Nip/Tuck's new, Los Angeles-based fifth season got off to a favorable start at the end of last month when it drew 4.3 million viewers for its first episode.  While the numbers were down from their opener last year, which was seen by 4.9 million, this season's premiere did tally network highs among adults aged 18 to 34.

For Nip/Tuck star, Dylan Walsh, working on the show this time around has a completely different feeling.

"This is a whole universe away from where we started," Walsh told Scripps Howard News Service during an interview in his trailer between his scenes.

This season is due to have 22 episodes, considerably longer than the usual 15 which the series has been accustomed to.  While the main cast has been generally kept intact, little else is familiar from previous offerings.  Besides the location shift and its accompanying bigger sets, the storylines themselves and the work that goes behind the episodes have also experienced a breath of freshness.

There is even an arc that will showcase Walsh's Sean McNamara and Julian McMahon's Christian Troy as consultants on a medical TV drama.  This has given Nip/Tuck some leeway to have a bit of fun by spoofing other medical shows like House and Grey's Anatomy.

"That's a change, just in terms of what the process was," Walsh admitted.  "I think it's great for the show just to bust it out. "The show has always been about transformation," Walsh added.

And as for the additional installments that mean an extended season and more working hours, Walsh only had this to say:  “I hope we're exhausted. That means we gave it our best shot."

On a related note, since Walsh spoke to Scripps Howard News Service, the Writers Guild of America has gone on strike.  What this means for Nip/Tuck is that it will be able to complete 14 episodes of this current fifth season but the remaining eight that were slated to be shot beginning January will be delayed.


-Rosario Santiago, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: USA Today,
(Image Courtesy of Canmag)