Must Have This: Television

We confess that our relationship with television is a somewhat precarious, if currently improving, one. Having always preferred live performances to those filmed, we were sans television for a number of years (quite happily, we might add, thank you very much) and became deeply uninformed about the generals goings-on of the small screen, save one or two shows.

At a point, however, our life changed (as it does), and we found ourself forced to reacquaint with the medium. Pleasantly surprised to find that it had matured (for while there is a vast amount programing that we find so trashy, so vulgar, so incredibly worthless, we, in the end, vex ourself at having wasted time even rejecting it- for all of that, there are more than a few shows that are witty, captivating and highly enjoyable, and for this, we are grateful), we reluctantly set our prejudices aside and took on a small, if varied, schedule of shows. We are pleased to announce this was not a mistake, and currently are more than entertained by an increasing list of programs.


Last Friday night, the Independent Film Channel premiered the first of six episodes of an extended sketch called Portlandia. We had no idea what to expect, and after the first three minutes of the show, we were equal parts amused, confused, incredulous- in short, we were entirely compelled.

The show is about, to put it simply, Portland, and things that happen there. (Having never visited that particular city, we are forced to surmise what life must be like there, and if the show does nothing else, it is curing us of our original impression of the place) There are characters, to be sure- the farm-to-table sensitive couple at a restaurant, a pair of women's bookstore clerks, an adult hide-and-seek team- but the stars of the show are the stereotypes that Fred Armisen (of SNL fame) and his co-conspirator Carrie Brownstein gleefully traipse about in. Each skit takes an otherwise entirely real and possibly 'normal' character or set of characters-the diners, for example- and completely heightens and distorts them, as the best kind of comedy should.

We are not quite sure what else we should or even can say about the show. We think the best option is for you to watch for yourself. Portlandia airs Fridays on IFC at 10:30PM.