The one hundred seventeenth TV show: #876 Portlandia
We started watching Portlandia when it first came out - mostly from seeing Fred Armisen on SNL and wondering what else he'd do. We took a break from watching after the fifth season, until we came back to the show recently, which seems like a break that's done us well. There is something specific about the Portland (Oregon) shown here, based on the reputation the city has but obviously exaggerated. It's a pastiche of liberal characters, though not maliciously, and what appeals mostly is the world it creates - recognisable, but absurd enough that it can get away with a lot. It commits to its bits, which is part of the same appeal.
Not all of the episodes are winners - they're at their best when they juggle a few storylines and combine them, rather than focus on a single one, but on the whole the series pulls it off, and it wouldn't work as well without that world building.