Miami Ink is an American reality television series produced by Original Media on TLC that follows the events that take place at Miami Ink, a tattoo shop in Miami Beach, Florida.
The series originally premiered in the USA on TLC on 19 July, 2005. There are 85 hour-long episodes in four seasons.
Miami Ink premiered in South Africa on DStv's Discovery Channel on Wednesday 30 April 2008, at 21h00. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 2 premiered on Discovery on Thursday 21 May 2009, at 13h45. New episodes air daily, on weekdays. There are 33 episodes in the second season.
Season 2 Repeats
Weekdays: 00h00, 06h55
Synopsis
About one in every seven adults sports a tattoo. With ever-increasing popularity among celebrities and athletes, tattoos have become part of the fabric of social norms and popular culture.
But there are striking differences between cute little flowers and cookie-cutter Celtic bands compared to the more intricate, stylized and meaningful artwork that is done in the tattoo industry.
In a television series that brings old friends together to run a tattoo parlour and showcase their artwork, viewers see the difference firsthand.
The show sets up shop in South Beach to take viewers inside the colourful, painful, intriguing world of tattoo artistry in Miami Ink.
In the series, these friends and competitive rivals - a motley crew of cutting-edge, humorous and well-regarded young guys and best friends - open and run a custom tattoo parlour where they live, work and play together.
The resident artists: Ami James, Chris Nunez, Chris Garver and Darren Brass - all with world-class talent and dynamic personalities - live and work together to promote the art of tattoo while running a new business.
Miami Ink shows them in and out of their workspace from noon 'til night - and follows their late-night shenanigans, brotherly hazing and camaraderie.
Apprentice Yoji Harada is there to soak up all of the artists' knowledge and experience - and to meet their every need, desire and whim so he can one day begin his own tattooing in earnest.
In addition to spotlighting the artists at work, each tattoo in Miami Ink has a story to tell, a reason for being and a special relationship to its owner.
The artists' clients range from 18-year-old newbies and suburban housewives to famous actors and buttoned-up professionals.
The tale of each tattoo recipient and corresponding tattoo is an emotionally engaging story - in the first episode viewers see a tattoo in the memory of a deceased brother, a tattoo of the alter ego of a drag queen, a tattoo of a notable surfer's homeland, to name just a few.
Many people get tattoos to signify some pivotal moment or event in their lives.
Viewers gain insight into each Miami Ink customer and his or her choice of artwork and the impetus behind it.
The shop, which is actually called "Love Hate Tattoos", is co-owned by tattoo artists Ami James and Chris Nuñez, and also features artists Chris Garver, Darren Brass, and Yoji Harada.
Californian artists James Hamilton, Luke Wessman, Mikey Slater,and JMorgwn Pennypacker and two floor managers - Guy Sahar and Lee Rodriguez - joined the shop during the first season while Brass had an injured arm.
Kat Von D became a full time crew member for two seasons, after which she returned to Los Angeles and landed her own Miami Ink spin-off entitled LA Ink, which premiered in August 2007.
Another spin-off, London Ink, began on Discovery Real Time in the UK in September 2007.
SeasonsSeason 1 (26 episodes)
Premiere: 30 April 2008 | Finale: 22 October 2008 | Wednesdays, 21h00
Season 2 (33 episodes)
Premiere: 21 May 2009 | Finale: 6 July 2009 | Weekdays, 13h45