Love God points an elderly woman in the direction of another elderly woman [see Figure 6].   Despite Hirsch’s desire to keep the sequence as it was, when the episode aired the moment had been changed so the elderly woman got together with an elderly man [see Figure 7]. 

Figure 6: The original storyboard of the elderly couple. Courtesy of arythusa.tumblr.com



Figure 7: The scene that aired. Courtesy of gravityfalls.wikia.com
Although many believe Disney to harbor homophobic tendencies, it is unlikely for that to be the cause of the switch.  While Disney very rarely portrays any sort of same-sex relationship, an attempt was made on their popular sitcom Good Luck Charlie.  An episode was aired in January of 2014 wherein the titular character, a young girl named Charlie, has a friend coming over for a playdate.  Upon the friend’s arrival it is revealed that the child has two mothers.  This was a bold move on Disney Channel’s part and many applauded the network for branching out in their diversity.  Many conservatives, however, were outraged.  Some even went so far as to send the 5-year-old actress who played Charlie, Mia Talerico, death threats.23  Although it is unclear whether or not this had any impact on Disney’s decision to remove the same-sex couple in Gravity Falls, it is understandable why Disney would want to err on the side of caution.

Fan Reception
The response to Gravity Falls has been astounding.  Despite the fact that the cartoon, with its often juvenile humor and magical mischief, is clearly targeted toward children, the series has amassed quite the following amongst an older audience as well.  The way that Hirsch and the other writers develop their story captures the attention of both audiences, and heavy analysis can be done into the relationships between the characters.  Every episode reveals something new about the characters and draws viewers further into the series.  The humor of the show, unlike many other children’s shows, never drowns out or prevents the emotional development in the show.  This perfect balance can be identified in the episode Society of the Blind Eye wherein crazy Old Man McGucket gives Dipper and Mabel a heartfelt thanks for helping him recover memories he had previously lost by “ham boning” his message by using a series of slaps against his legs, knees, arms, and head.  The action fits in with McGucket’s character and portrays the development his character has received during the episode while still being wacky enough to be funny.  Dipper responds with a smile while saying, “Still don’t know what that means.”  The smile signifies that Dipper knows that the message is likely emotional, and additional humor comes from the fact that he accepts that without knowing exactly why it is emotional.
One of the things that sets modern television series apart from previous generations is social media.  With sites such as Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook, it is easy for fans to become connected with each other and bond over content.  It also gives fans access to the creators of shows by following their feeds, blogs, or pages.  Gravity Falls is no exception.  One several occasions Alex Hirsch has tweeted to and about fans, sometimes even asking them to design a new icon for his profile picture.24 This sort of fan interaction has also allowed several animators are able to answer fan questions about the show as well.  The social media aspect connects fans personally with the creators, which strengthens the emotional bond they have with the content.  This connection has a way of shifting the way in which traditional media is presented.  In fact, Hirsch chose to first announce that the series was ending not in a press release, but instead in a personal Tumblr post.25
            One of the most interesting interactions between social media and the show exists within the conception of the Stan Twin Theory.26  The theory originally spread across social media in 2012 and theorized that Grunkle Stan at one point had a twin.  The theory focuses on small details of the show that could be construed to imply that Stan had a twin that he kept a secret.  One such detail taken into account was the fact that the license plate of Grunkle Stan’s car read STNLYMBL, seemingly to mean “Stanley Mobile” [see Figure 8].   Since Grunkle Stan’s full name in the show was Stanford, fans took note of this as something of significance.



Figure 8: The STNLYMBL license plate. Courtesy of gravityfallswikia.com








            When Not What He Seems aired in March of 2015, it had been heavily alluded to that a big plot twist was coming.  The second season of the show mainly focuses on Dipper’s search for the author of the journals.  This episode, like so many others, revolved around mystery, but this particular mystery concerned Grunkle Stan and what he was hiding in the Mystery Shack basement.  The episode’s action begins when Stan is arrested by government agents and the twins set out to clear his name.  As the episode progresses, Dipper, who all too often takes the journal’s warning to “trust no one” to heart, is ready to believe the worst as the evidence against Stan piles up whereas Mabel, with her large heart and endless optimism, keeps holding on to her belief that there must be some sort of explanation.  Everything culminates in the secret basement of the Mystery Shack where the twins find a portal to another dimension.  Stan enters the scene, a surge from the portal causes gravity to fail, and somehow Mabel finds herself in front of the button to shut it all down and having to make a decision: listen to her brother and shut it down, or trust Stan and risk the fate of the universe.  True to her compassionate nature, Mabel chooses the latter.  The portal is finally charged and turns the town upside down, quite literally, as it all but explodes.  As the dust settles, a six-fingered stranger emerges from where the portal once stood.  A shocked Dipper inquires as to who the stranger is, to which Stan replies, “The author of the journals: my brother.” [see Figure 9].  As predicted by fans, the two men are, indeed, twins.  There was still a twist, however, as it was later revealed that Grunkle Stan’s real name was Stanley and his brother was actually Stanford.
 

Figure 9: The real Stanford Pines emerges. Courtesy of Disney.wikia.com

            The acknowledgement of the fans comes a couple of episodes later in a gag.  At the end of Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons, the Pines family and company have settled in to see the season finale of their favorite show, Ducktective.  Their show ends with a reveal that Ducktective has a twin brother, which fails to impress the Pines and prompts Soos to proclaims, “I predicted that, like, a year ago.”  This is a clear nod to the Stan Twin Theory and a gentle jab at the fans who were unimpressed with the plot twist.
The Weirdness Comes to an End
            All good things must come to an end, although it is definitely odd for a show as popular as Gravity Falls to end after only two seasons.  The decision, however, is consistent with the amount of creative control Disney has allowed Alex Hirsch.  In his Tumblr post announcing the end of the series, Hirsch tells fans that the story he wanted to tell is almost complete, and that he was grateful to Disney for allowing him to end the series as he saw fit.27  The news has been met with mixed feelings from fans.  Many are grateful that their show will not befall the same fate of other series that were dragged on until the ratings were sufficiently dead.  Others feel that the series has been cut too short and are upset that there will not be another season.  The exact date of the finale has yet to be announced, but if past precedence holds true, Disney can expect another record audience for it in early 2016.
            As for Hirsch, he has expressed a desire to stay in television.28  In the past he has turned down positions at both DreamWorks and Pixar, stating that with television he gets to tell several stories a year whereas he would only get to tell part of one over the course of several years with a feature.  It is uncertain if a team like Hirsch’s will come together again, but the success of their animated series will likely be remembered far into the future.  The show is truly a unique wonder.  Through the fascinating storytelling, phenomenal voice acting, and the well-timed humor, Gravity Falls continuously takes its audience by surprise.  It may be almost over, but the hour-long finale on the horizon provides the show with a chance to take everyone by surprise once more.




1Barnes, Brooks. An Undercurrent of Darkness, Even at Disney. The New York Times.    
2Ibid
3Ibid
4Radish, Christina. 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.com
5Baisely, Sarah. Disney Channel Recruits Mike Moon to Oversee Animated Series. Animation World Network.   
6Ibid
7Gravity Falls Full Cast & Crew. IMDb
8Alex Hirsch. Wikipedia
9Adams, Erik. Comedy Showrunners Week: Alex Hirsch on the Real and Unreal of Gravity Falls. AV Club
10Ibid
11Kristen Schaal Awards. Ace ShowBiz
12Ibid
13Jason Ritter. IMDb
14Ibid
15Lowry, Brian. Review: Gravity Falls. Variety
16List of Disney Channel Series. Wikipedia
17Ibid
18Ibid
19Gravity Falls Awards. IMDb
20Barraclough, Leo. Alex Hirschs Gravity Falls Wins BAFTA Childrens Award. Variety
21Kissell, Rick. Ratings: Disney XDs Gravity Falls Sets Network Record With Summer Premiere. Variety
22Ibid
23Corriston, Michele. Good Luck Charlie Child Star Mia Talerico, 5, Targeted by Death Threats: Police. People

28Ibid

Works Cited

Adams, Erik. "Comedy Showrunners Week: Alex Hirsch on the Real in the Unreal of Gravity Falls." · Interview · The A.V. Club. The A.V. Club, 28 Sept. 2012. Web. <http://www.avclub.com/article/comedy-showrunners-week-alex-hirsch-on-the-real-in-85801>.
Adams, Erik. "Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch Previews the Show's New Season by Recapping Its First." · The Walkthrough · The A.V. Club. The A.V. Club, 31 July 2014. Web. <http://www.avclub.com/article/gravity-falls-alex-hirsch-previews-shows-new-seaso-207536>.
"Alex Hirsch." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Hirsch>.
Baisley, Sarah. "Disney Channel Recruits Mike Moon to Oversee Animated Series." Animation World Network. Animation World Network, 6 Feb. 2006. Web. <http://www.awn.com/news/disney-channel-recruits-mike-moon-oversee-animated-series>.
Barnes, Brooks. "An Undercurrent of Darkness, Even at Disney." The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Aug. 2012. Web.
Barraclough, Leo. "Alex Hirsch's 'Gravity Falls' Wins BAFTA Children's Award." Variety. Variety, 23 Nov. 2015. Web.. <http://variety.com/2015/tv/global/gravity-falls-wins-bafta-childrens-award-1201646727/>.
Corriston, Michele. "5-Year-Old Good Luck Charlie Star Targeted by Death Threats." PEOPLE.com. People, 06 Feb. 2014. Web. <http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20784127,00.html>.
Cotugno, Sabrina. "Gravity Falls - The Love God Intro~." Lysergic Bliss. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://arythusa.tumblr.com/post/104366869577/gravity-falls-the-love-god-intro>.
"Falling into Theory: The Stan Twins." Falling into Theory: The Stan Twins. N.p., 25 Sept. 2015. Web. <http://realizinggravity.tumblr.com/post/62280060112/falling-into-theory-the-stan-twins>.
"Gravity Falls Awards." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1865718/awards?ref_=tt_awd>.
"Gravity Falls Full Cast & Crew." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web.
Hirsch, Alex. "Goodbye Gravity Falls." The Mystery Shack -. N.p., 20 Nov. 2015. Web. 19 Dec. 2015. <http://shmalexsmirsch.tumblr.com/post/133619326491/goodbye-gravity-falls>.
"Jason Ritter." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0728762/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm>.
"Jason Ritter." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0728762/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm>.
Kissell, Rick. "Ratings: Disney XD's 'Gravity Falls' Sets Network Record With Summer Premiere." Variety. Variety, 20 July 2015. Web. <http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/gravirt-falls-ratings-disney-xd-1201544324/>.
"Kristen Schaal Awards and Nominations." Ace Show Biz. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/kristen_schaal/awards.html>.
"List of Disney Channel Shows." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Disney_Channel_series>.
Littleton, Cynthia. "Disney XD’s ‘Gravity Falls’ to End After Season 2." Variety. Variety, 20 Nov. 2015. Web. <http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/gravity-falls-alex-hirsch-series-finale-1201645937/>.
Lloyd, Robert. "Review: Bouncy, Weightless Fun with 'Gravity Falls'" Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2012. Web. <http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/15/entertainment/la-et-gravity-falls-20120613>.
Lowry, Brian. "Gravity Falls." Variety. Variety, 13 June 2012. Web.
Radish, Christina. "Creator Alex Hirsch GRAVITY FALLS Interview." Collider. N.p., 06 July 2012. Web. 19 Dec. 2015. <http://collider.com/alex-hirsch-gravity-falls-interview/>.

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