Since its first episode in 2011, Portlandia has been able to consistently deliver super specific sketch comedy at an unbelievably fast pace, and it pulls it off without the jokes, or characters, getting old. Creators and stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein say their goal for Season Four has been to 'give the characters more breathing room.' That's allowed them to go deeper into their characters' heads (the wigs help) and cultivate enough stories to keep the show going. "People are just drawn to characters. When I think of my favorite shows, it has a lot to do with characters more than concepts," says Brownstein. They also keep things fresh by maintaining a steady circulation of totally unexpected guest stars, like Tim Robbins, Jeff Goldblum, Kerstin Dunst, St. Vincent and Dead Kennedy's lead singer, Jello Biafra.
This conversation was recorded live as part of the Film Independent at LACMA screening series.
Banner image courtesy of IFC