Nip/Tuck is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States for six seasons from 2003 to 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime, black comedy, family drama, satire, and psychological thriller, focuses on "McNamara/Troy", a cutting-edge, controversial plastic surgery center, and follows the personal and professional lives of its founders Dr. Sean McNamara and Dr. Christian Troy (portrayed by Dylan Walsh and Julian McMahon, respectively). Each episode features graphic, partial depictions of the plastic surgeries on one or more patients, as well as developments in the doctors' personal lives. Focus is also given to McNamara/Troy's anesthesiologist Dr. Liz Cruz, Christian's many sexual partners, and Sean's family. With the exception of the pilot, each episode of the series is named after one of the patients scheduled to receive plastic surgery.
Unlike most medical dramas, Nip/Tuck used serial storytelling and often had story arcs spanning multiple seasons; for example, seasons two and three focused on a serial rapist known as The Carver, who often mutilates his victims' faces, leading McNamara/Troy to provide pro bono surgery to the victims.
The show premiered on July 22, 2003, and concluded on March 3, 2010, with the 100th episode. Despite being initially set in Miami, at the end of the fourth season, it was relocated to Los Angeles, and many of the characters followed along. The show earned 45 award nominations, winning one Golden Globe and one Emmy Award. Series creator Ryan Murphy said that the medical cases on the show are "100 percent based on fact".
Overview The drama is set in a plastic-surgery center, McNamara/Troy, focusing on the two doctors who own it. Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) often has problems in his marriage due to being seduced by beautiful women on a daily basis. His story follows his efforts to keep his family together despite his short-comings. His business partner Christian Troy (Julian McMahon), though, uses his charm to bring in potential female candidates and conducts vain business deals, almost never failing to end up with them in bed. Sean takes his job much more seriously and often must fix Christian's mistakes.
Production According to Ryan Murphy, the series was inspired by makeover episodes of the talk shows The Jenny Jones Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
In its debut season, Nip/Tuck was the highest-rated new series on American basic cable, and the highest-rated basic cable series of all time for the 18–49 and 25–54 age demographics.
The fifth season premiered on October 30, 2007, though production was affected by the 2007 Writers Strike. Accordingly, the second half of the fifth season was not screened until January 6, 2009, in the United States. Another 19 episodes were picked up by FX; airing on October 14, 2009. Following a three-week hiatus for the Christmas holidays, the show resumed in January 2010, and concluded on March 3, 2010, with its 100th episode.
Nip/Tuck filmed its 100th and final episode on June 12, 2009, without creator Ryan Murphy, who was, at the time, in India scouting locations for his film version of the memoir Eat, Pray, Love.
The show inspired the creation of the plastic-surgery reality show Dr. 90210.
Cast and characters
Main cast Actor Character Seasons123456 Dylan Walsh Sean McNamara colspan="6" Julian McMahon Christian Troy colspan="6" John Hensley Matt McNamara colspan="6" Joely Richardson Julia McNamara colspan="6" Valerie Cruz Grace Santiago colspan="5" Roma Maffia Liz Cruz colspan="5" Kelly Carlson Kimber Henry colspan="2" colspan="4" Jessalyn Gilsig Gina Russo colspan="2" colspan="2" Bruno Campos Quentin Costa colspan="3"
Recurring cast Actor Character Seasons123456 Kelsey Batelaan Annie McNamara colspan="6" Linda Klein Nurse Linda colspan="6" Robert LaSardo Escobar Gallardo Ruth Williamson Mrs. Hedda Grubman colspan="2" Joey Slotnick Dr. Merrill Bobolit colspan="2" Phillip Rhys Jude Sawyer colspan="2" colspan="3" Julie Warner Megan O'Hara colspan="2" Joshua & Josiah Henry Wilber Troy colspan="3" Vanessa Redgrave Dr. Erica Noughton colspan="2" colspan="2" Famke Janssen Ava Moore colspan="2" Seth Gabel Adrian Moore colspan="4" Willam Belli Cherry Peck colspan="2" colspan="3" Rhona Mitra Kit McGraw colspan="2" colspan="3" Brittany Snow Ariel Alderman colspan="2" colspan="3" Sanaa Lathan Michelle Landau colspan="3" colspan="2" Jacqueline Bisset James LeBeau colspan="3" colspan="2" Peter Dinklage Marlowe Sawyer colspan="3" colspan="2" Rosie O'Donnell Dawn Budge colspan="3" colspan="2" Mario Lopez Dr. Mike Hamoui colspan="3" Paula Marshall Kate Tinsley colspan="4" Bradley Cooper Aidan Stone colspan="4" Portia de Rossi Olivia Lord colspan="4" AnnaLynne McCord Eden Lord colspan="4" John Schneider Ram Peters colspan="4" Sharon Gless Colleen Rose colspan="4" Katee Sackhoff (season 5) Rose McGowan (season 6) Dr. Theodora "Teddy" Rowe colspan="4" colspan="2" George Newbern Dr. Curtis Ryerson colspan="5" Melonie Diaz Ramona Perez colspan="5"
Episodes
Awards and nominations YearAwardDate of the ceremonyCategoryRecipientsResult2004Golden Globe Awards25 January 2004Best Television Series – DramaNip/Tuck Best Actress – Television Series DramaJoely RichardsonSatellite Awards21 February 2004Best Television Series – DramaNip/Tuck Best Actor – Television Series DramaJulian McMahonBest Actress – Television Series DramaJoely RichardsonGLAAD Media Awards12 April 2004Outstanding Drama SeriesNip/Tuck Primetime Emmy Awards19 September 2004Outstanding Directing for a Drama SeriesRyan Murphy (for "Pilot") Outstanding Main Title DesignEric Anderson, Vince Haycock, Paul Matthaeus and Paul Schneider Outstanding Original Main Title Theme MusicJeffrey Cain, Cedric Lemoyne and Gregory Slay Outstanding Prosthetic MakeupThomas R. Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman and James MacKinnon (for "Pilot") Outstanding Makeup for a Series (Non-Prosthetic)Eryn Krueger Mekash, Stephanie A. Fowler, Thomas R. Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman (for "Adelle Coffin) 2005Golden Globe Awards16 January 2005Best Television Series – DramaNip/Tuck Best Actor – Television Series DramaJulian McMahonBest Actress – Television Series DramaJoely RichardsonProducers Guild of America Awards22 January 2005Best Episodic DramaNip/Tuck Satellite Awards23 January 2005Best Television Series – Drama Best Actress – Television Series DramaJoely RichardsonCostume Designers Guild19 February 2005Excellence in Contemporary TelevisionLou Eyrich Saturn Awards3 May 2005Best Syndicated/Cable Television SeriesNip/Tuck Best Actor on TelevisionJulian McMahon BMI Film & TV Awards18 May 2005BMI Cable AwardJames S. Levine Primetime Emmy Awards18 September 2005Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama SeriesJill Clayburgh (for "Bobbi Broderick" and "Naomi Gaines") Outstanding Casting for a Drama SeriesEric Dawson, Carol Kritzer and Robert J. Ulrich Outstanding Prosthetic MakeupEryn Krueger Mekash, Stephanie A. Fowler, Mary Kay Morse, Thomas R. Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman (for "Christian Troy") Outstanding Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)Eryn Krueger Mekash and Stephanie A. Fowler (for "Julia McNamara") Satellite Awards17 December 2005Best Television Series – DramaNip/Tuck Best Actor – Television Series DramaDylan WalshBest Actress – Television Series DramaJoely Richardson2006Writers Guild of America Awards4 February 2006Television: Episodic DramaJennifer Salt (for "Rhea Reynolds") Costume Designers Guild25 February 2006Excellence in Contemporary TelevisionLou Eyrich Young Artist Awards25 March 2006Best Performance in a TV series – Guest Starring Young Actor (Comedy or Drama)Tanner RichieSaturn Awards2 May 2006Best Syndicated/Cable Television SeriesNip/Tuck Best Actor on TelevisionJulian McMahon Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards19 August 2006Outstanding Art Direction for a Single-Camera SeriesLiz Kay and Ellen Brill (for "Ben White")Outstanding Prosthetic MakeupEryn Krueger Mekash, Stephanie A. Fowler, Mary Kay Morse, Thomas R. Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman (for "Cherry Peck") Outstanding Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)Eryn Krueger, Stephanie Fowler, Debbie Zoller, and Michele Tyminski (for "Quentin Costa") 2007NAACP Image Awards2 March 2007Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesSanaa Lathan Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards8 September 2007Outstanding Prosthetic MakeupEryn Krueger, Stephanie Fowler, Bill Corso, Mary Kay Witt, Christopher Nelson, and Christien Tinsley (for "Conor McNamara") AACTA Awards6 December 2007Best Actor – InternationalJulian McMahon Satellite Awards16 December 2007Best DVD Release of a TV ShowNip/Tuck 2008Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards13 September 2008Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama SeriesOliver Platt Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama SeriesSharon Gless 2009Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards12 September 2009Outstanding Prosthetic MakeupDavid Dupuis, Thomas R. Burman and Bari Dreiband-Burman (for "Budi Sabri") Outstanding Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)Eryn Krueger Mekash and Stephanie A. Fowler (for "Giselle Blaylock And Legend Chandler") 2010Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards21 August 2010Outstanding Prosthetic MakeupThomas R. Burman, Bari Dreiband-Burman, Thomas Floutz, Stephanie A. Fowler, Bart Mixon, Michele Tyminski Schoenbach, Vincent Van Dyke, and Michele Tyminski Schoenbach (for Enigma")
U.S. television ratings Viewer numbers (based on average total viewers per episode) of Nip/Tuck on FX. Season Time slot Season premiere Season finale ViewersTotal(in millions) ViewersAge 18–49(in millions) Date Viewers Total(in millions) Viewers18–49(in millions) Date Viewers Total(in millions) Viewers18–49(in millions) 1st Tuesday 10:00 pm July 22, 2003 3.7 2.0 October 21, 2003 2.99 2.1 3.25 2.2 2nd June 22, 2004 3.8 2.7 October 5, 2004 5.2 3.6 3.8 2.6 3rd September 20, 2005 5.3 3.7 December 20, 2005 5.7 3.9 3.9 2.7 4th September 5, 2006 4.8 3.4 December 12, 2006 3.38 2.38 3.9 2.75 5th – Part I October 30, 2007 4.3 3.5 February 19, 2008 N/A 2.41 N/A N/A 5th – Part II January 6, 2009 3.1 2.4 March 3, 2009 3.8 2.4 N/A N/A 6th Wednesday 10:00 pm October 14, 2009 2.9 1.9 March 3, 2010 1.8 Nip/Tuck became an instant cable hit from its 2003 series premiere.
For its third season, FX aired Nip/Tuck solely in the fall of 2005, instead of during the summer season, like the two years prior. John Landgraf, president of FX, stated that such a move was a "huge risk", since it stacked up "against the full barrage of fall network competition". Despite some criticism on its third season, the story arc involving The Carver attracted even more of an audience to the series than any of the seasons before, reaching its climax in a December 20, 2005, two-hour season finale, entitled "Cherry Peck/Quentin Costa", which became the most-watched scripted program in the history of the FX network.
Including "Cherry Peck/Quentin Costa", three episodes of Nip/Tuck rank as the three most-watched scripted programs ever on FX. The second-season finale, entitled "Joan Rivers", which aired on October 5, 2004, drew 5.2 million viewers. It was then eclipsed on September 20, 2005, when the third-season premiere, entitled "Momma Boone", drew roughly 5.3 million viewers. Three months later on December 20, 2005, the aforementioned third-season finale, entitled "Cherry Peck / Quentin Costa", drew 5.7 million viewers. Of those 5.7 million viewers, 3.9 million were in the 18–49 age group demographic, "making the finale the number-one episode among the key advertising demographic of any cable series in 2005. It's also the largest demographic number for any single telecast in the network's history," according to Zap2It.