On Tuesday, December 18, tattoo enthusiasts can enjoy back-to-back-to-back episodes, along with the first-ever Battle of the Inks as TLC launches the “ultimate showdown” of Miami Ink, L.A. Ink and London Ink, three popular reality series that showcase the art of tattooing through tattoo shops run by some of the most respected artists in the world.

Though each of the three series have earned much acclaim and popularity, this face-off will determine if the original series, its spin-off or the new import will prevail and capture the crowd's attention the most.  For one night only, viewers will be given the opportunity to support their favorite shop by casting their votes through TLC's official website, with the declaration of the winner announced the following day at 10am on Battle of the Ink's website.

Kicking off the showdown at 8pm is London Ink, which first premiered on Discovery Real Time in the United Kingdom on September 23.  The show features shop/owner artist Louis Molloy, a veteran artist who is not afraid to speak his mind, and his business partner Dan Gold, along with amateur boxer Nikole Lowe and the big practical joker Phil Kyle.

At 9pm, Kat Von D. showcases her tattoo studio, High Voltage Tattoo, in the heart of Hollywood on the reality series L.A. Ink.  The spin-off, which originated from TLC's Miami Ink, also features other top female artists like Hannah Aitchison, Kim Saigh and the legendary Corey Miller.  Like its predecessor, this program focuses on the personal lives of the artists and the underlying idea of female empowerment in a male dominated industry.

Last but not the least, Miami Ink takes the 10pm slot as it features shop owner Ami James and Chris Nunez.  One of TLC's highest-rated series, Miami Ink follows the duo as they rise to the top of their field as professional tattoo artists, while they reach out to a number of customers, who also reveals their back stories and motivations for choosing their tattoos.  Currently in its third season, the series also includes Darren Brass and Chris Garver and Yoji Harada.

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MIAMI INK
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-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: TLC
(Image courtesy of TLC)