Miami Ink Legacy Over After Three Years
The popular reality TV show, Miami Ink, which transformed a South Beach tattoo parlour into a hotspot television haven, has ended after three years on the air. The stars of the show and the parlour, Ami James and Chris Nunez have declined an invitation to produce more episodes, which has ultimately ended the three year series.
The show provoked three “ink” spinoffs in Los Angeles, London and Rio. LA Ink gathered double the ratings of Miami Ink when it aired last year and set a TLC rating record for reality television. The end of the show may be an end to the popular South Beach tourist attraction. Fans regularly stop by the tattoo parlour on Washing Avenue to catch a glimpse of James and Nunez and see the legendary Miami Ink logo which adorns the front of the shop. However, James and Nunez are rarely able to be spotted; they keep their art confined to when the cameras are present and the windows blacked out.
James is worried that Discovery Communications, which own the rights to the show and the brand name Miami Ink, will force him to change the name of his parlour. So far this has not happened, and the logo still remains on the shop. The parlour has been changed into a gift shop where Miami Ink clothes and accessories are sold. Those still eager to be tattooed by the stars of the show are encouraged to check out the new tattoo studio on the same block, dubbed Love Hate Tattoos.
The good news for fans is that James and Nunez now have more time for customers. They haven’t been able to have a regular customer flow since the beginning of the show. “Now we basically have to go back to work, he said. “We all still need to feed our families.” (Quoted on MiamiHerald.com)
By Christine Pinella for Black Cat Tattoo Aftercare
