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Ten years ago, Disney introduced the world to Gravity Falls. Gravity Falls was a coming-of-age story of two twins spending the summer with their eccentric great-uncle in a sleepy Oregon town of the same name. Yet much like Lost or The X-Files, not everything was as it seemed in this town.
Critically acclaimed for its rich story and series-spanning mysteries, Gravity Falls would be Disney’s defining show of the 2010s. It inspired a generation of serialized cartoons, many of which became hits. Moreover, many those who worked on the show would go on to see success in their own endeavors.
8 Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil Would Continue The Trend Of Serialized Storytelling
When Gravity Falls ended in 2016, Disney XD needed a new show to serve as the channel’s front-runner. Thankfully, they already had one in the form of Star vs. The Forces of Evil. Created by Daron Nefcy and released in 2015, Star vs. told the story of the titular Star, a magic-wielding princess living on Earth as she learned to master her powers and fight the forces of evil.
Starting with its second season, Star vs. would take a page from Gravity Falls and focus more on serialized storytelling. After publishing real-life copies of Gravity Falls’ Journals, Disney did the same for Star’s book of spells. Star vs. proved very popular before ending its run in May 2019.
7 Rick And Morty And Gravity Falls Would Constantly Reference Each Other
Premiering on Adult Swim in 2013, Rick and Morty is the offbeat, black-comedy sci-fi that’s taken the world by storm. Following the misadventures of the ultra-cynical Rick and his stressed-out grandson Morty, the show takes all the weirdness of Gravity Falls and pushes it to the extreme. The connection between the two shows is more than mere coincidence, though, owing to the relationship between Alex Hirsch and Justin Roiland.
In real life, the creator of Gravity Falls and the co-creator of Rick and Morty are good friends. This has led the two to reference each other’s shows numerous times, and it’s gotten to the point where fans speculate that the shows exist in the same multiverse.
6 The DuckTales! Reboot Shared Gravity Falls’ Sense Of Mystery
In 2017, Disney XD launched the reboot of the Disney Afternoon show DuckTales!. Like its predecessor, the show revolved around the adventures of Huey, Dewey, and Louie alongside their Uncle Scrooge and, occasionally, their Uncle Donald. Unlike the classic show, though, the reboot had more in common with Gravity Falls due to its emphasis on serialized storytelling and mystery.
Like Gravity Falls’ mystery of who wrote the Journals, the first season of DuckTales! had its big mystery: the fate of the triplets’ mom, Della Duck. Both were equally tantalizing for fans, and both paid off in very emotionally satisfying ways. Additionally, Gravity Falls alumni Dana Terrace directed several episodes of the reboot.
5 Gravity Falls Alum Chris Houghton Went On To Co-Create Big City Greens
Following the end of Gravity Falls in 2016, its team would continue their careers in the entertainment industry. One of these individuals was storyboard artist Chris Houghton, who’d previously worked on Nickelodeon’s Harvey Beaks alongside his brother, Shane. With Gravity Falls supervising producer Rob Renzetti, the brothers would get Disney to greenlight their show, Big City Greens.
Premiering in 2018, Big City Greens is an adventure sitcom following the adventures of a family of farmers who move to the big city. The show takes several cues from Gravity Falls in terms of comedy, and much like Alex Hirsch voiced several main characters in Gravity Falls, Houghton provides the voice of the main protagonist, Cricket Green. Hirsch even guest starred in one episode.
4 The Owl House Continued The Love Affair With Codes And Ciphers
In 2020, Dana Terrace debuted her show, The Owl House, on the Disney Channel. It centers around Luz, a human who stumbles into the Demon Realm where she meets the Witch Eda and her roommate, King. Together, the three live in the titular house as Luz learns to become a Witch herself.
The influence of Gravity Falls is felt in every aspect of The Owl House, and Alex Hirsch himself provides the voice of the characters King and Hooty. Additionally, TOH continues Gravity Falls’s use of codes. The first letter in each episode title spells out a message, and fans can find hidden codes throughout each episode. While the final season has yet to premiere, fans highly anticipated it.
3 Amphibia Would Lovingly Pay Tribute To Gravity Falls
In 2019, after working on Gravity Falls and Big City Greens, Matt Braly debuted his creation, Amphibia. A coming-of-age story with isekai elements, Amphibia told the story of a human girl trapped in a world of talking frogs. While it took time, the show would become a massive hit for Disney.
Due to Braly’s previous work on Gravity Falls, fans of both shows would come to see Amphibia as one of several spiritual successors, something that Amphibia proudly displays. The episode “Wax Museum” served as a tribute to Gravity Falls, complete with a frog version of Grunkle Stan voiced by none other than Alex Hirsch himself.
2 Inside Job Takes The Conspiracy Aspect Of Gravity Falls To The Extreme
Inside Job is what Gravity Falls would be like if it had been an adult series. The premise for this Netflix workplace comedy is a world where almost every conspiracy theory is true and overseen by the shadowy Cognito Inc. The show focuses on Reagan Ridley, a genius working for the company while dealing with her co-worker’s antics and her alcoholic father.
Inside Job is the kind of show that would make the likes of Dipper and Stanford Pines giddy, for a good reason. Series creator Shion Takeuchi was a writer on Gravity Falls. Furthermore, Alex Hirsch serves as an executive producer. Between the two, they’ve injected as much Gravity Falls weirdness as humanely possible.
1 The Mitchells Vs. The Machines Became Netflix’s Best Performing Animated Film
In the spring of 2021, after being delayed for months by the COVID-19 Pandemic, Sony released the film The Mitchells vs. The Machines on Netflix. This sci-fi comedy film centered around the weird Mitchell family who, during a road trip to take their daughter Katie to college, must save humanity from a robot uprising. Though it is a film and not a serialized TV show, The Mitchells vs. The Machines proudly wears its Gravity Falls influence and cred on its sleeve.
The Mitchells vs. The Machines was the brainchild of Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe, both of whom were writers on Gravity Falls. As such, much of Gravity Falls’s philosophy of embracing what makes one weird serves as the driving theme for the film. The Mitchells vs The Machines subsequently became Netflix’s most-watched animated work and one of the best films of 2021.