“Gravity Falls” is one of the few shows that actually was cancelled by its creator, rather than being booted off because of low ratings. In fact, the rating of the show were doing very well when the announcement came late in 2015 that “Weirdmageddon III” would be the last episode ever made or seen about “Gravity Falls.” A 3 year run seems like way too little, but it left us with a void in trying to find shows similar to it on any channel.
According to its creator, Alex Hirsch, the show was never intended to go on forever. If you remember “Breaking Bad” there were more than a few people who hated to see that show end, but Vince Gillian said the same thing about that show. Hirsch’s justification for ending it was he didn’t want to see the show run out of ideas and then miserably fail at the end.
Below are 5 TV shows that might help fill that void.
1. Steven Universe
In this selection much of the action focuses on Stephen and the Crystal Gems, who are protecting the world from evil living in Beach City. Steven is a hybrid character — half human and half Gem boy. His mother was the Gems former leader, Rose Quartz. This animated cartoon is more female-oriented and focuses on adventure and action, though there is a good dose of humor if you are paying attention. And you don’t have to worry about things getting to intense because sometimes Steven just likes to hang out with his dad and his friends.
2. Adventure Time
“Adventure Time” takes place in a town very similar to that of Gravity Falls. There is Finn, the main character, along with his adopted brother and their best friend Jake the Dog, who go out to protect the citizens of the Land of Ooo. It’s one of those shows where you see the mystery of their surroundings and adventures, but the characters themselves are oblivious to it. That makes the show more than just entertainment because you as the viewer are required to figure out what is so strange and mysterious about their world.
3. Over the Garden Wall
We think this is the closest to the actual “Gravity Falls” than every other choice on this list. Like “Adventure Time” it requires putting the pieces of a mystery together, as 2 children wander into the woods and encounter a lot of weird stuff. If you like the music to your Cartoon Network shows, you’ll love “Over the Garden Wall” because it is one of the best things about it. We also want to call it “compact” because the episodes run a hasty 10 minutes, but for many people that works, especially if you don’t want to have to get tied down watching a 1 or 2 hour movie.
4. Star vs The Forces of Evil
You should remember Dipper and Mabel from “Gravity Falls” and “Star vs The Forces of Evil” has two characters that mirror that chemistry. One is a princess from another dimension who connects with an Earth boy to go forth on a number of adventures together. The show takes place in multiple universes, which the princess has a fair knowledge of. Likewise, the Earth boy knows enough about his planet to help out the princess when needed. This chemistry works well because you see that each of them needs one another, depending upon the situation. So neither can actually dominate the show or the storylines.
5. Rick and Morty
If you remember the creator of “Gravity Falls”, Alex Hirsch (try not to be too mad at him) his best friend created this show. But beware, because this show is about as child-friendly as a mama grizzly bear seeing you mess with her cubs. Once you realize that, then you’ll find this to be one of the better choices after “Gravity Falls.” There is no idiot dad in this one, but instead you get a multiverse adventure with a sociopath taking his grandson along on a number of adventures. The adventures take you from the advantages of the existence of ice cream to a mock Judge Judy courtroom.
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