For 'Nip/Tuck,' beauty fades

"I feel we've reached a creative impasse with regards to what we can do with this story," said John Hensley, who played Matt, one of the most self-destructive characters ever created for TV. "I feel like it was, quite frankly, told a long time ago. I say that trying to be right-sized about this because I am very grateful for this opportunity. I just feel that we were a show that was very good and innovative at one point and we've gone the way of so many shows before us. Our moment has passed."

"Nip/Tuck," which used hyper-real and shocking situations -- remember the murderous brother and sister known as the Carver? -- to examine the price people are willing to pay for physical beauty and the internal consequences they suffer as a result, was centered on the unconditional brotherly love between two plastic surgeons, Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon). Sean was the highly skilled surgeon who claimed he wanted to improve the world and felt morally superior to his best friend. Christian was the superficial ladies' man who had more heart than he let on and made no excuses about who he was.

In the five seasons that have aired, the doctors, who are in their 40s, have almost died several times, slept with dozens of women, broken up their partnership a few times and dumped a dead body in the Florida Everglades. In the 19 new episodes, which will probably air over two seasons and may begin in January, the series will become even more operatic and dark, elements that, critics say, have diminished its pleasures over time.

"The same thing that bothers me about this show is really what was great about it," said Walsh, taking a short break in his trailer. "It existed or came about as an antidote to 'ER,' which was a great show but had such an earnest tone as if that's reality. It didn't include the irreverent things and wicked humor and over-the-top scenes of emotion. And 'Nip/Tuck' brought all that craziness, where things happened too quickly and intensely and it made you laugh while you were getting caught up in it. Of course, the longer we went, the more ridiculous it was going to seem, but that was always our thing. It really wasn't a great show. It was a great ride."

Especially for Walsh and McMahon, whose iconic characters boosted their careers. The two actors, who established the set's collegial tone with their friendship, finally let go of Sean and Christian on Friday after a day of shooting broadcast promos for the show.