Nip/Tuck
Preview

So, our staff position allows us to check out previews and last week, we watched the controversial FX series, Nip/Tuck, this fall's season opener.

Fans of this show are addicted either way, and detractors find it hard to watch. We agree primarily with the later. There are graphic, realistic depictions of plastic surgeries and there's no one to really sympathize with or relate to.

Still, to us, it's truly the television equivalent of a train wreck. We had the misfortune of also watching an upcoming Kim Basinger-starring Lifetime Televisoin for Women telefilm, based on a bestseller (The Mermaid Chair). Now watching that was quite painful, difficult to watch. Sue Monk Kidd, the writer, is eloquent and elegant ,but the translation into this made-for-TV movie was just bad (at least, we think so).

But there's the thing about Nip/Tuck -- it's just outrageous enough, and when the characters are despicable, there is retribution. The season opener is stunt casting galore. Look for Brooke Shields, Sanaan Latham, Kathleen Turner, Larry Hagman, Tracy Scoggins, Amanda Pays and Bree Walker (yes, all in one episode).

The cringe factor remains high, and without revealing too much (or in our case, anything; we don't like to know what's going to happen in any form. We never read reviews pre-movie/show, only afterwards and are daily obituary readers) there's plenty of unnecessary plastic surgery, curious and creepy scenes and decisions, as well as secrets and sex.