May

20

Miami Ink Calls It Quits, Ami Vows Never To Work With TLC Again

Posted by admin

May 20, 2008 |

miamiink.jpg

After nearly three full years of Reality Ink in Miami. The “stars” of the hit reality TV show are calling it quits. There is some great insight as to why the series is coming to a close, some of which was speculated about here as well. I will post some quotes and comment on them below….

Ami James said Monday he and co-star Chris Nuñez declined to extend Discovery Communications’ option to order more episodes of the TLC show. James said that move effectively ended their contracts with the cable conglomerate, and that no talks are under way to shoot more episodes of their life as South Beach tattoo artists.

”It’s done. It’s over,” James said by telephone from the Washington Avenue tattoo studio he and Nuñez own.

Early on in the interview, we see Ami using a pretty harsh tone, he is not happy with this…

Charlie Corwin, whose New York company, Original Media, produces Miami Ink, said he did not know if the show would return. ”The show’s been running a long time,” he said. In terms of ratings, Miami Ink is “not as high as it has been in the past, it’s not as low as it has been in the past.”

We all know there are several reasons for this, some that fall into the L.A. Ink camp….

”We weren’t happy with the way we were treated,” James said Monday. “I will never work for Discovery again.”

He complained the network did not promote the show properly, particularly when it moved Miami Ink from Tuesday night to Thursday night this season.

James said he and Nuñez plan on pursuing other deals.

”There might be a TV project and there might be a movie project,” he said. “We always had bigger ideas than Miami Ink. Miami Ink was kind of like of going to school.”

Wo! Ok, now we are getting somewhere. I could not agree more with the lack of promotion TLC gave to Miami Ink with the switch, it was difficult to find even when sought out. Then they placed it at the same time as one of the biggest network shows on TV, Lost was airing. Wondering what the next project might be….

The upside for fans could be more access to their favorite artists. Nuñez said he, James and the other stars are taking customers again for the first time since the show’s nearly year-round production schedule began.

”Now we basically have to go back to work,” he said. “We all still need to feed our families.”

Very interesting, although prices are still sure to be through the roof…..

If not, James said he’s not worried about losing the show’s promotional muscle — even with three South Beach businesses to sustain.

”We’ve been on the air for 81 episodes. That’s three years. We’re in 161 countries,” he said. “I definitely have enough marketing to last me a long time.”

Very true Ami, Miami Ink started it all and all the other Ink shows owe it a debt. It will be sad to see it go….

Read the Miami Herald article here….. 


Comments

8 Comments so far

  1. Maxx on May 21, 2008 9:04 am

    Sad that they are going.

    Lol, I guess they’d do anything to get away from Kat.

  2. Maxx on May 21, 2008 9:14 am

    Here’s a 2nd story about it: http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/tv/story/540978.html

  3. R J on May 21, 2008 10:10 am

    I entered a comment giving you this info on the page where you blogged about when season 4 would begin…I’m guessing you never saw it. (That was yesterday, before you posted this.)(I didn’t have your e-mail addy to pass it on to you personally.) -RJ

    If you did see it…you’re welcome!

  4. admin on May 21, 2008 3:55 pm

    I missed it RJ! Not sure why, but thanks for the heads up regardless….

  5. skullnbones on May 21, 2008 4:21 pm

    WHAT?!?! OMG! I’m fucking pissed. So we still have to deal with that fat ugly hog some more?!?

    Discovery can suck it for giving Fat von surgically enhanced Dlist her own show.

  6. Karen on May 28, 2008 10:36 pm

    I definitely will miss “Miami Ink”. “MI” (the documentary-style narrative/reality TV show) may have achieved higher (or lower) ratings in the past. Regardless, it’s still one of my favorite TV shows. The current season is going very well; I’m impressed with the show’s new look and I like the pace of the new episodes. I also am impressed with everyone’s skills/tattooing; I was especially surprised by Ami’s tattoos e.g. hearse w/ pinup gal, Al Capone portrait, Thai Buddha… The cast/crew is doing a great job of working within the “Miami Ink” format and it’s sad that it’s going to be ‘done’ or ‘over’. I wish them all the best in the next phase(s) of their lives. Since the reality show is about Nunez et al. working/tattooing in the elite Miami tattoo studio he co-owns, his quoted remark (in MiamiHerald.com) about getting back to work is amusing.

  7. Sim on June 6, 2008 1:38 am

    This is so sad. I live all the way in Malaysia, i’m 15 years old and have a huge nationwide examination to sit for this year. I still sacrifice some time to watch Miami Ink EVERY SINGLE NIGHT from 11 to 12 and have never missed an episode, ever. The guys were like my best friends already, that’s how attached i am to the show. I really love the show, and i don’t want to see it go, but i guess if this is what’s best, then this is what needs to be done. I hope to see them in the future though, i’ve been exposed to such a great show for a short time (yes, three years is SHORT!), i definitely want more. Besides, these guys (to me) were some of the best role models that i look up to amongst others. Now, i’m stuck with Kat >:[

  8. Lacyn on July 24, 2008 3:39 pm

    I’d like to thank Karen for her kind remarks concerning my hearse tattoo! You’re right, Ami’s skill was certainly surprising for that one, and I’m happy to wear his incredible artwork forever. I’m sad to see that the show will end, but I’m glad I got in there under the wire!

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