I've recently become obsessed with the sketch-comedy series Portlandia, a show which parodies life in Portland, Oregon. The show was created and written by Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, who also star as the various roles throughout the series. Fred Armisen is a former cast member of Saturday Night Live and has guest starred on other comedies such as Broad City. Jonathan Kreisel also co-created the show, and directs it. It is currently in its fifth season and airs on IFC, which airs other shows such as Comedy Bang! Bang! and The Birthday Boys.
Portlandia is a very peculiar (but amazing) show, because it does not have a running storyline that continues for seasons on end; it's mostly sketches that focus on the hipster/feminist/vegan lifestyles that people on the West Coast lead. It's definitely not for everyone- the sketches are very quirky and the jokes can sometimes run a bit dry. The show is scripted, but a lot of the skits are improvised.
Some of my favorite parts of the show include the "Women and Women First" bookstore sketches, where Fred & Carrie play two feminist bookstore owners and they are absolutely hilarious. Here's an example of one of those sketches.
Portlandia also has some outstanding costume and set design. It is all very interesting, colorful, and detailed, which is why I think I enjoy the show so much, because it is so aesthetically pleasing. It also has a really cool sound mix, where the music score coincides with the jokes that are occurring. And obviously the script is just plain hilarious, and very easy to relate to.
I highly recommend this show to anyone who loves sketch comedy and quality tv. All seasons are available to watch on Netflix.
