Armisen, Brownstein a match made in comedy heaven

"The dream of the '90s is alive in Portland."

This line – featured in a satirical music video in episode one – pretty well sums up Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein's sketch comedy show, "Portlandia."

Dry humor and sarcastic wit combine in this new series to create an uproariously funny portrayal of Portland, Oregon, and the complex individuals who live there.

When I think of Portland, I think immediately of hippies and hipsters. Add in a passe punk element, and I was right on the money, according to Armisen and Brownstein.

Their sketches feature hilarious characters such as a couch-potato couple who find it impossible to leave their living room until after finishing the "Battlestar Gallactica" series, two extreme feminists who run a "Women & Women First" bookstore and a specialty shop that sells anything you can think of – as long as they can "put a bird on it!"

In one sketch the duo play a couple with relationship problems, but reverse gender characters (Armisen plays the woman and Brownstein the man) for no reason evident in the script. It made the scene 10 times funnier.

These actors take limits to the extreme in mocking the city of Portland, but their over-the-top portrayal of punks and hipsters are relatable to any city, even our somewhat less diverse one.

I may not know anyone quite as extreme as any of Armisen's characters, but I can certainly relate to the humor of exaggerated personality quirks and qualities I see every day.

Brownstein is a more-than-pleasant surprise in the series. This is her first mainstream entrance into the acting and comedy world, having spent most of her life as a singer and guitarist for bands Sleater-Kinney and Wild Flag.

She first worked with Armisen in their comedy duo "Thunderant" in several video comedy skits, and the two are now regularly collaborating for comedy magic.

So far, the cast has featured a number of surprisingly diverse guest stars including Sarah McLachlan, Aimee Mann, Jeff Goldblum, Edward James Olmos and more. And – other than Goldblum, who plays a knot enthusiast – the three above-mentioned stars basically play themselves, thrust into hilarious and awkward situations.

I can't recommend this show enough to fellow fans of the sarcastic comedy genre.

Armisen, who I must say has never before stood out to me comedically, is a hit in almost every single skit. Unlike his previous show, "Saturday Night Live," these sketches don't run too long or become too inappropriate; they may cut back to sketches throughout the episode, but it leaves viewers with perfect timing to not tire of the joke and find it even more hilarious on a callback.

Armisen and Brownstein are a comedic match made in heaven, and their show is worth your time and laughs.

"Portlandia" has just entered its second season this January. It airs every Friday at 10 p.m. on IFC.