Series synopsis
Miami Ink is an American reality television series that premiered on TLC on July 19, 2005. It ended on August 21, 2008. It stars Ami James, Chris Núñez, Darren Brass and Chris Garver.
Miami Ink brings together a brotherhood of tattoo artists. They learned their craft together as apprentices in South Beach. Then they went their separate ways. From Los Angeles to New York, all have become renowned artists with celebrity clientele that wait months to be inked by the masters. Now, 10 years later, they're coming home. Back to the place where it all began, South Beach, to open a tattoo shop together, live together and teach their traditions to a new generation.
Premise
Miami Ink brings together a brotherhood of tattoo artists. They learned their craft together as apprentices in South Beach. Then they went their separate ways. From Los Angeles to New York, all have become renowned artists with celebrity clientele that wait months to be inked by the masters. Now, 10 years later, they're coming home. Back to the place where it all began, South Beach, to open a tattoo shop together, live together and teach their traditions to a new generation.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Ami James as Himself
- Chris Núñez as Himself
- Darren Brass as Himself
- Chris Garver as Himself
- Yoji Harada as Himself
- Kat Von D as Herself
Guest cast
- Harold Hunter as Self
Episodes
This series spans 5 seasons with 85 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 5 | January 8, 2006 | May 16, 2006 |
| Season 1 | 21 | July 18, 2005 | April 11, 2006 |
| Season 2 | 33 | July 17, 2006 | May 8, 2007 |
| Season 3 | 13 | June 11, 2007 | December 11, 2007 |
| Season 4 | 13 | April 23, 2008 | August 21, 2008 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |
The Kat Special A retrospective and touch-ups on Kat Von D's best work. |
April 18, 2006 |
| 3 |
The Ami Special A retrospective on the most memorable designs by shop leader Ami James. |
April 25, 2006 |
| 4 |
The Garver Special A retrospective on the most memorable tattoos created by Chris Garver, who discusses his love of traditional Japanese designs. |
May 2, 2006 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Five Friends The friends reunite to turn what was once just a dream into a reality. As Ami and three world-class tattoo artists open up a tattoo shop in Miami's South Beach called Miami Ink, the four friends and apprentice Yoji, hope to build a thriving business. |
July 19, 2005 |
| 2 |
Never Forget As the business grows, the guys of Miami Ink struggle with the pressure of balancing their personal life and work |
July 26, 2005 |
| 3 |
In Memory Of... Ami and crew deal with changes and transformations in their lives and relationships, including the wedding of Yoji to his fiance Bridgette when they get married in a beautiful ceremony on the beach. |
August 2, 2005 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Saver vs. Spender Darren has to be careful doing a tattoo for a man with type 1 diabetes, Nunez gets a little out of control with spending, Kat tattoos a man's daughter's portrait, and Ami creates a winged penny design for a woman in remembrance of her father, who believed in the value of saving pennies. |
July 18, 2006 |
| 2 |
Yoji's Initiation Former apprentice Yoji Harada, now a full-fledged member of the design crew, joins Ami in doing simultaneous tattoos for a pair of best friends. One customer gets a cartoon version of herself, and another asks for a Buddha design to help cover up a scar from scoliosis. A woman with no tattoos comes in to apply for the shop manager position. |
July 25, 2006 |
| 3 |
Woman in a Man's World Nunez designs a tattoo to honor a woman's soldier father, a graffiti artist has a tattoo created from her own artwork, and Garver makes a Japanese-style snake design for a local club owner. |
August 1, 2006 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Artist Search | June 12, 2007 |
| 2 | Staff, Staff, Staff | June 19, 2007 |
| 3 | Old Friends | June 26, 2007 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Make or Break Ami must get on board with Nunez idea of finding a new shop for Miami Ink, due to unforeseen chaos, and Darren's unexpected return from an extended vacation brings joy to the shop. |
April 24, 2008 |
| 2 |
We are Family Miami Ink's new manager Dre, needs to pass her certification test before she can work at the shop. Darren announces he has a new fiancé and that she is pregnant with his child. |
May 1, 2008 |
| 3 |
Tim's Pin-ups Ami offers to babysit so that a frazzled Yoji can spend a day at lunch with his wife, but finds it hard to relax. |
May 8, 2008 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | TLC |
|---|---|
| First aired | July 19, 2005 |
| Last aired | August 21, 2008 |
| Runtime | 43 minutes |
| Status | Ended |
| Schedule | Tuesday at 22:00:00 |