EMMY(R)-WINNING COMEDY SERIES "GIRLS," CREATED BY AND STARRING LENA DUNHAM, RETURNS FOR FOURTH SEASON JAN. 11, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

Judd Apatow, Jenni Konner, Lena Dunham, Ilene S. Landress, Murray Miller, Paul Simms And Bruce Eric Kaplan Executive Produce

Hannah has left New York to attend the prestigious Iowa Writers' Workshop, hoping to become a more serious writer, while facing uncertainty in her relationship with Adam. Back in the city, Marnie is pursuing a music career, trying to balance her personal and professional relationship with Desi. New graduate Shoshanna is interviewing for jobs and struggling to sort out her relationship with Ray. And Jessa is trying sobriety through AA, but her knack for creating drama is undiminished.

Created by and starring Lena Dunham, the Emmy(R)-winning HBO series GIRLS takes a comic look at the assorted humiliations and rare triumphs of a group of women in their 20s. Judd Apatow, Jenni Konner, Lena Dunham, Ilene S. Landress, Murray Miller, Paul Simms and Bruce Eric Kaplan executive produce the show, which kicks off its ten-episode fourth season SUNDAY, JAN. 11 (9:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), followed by other half-hour episodes on subsequent Sundays at the same time.

In addition to Dunham, who stars as Hannah, the cast includes Allison Williams as Marnie; Jemima Kirke as Jessa; Zosia Mamet as Shoshanna; Alex Karpovsky as Ray; Adam Driver as Adam; Andrew Rannells as Elijah; and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Desi.

Returning guest stars for the fourth season of GIRLS include: Rita Wilson as Marnie's mother; Peter Scolari and Becky Ann Baker as Hannah's parents; Jon Glaser as Laird; Gaby Hoffman as Adam's sister, Caroline; Louise Lasser as Beedie; and Bob Balaban as Dr. Rice

New guest stars this season include Ana Gasteyer and Anthony Edwards as Shoshanna's parents; Natasha Lyonne as Rickie; Gillian Jacobs as Mimi-Rose Howard; Marc Maron as Ted; Zachary Quinto as Ace; Jason Ritter as Scott; Maude Apatow as Cleo; and Spike Jonze as Marcos.

January's episodes:

Episode #33: "Iowa"

Debut: SUNDAY, JAN. 11 (9:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: Jan. 11 (10:30 p.m., midnight), 12 (9:50 p.m.), 13 (11:00 p.m.), 14 (8:30 p.m.), 15 (midnight), 16 (1:00 a.m.) and 17 (11:55 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Jan. 12 (11:50 p.m.), 15 (8:00 p.m.) and 17 (1:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m.)

After a congratulatory dinner with her parents (Becky Ann Baker, Peter Scolari), Hannah (Lena Dunham) and Adam (Adam Driver) pack up the last of her boxes and discuss "the plan" for their soon-to-be long-distance relationship. Marnie (Allison Williams) and Desi (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) perform as part of a jazz brunch for a distracted crowd at a downtown restaurant. Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) signs for her diploma with her parents (Ana Gasteyer, Anthony Edwards), who make a bigger deal out of the event than she thinks necessary. Jessa (Jemima Kirke) is confronted by Beedie's (Louise Lasser) daughter, Rickie (Natasha Lyonne), and later seems nonplussed by Hannah's impending departure.

Written by Lena Dunham & Judd Apatow; directed by Lena Dunham.

Episode #34: "Triggering"

Debut: SUNDAY, JAN. 18 (9:00-9:30 p.m.)

Other HBO playdates: Jan. 18 (10:30 p.m., midnight), 19 (11:25 p.m.), 20 (11:15 p.m.), 21 (8:30 p.m.), 22 (midnight), 23 (1:00 a.m.) and 24 (11:45 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Jan. 19 (10:00 p.m.), 22 (8:00 p.m.) and 24 (1:15 p.m., 8:00 p.m.)

In her first days as a grad student, Hannah discovers she can get more for her money, rent-wise, in Iowa. Later, during a video chat, she slyly prods Marnie for intel about Adam. At her first seminar, Hannah warns her fellow workshop writers that her piece might trigger some intense emotions - but doesn't get the feedback she had hoped for.

Written by Jenni Konner & Lena Dunham; directed by Lena Dunham.

Episode #35: "Female Author"

Debut: SUNDAY, JAN. 25 (9:00-9:30 p.m.)

Other HBO playdates: Jan. 25 (10:30 p.m., midnight), 26 (10:30 p.m.), 27 (11:05 p.m.), 28 (8:30 p.m.), 29 (midnight), 30 (1:00 a.m.) and 31 (12:45 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Jan. 26 (10:00 p.m.), 29 (8:00 p.m.) and 31 (1:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m.)

With only one class a week, Hannah finds herself doing a lot of nothing in her free time, while a visiting Elijah (Andrew Rannells) has become the social butterfly of Iowa. Ray (Alex Karpovsky) gives Marnie a wake-up call about Desi's true intentions before their meeting with a record label. Shoshanna aces, then blows, a job interview. Adam unwittingly gets drawn into Jessa's chaotic web after an AA meeting. At a poets' party in Iowa, Hannah rants about the undue expectations put on women writers, and takes things too far in critiquing her classmates.

Written by Sarah Heyward; directed by Jesse Peretz.

In 2014, the series received Emmy(R) nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Lena Dunham) and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Adam Driver). In Sept. 2012, GIRLS won an Emmy(R) for Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series

GIRLS has just been nominated for 2015 Golden Globe Awards in the categories of Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical and Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical (Lena Dunham), and was nominated in the same categories for 2014. In Jan. 2013, GIRLS was the only HBO series to be honored at the Golden Globe Awards, winning awards in the same two categories.

GIRLS was created by Lena Dunham; executive producers, Lena Dunham, Judd Apatow, Jenni Konner, Ilene S. Landress, Murray Miller, Paul Simms and Bruce Eric Kaplan; producer, Jesse Peretz; co-producer, Sarah Heyward.