FRED ARMISEN AND CARRIE BROWNSTEIN RETURN TO "PORTLANDIA"

Season 5 Premieres January 8 at 10pm ET/PT on IFC

With Guest Stars... Vanessa Bayer, Ed Begley Jr., Steve Buscemi, Shepard Fairey, Greta Gerwig, Peter Giles, Jeff Goldblum, Matt Groening, Anna Gunn, Justin Long, Jane Lynch, Natasha Lyonne, Kyle MacLachlan, Seth Meyers, Kumail Nanjiani, Brigitte Nielsen, Parker Posey, Paul Reubens, Paul Simon, Olivia Wilde & Oscar the Grouch

New York, NY - November 20, 2014 - IFC's Emmy(R)-nominated comedy Portlandia has busted out of Portland, out of television even, to enter our national vocabulary as shorthand for a 21st century state of mind. Co-creators Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and Jonathan Krisel's all-inclusive world identifies and embraces the humor (and often the absurdity) in trends from across our culture. Through a variety of overly well-intentioned characters, this season delves deeper into the lives of the Portlandia residents we've grown to know and love. Get a glimpse of the season ahead by watching the trailer: http://www.ifc.com/portlandia/videos/portlandia-season-5-epic-trailer

On Thursday, January 8 at 10pm ET/PT, when Portlandia returns to IFC for a ten-episode season, the premiere takes viewers back in time to see the origins of feminist bookstore owners Toni and Candace's long-time friendship and the unlikely circumstances that first united them against the assaults of patriarchy. A new photo from the premiere episode is attached.

The stakes are high for everyone this season. Bryce and Lisa's precious Taxidermy Shop is vandalized, Malcolm and Kris are a public failure as parents, Lance and Nina seek out couples therapy, Fred and Carrie attempt to buy a home in Portland's cutthroat real estate market -- and throughout, the show remains as sharply observant as ever.

"Portlandia's characters have always been central to the show, but this season we went deeper into their lives so that viewers can connect with and appreciate them even more," said Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein in a joint statement. "We can't wait to share their new adventures and what keeps Portlandia so special."

"Our excitement over this new season of Portlandia can't be overstated. Fred, Carrie, and Jon have challenged themselves to surpass previous seasons and they more than succeeded," said Jennifer Caserta, IFC's president. "It appears that we are not the only ones excited. IFC and the creators of the show were touched to find out that in anticipation of this season, cities in both Maine and Oregon have named themselves after the series."

New guest stars coming to Portlandia this season include artist Shepard Fairey, Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha), Peter Giles (Kroll Show), Matt Groening (The Simpsons), Anna Gunn (Gracepoint, Breaking Bad), Justin Long (Mom, New Girl), Jane Lynch (Glee), Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black), Seth Meyers (Late Night with Seth Meyers), Brigitte Nielsen (Rocky IV, Red Sonja), Parker Posey (Louie), Paul Reubens (Pee-wee's Playhouse), singer-songwriter Paul Simon and Sesame Street's Oscar the Grouch.

Returning guest stars include Vanessa Bayer (SNL), Ed Begley Jr. (Betas), Jeff Goldblum (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Kyle MacLachlan (The Good Wife, Twin Peaks), Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley), Olivia Wilde (Her, House) and Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), who also guest directs an episode this season.

Shot entirely in Portland, Portlandia is created by Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and Jonathan Krisel. They also serve as writers, along with Karey Dornetto and Graham Wagner. Portlandia is executive produced by Lorne Michaels and produced by Broadway Video. Jonathan Krisel and guest directors Steve Buscemi and Daniel Gray Longino direct season 5.

A series marathon of Portlandia will air on IFC all day on New Year's Day, January 1. Portlandia seasons 1-4 are also available now on Netflix and iTunes.

For continued updates on the new season of Portlandia, please check out: Facebook: facebook.com/portlandia Twitter:@portlandia, #portlandia Online: http://www.ifc.com/shows/portlandia Art is available at press.ifc.com

About IFC

IFC is the home of offbeat, unexpected comedies. Series like Portlandia, Maron and Comedy Bang! Bang! air alongside fan-favorite movies and comedic cult TV shows. Owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc., along with sister channels AMC, BBC America, SundanceTV and WE tv, IFC is available to more than 73 million U.S. homes and across multiple platforms. IFC: Always On Slightly Off