When Ryan Murphy created the pilot of the hit television show Nip/Tuck, he wasn't concerned about making it marketable—he never even thought it would get picked up. He just wanted to put it together.

Thank goodness for that. If Murphy had been reluctant to take risks, the show might not currently be gearing up for the October 30th premiere of its 5th season.

"I was very shocked that it got picked up, because I thought it was very startling. And I know how even cable can be. So I always did the show, even the first year, kind of like okay, I'm going to just do what I want to do," says Murphy.

As with any show that goes on, though, things develop both on- and off-screen. "In year five, it is always difficult. Okay, what do you do to top it?"

From the start, Murphy became involved with every aspect of creating the show. "The great thing about the show for me is that everything is run by me for approvals, be it a vase or an article of clothing or what have you. And my feeling about that is, a lot of the show runners do it differently. But my philosophy the whole time is that you know what, if they are going to let me create a world, then let me create a world," he says.

"The great thing about the show is, at this point in year five… everybody knows what the show is, what the vibe is."

In recent seasons Murphy has also started seeking out the input of his audience. "I am very conscious of it and that's a recent thing. There's one forum I go to called Niptuckforum.com. I have really reached out in some weird way, and I think it's been very helpful."

Murphy hasn't just been working on Nip/Tuck, however. FX has just picked up the pilot for a new show of his called 4 Oz., about a married-with-kids sports writer who comes to the realization that he is transsexual. "I was interested in doing a show that was completely the opposite of Nip/Tuck. I think that Nip/Tuck is very shocking and in your face, and bold and bloody and outrageous in its way. And I wanted to do something that was much quieter and more psychological. I keep making jokes that it's kind of my version of a family show, which I think it really is."

"I think that people, when they hear about it, they think, 'Oh, it seems so outrageous and it deals with a transsexual.' Well, the truth of the matter is, it doesn't really deal with just being a transsexual. I think everybody has a side to them that they would like to get out there, another person they would like to become that they feel for whatever reasons they cannot. So the show has like seven or eight characters who are leads, and all of them are going through the exact same sort of inner battle in their lives. But I think Nip/Tuck is a very cynical show, and a very satirical show. I think that the new show that I'm doing is much kinder and gentler."

That's not to say that Murphy has been neglecting Nip/Tuck! Season five is certainly bringing a lot of changes—the chief one being, perhaps, the change in location: the show is relocating from Miami to L.A.

"I love the idea of them going from being big fishes in a small pond to the opposite. And I almost felt the show was very L.A. anyways. And it's what L.A. is, sort of the purveyor of trends and pain at the same time, and desperation. And I was interested in kind of exploring the dark side of the Hollywood success, as well as the funny side. There was no other reason, other than if I'm going to keep doing it, I have to be sort of inventive. And we keep joking that if it goes seven, eight seasons, where do we go? My dream is to set it in Belize or some tropical island or maybe Nip/Tuck Paris where they have to let me shoot there!"

The way the guest star issue is going to be approached will be different, too. "Last year we did finally, for the first time, do a lot of big-name guest stars. We have them this year, but I would say it's only going to be half because I wanted to have new fresh faces that nobody had seen in the show. So I think it is a different vibe than the year before where we did do so much of it."

Thankfully, though, the characters' natures will not be among those changes, especially when it comes to Christian. "[His being a grandfather] is a line that is thrown at him to sort of demoralize him and make him feel bad and sort of as a taunt, but he doesn't accept it. He's not interested in going there because he still feels like he's 20. And he still acts like he's that. [He'll continue to be a philanderer] until the end of time."

In any case, this season looks promising. Season five "is about the good and bad side of fame and how that can liberate and also corrupt," says Murphy. "I think that is what the whole season is about."

If this interview is anything to go by, it's going to fit wonderfully. Find out more about the upcoming season at Nip/Tuck's Official site .

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Spartan   |2007-09-27 14:32:38 I really like the move to hollywood this season. The whole big fish/little pond thing gets blown out of the water. October 30th can't get here soon enough. Reply 0   0

Kelly   |2007-09-27 13:38:39 Great interview - I hope they are going to stop being so over the top with stuff this season and make things more like it was in th beginning of the series! Reply 0   0

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