Pasadena -- IFC will end its long-running comedy series Portlandia after its eighth and final season, the network announced Saturday during its Television Critics Association tour presentation.

The Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein and Jonathan Krisel-created series will return for its eighth season in 2018. The series has been the network’s signature show since it launched in 2011.

The show is executive produced by Lorne Michaels and produced by Broadway Video. 

“There are very few shows that can be credited with both establishing and helping to define a television network, and that’s exactly what Portlandia has done for IFC,” said IFC president Jennifer Caserta in a statement. “It is a joy and a privilege to work with Fred, Carrie, Jon, Lorne and everyone at Broadway Video to create a show that was prescient in its satirization of modern culture while having a sensibility and state-of-mind that has only become more prevalent across its run.”

IFC said the season-six premiere of stalwart comedy Portlandia grew its target-demographic audience from the prior season's kickoff, and then nearly doubled its total audience with time shifting.

The network said the show's return on Thursday, Jan. 21, was modestly better (up 3% in adults 18-49 and up 15% in adults 25-54) compared with the season-five premiere on a live plus same day viewing basis.

Measuring live plus three day viewing, the audience grew to nearly 400,000 total viewers, up 87% compared with the L+SD figure (207,000), IFC said. The L+3 figures in key demos were 266,000 adults 18-49 (up from 137,000 on a L+SD basis) and 275,000 adults 25-54.

The episode, "Pickathon," featured a much-promoted guest appearance of rock band The Flaming Lips in a storyline that saw characters Fred and Carrie (Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein) use drones and virtual-reality helmets to remotely visit a Coachella-like festival.