Genre: Comedy . Portlandia is a television series that debuted on the Independent Film Channel (IFC) on January 21, 2011.[3] The show, produced by Andrew Singer and Jonathan Krisel, is set and filmed both in and near Portland, Oregon and features Saturday Night Live cast member Fred Armisen along with Carrie Brownstein, formerly of Sleater-Kinney[1] and current lead guitarist/singer for Wild Flag.[4] The name Portlandia refers to the sculpture of the same name above the entrance of the Portland Building on Fifth Avenue in downtown Portland.[5] The statue also appears in the opening montage title sequence