The Mole

The Mole: Should ABC Resurrect the Celebrity Edition?

editor@buddytv.com — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:04:14 GMT

There's little chance that ABC will bring The Mole back for another season in its current format. The recently wrapped reality series bombed in the ratings this summer, with the big finale pulling in less than three million viewers. When the previous iteration of The Mole struggled to find an audience, ABC replaced it with a celebrity version that ran for two seasons. The revamped series featured such D-list talents as Stephen Baldwin, Corbin Bernsen, Tracey Gold and Dennis Rodman. It may not have been respectable, but it was at least marginally successful.

Now that ABC's attempt to revive The Mole with host Jon Kelley has fizzled, should the network green light another celebrity edition? If so, which D-list celebrities should sign up?

What Went Wrong With 'The Mole'?

editor@buddytv.com — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:16:30 GMT

Less than three million people tuned in last night to learn that Craig was secretly The Mole, which is just the latest ratings fumble for the little seen reality series. ABC hoped they'd have a summer smash on their hands when they relaunched the franchise back in June, but instead they ended up with a massive failure that few people cared to watch. If the opinions of BuddyTV readers are any indication, even those who did watch to the end thought that the fifth season paled in comparison to the original non-celebrity editions hosted by Anderson Cooper. Where did The Mole go wrong, and is there any chance this reality franchise can be saved?

The Mole 5: Season Finale Recap

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:09:15 GMT

Last week on The Mole, the final three competitors pretended they were Jack Bauer and defused a bomb before it could blow up $50,000. After another challenge that sent them running around Buenos Aires snapping photos, the contestants gathered to take the extra difficult 20 question mole quiz. The episode came to an end before host Jon Kelley went over the quiz results, leaving us all twiddling our thumbs for an entire week. Thanks a lot, ABC.

Unless there's some miraculous ratings surge, tonight's episode will be the last viewers ever see of The Mole. The final installment will reveal the identity of the saboteur and reward one lucky contestant with $420,000.

The Mole 5: Episode 9 Recap

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:16:18 GMT

Last week on The Mole, the theories of many fans got shot down when Paul was eliminated from the competition after failing the quiz. A lot of people had the New Yorker pegged as the titular backstabber, but his surprising ouster forced fans to take a second look at the three remaining contestants. As the penultimate episode of the series kicks off tonight, we're left with Nicole, Craig and Mark. One of them has been lying and attempting to sabotage the other players throughout the competition, but who could it be? My vote is for Craig, if only because his trip to the hospital in episode four seemed so realistic that I'm convinced it must have been faked. That's just how my paranoid mind works.

The Mole 5: Episode 8 Recap

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:07:09 GMT

Last week on The Mole, the players were divided up based on their intelligence and forced to solve brain teasers to crack a numerical puzzle. In case that wasn't brainy enough, host Jon Kelley later tested everyone's mental stamina by having players memorize facts about another person's family member. After everyone had a shiny happy reunion with a loved one, Clay was executed for failing the mole quiz. Only four players remain, one of whom will win the competition, and another who will be revealed as a deceiver.

Tonight, the finalists face off in a paintball competition to win the final exemption of the season.

The Mole 5: Episode 7 Recap

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:06:35 GMT

Last week on The Mole, players had to solve crazy brain teasers to help their teammates find wine bottles hidden in a huge vineyard. With $70,000 added to the pot after that challenge, host Jon Kelley decided to throw each of the contestants off a nearby bridge. Thankfully, they were tied to bungee cords before plunging hundreds of feet toward the rocky ground, but that didn't stop Craig from screaming like a madman and assuming he was going to die. After imbibing a bit too much wine and failing the quiz about the mole, Alex was eliminated from the competition.

Tonight, the five remaining contestants are reunited with their families, but only after Jon makes them suffer to earn their reward.

The Mole 5: Episode 6 Recap

editor@buddytv.com — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:45:32 GMT

Last time on The Mole, deliciously evil host Jon Kelley chained the players together and forced them to participate in a dramatic trust exercise. Mark was given a new journal to replace his flambéed original, but he simply couldn't learn to move on and love again. For the second challenge, Craig was tasked with choosing vehicles for his teammates so they could go on a five mile journey to an Argentinian statue. However, when he was offered an exemption if none of the players succeeded, he happily sabotaged them and forced his competitors to drop out. At the end of the night, Kristen was executed for failing the quiz.

In this week's episode the six remaining players point fingers, jump off a bridge, run through a vineyard and bicker like crazy.

One-hour 'The Mole' Special Airs Monday Night on ABC

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:00:00 GMT

Despite renewed rumors that it just might face cancellation again, ABC's The Mole will showcase a recap of its first five episodes, along with never-before-seen footage, in a one-hour special called “The Mole: Take Another Look” airing 9pm Monday night on ABC. Of course, episode 506 will immediately follow at 10pm.

Earlier, it was reported that (the increasingly thinning) fans of The Mole need not worry that their favorite show will be canceled. Despite a dismal premiere and dwindling audience share, The Mole's fifth season is assured of completing its seven remaining episodes. If it will be renewed for a sixth season, however, remains to be seen.

The Mole 5: Episode 5 Recap

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:08:29 GMT

Last week on The Mole, the fifteen viewers still tuning in to the show watched as host Jon Kelley forced the contestants to carry gold bricks up a mountain. Craig nearly died from hypothermia, but at least $14,250 was added to the pot for his troubles. Later, Jon pulled a deliciously evil stunt by burning each player's journal on a giant bonfire, with only Craig and Alex's books escaping the flames. Mark nearly threw himself into the ocean after this event, so distraught he was to lose all of his "I Heart Jon Kelley" scribblings. After taking the quiz about the mole, Victoria was eliminated from the competition.

Tonight, the remaining contestants have to work together to escape the freezing cold, and one player finds out what it's like to be loathed.

The Mole 5: Episode 4 Recap

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:12:19 GMT

Last week on The Mole, host Jon Kelley thought it would be funny to steal everyone's clothes while they enjoyed a spa day. He then challenged the contestants to roam the streets in their underwear, telling them to beg strangers for fancy duds so they could eat dinner at a black tie restaurant. All of the challengers succeeded aside from Clay and Mark, who were too dignified to participate in the competition. During the execution ceremony, Ali accepted Jon's offer to leave the show in exchange for $30,000, and weakling Bobby was eliminated for not knowing enough about the mole.

Tonight, the eight remaining players travel to the Andes Mountains for a torturous uphill climb.

Will 'The Mole' Face Cancellation a Second Time?

editor@buddytv.com — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:37:24 GMT

When ABC initially attempted to launch The Mole in 2001, the series was a hit with critics but not with audiences. Despite being labeled one of the smartest reality shows on television at the time, the competition never picked up a significant number of viewers. After two years of low-rated scheming with average citizens, the network relaunched the franchise with a group of D-list celebrities. Ratings ticked up for a while, and The Mole lasted two more seasons before being yanked off the air in 2004.

Four years later, ABC thought they'd finally be able to make The Mole into a hit. The network launched the fifth season of the series a few weeks ago after The Bachelorette, but it's been hemorrhaging viewers since its low-rated debut. Will the network decide to silence The Mole yet again?

The Mole 5: Episode 3 Recap

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:10:33 GMT

Last week on The Mole, the contestants learned not to underestimate the athletic skills of Chilean children after getting their butts kicked in a soccer game against the tiny tykes. For the challenge, host Jon Kelley had the players search for 50 piggy banks scattered around town, which they then had to slingshot into a net held by Paul and Liz. With much pink porcelain shattered on the ground, the 11 challengers were later tested on their knowledge of the mole. That's when Liz discovered that being feisty and awesome isn't enough to guarantee a spot in the finals. She was "executed" after failing to guess facts about her scheming teammate.

Tonight, the contestants roam the streets of Santiago, Chile clad in nothing but their underwear. On second thought, maybe it's a good thing Liz left when she did.

'The Mole' Host Gives an Insider Scoop on the Fifth Season Contenders

editor@buddytv.com — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:30:00 GMT

Jon Kelley has recently replaced the original Mole host Anderson Cooper for the show's fifth installment, which began its run on June 2. Kelley, who is known for his job as a weekend anchor on Extra, began his work in the series in 2001 and has now spanned over 15 years in the broadcast industry. Aside from appearing on television and hosting radio shows, he also co-wrote the book Breaking Into Broadcasting. Now that he's the newest face to become the host of ABC's The Mole, Jon Kelley dishes out on the new batch of contenders to compete in the grueling reality series.

The Mole 5: Episode 2 Recap

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:10:56 GMT

Last week on The Mole, 12 contestants entered into a competition for a chance to win up to $500,000. For the first mission of the season, each of the players had to guide a raft over a waterfall while simultaneously attempting to grab a bag full of cash. In the next challenge, the contestants struggled to identify five items that 18th century sailor Alexander Selkirk would have traveled with. After analyzing each other during these adventures, the players were then quizzed on their knowledge of the mole. When it became obvious that Marcie knew next to nothing about the titular schemer, she was eliminated from the competition.

Tonight, the gang plays soccer against an intimidating Chilean team, and one more player gets "executed" by host Jon Kelley.

Marcie Ciscel Looks Back on Her Experiences on 'The Mole'

editor@buddytv.com — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:00:00 GMT

The anticipated fifth season of The Mole has finally arrived and fans clamored to see who will be the first person to leave the reality series, which involved a lot of high stakes competition and deceit. This season, the first to go home was 31-year-old stay-at-home mother of three from Corona, California, Marcie Ciscel. She recently talked to Reality TV World to share her thoughts on the competition and how she managed to get through the competition, despite being eliminated.

"It was an amazing opportunity and it was challenging -- extremely challenging -- mentally and physically," Marcie admitted in a conversation with Reality TV World. "It would be great to stay, but I'm ready to go home."

The Mole: Season 5 Premiere Recap

editor@buddytv.com — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:46:31 GMT

In January of 2001, The Mole premiered on ABC to critical acclaim and middling ratings. It was pulled from the air after its second season and replaced with an ill-fated celebrity edition, which included such big time stars as Kim Coles, Erik von Detten and Ananda Lewis. ABC axed the show after two seasons of that atrocity, and fans expected never to see The Mole again. Luckily for followers of the intelligent reality franchise, that wasn't the case.

Tonight, The Mole returns from the scrap heap after four years to kick off an all new competition. Twelve contestants will battle it out for a shot at winning up to $500,000, but one of them will secretly be trying to sabotage the other players. Can you guess who the mole is?

Which of These 12 is 'The Mole'?

editor@buddytv.com — Tue, 27 May 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It's less than a week to go before long-starved fans can finally sink their teeth anew into the returning series, The Mole. What has been dubbed as one of if not arguably the smartest reality show, The Mole is back with its fifth edition on Monday, June 2 at 10pm.

Last week, we gave you an overall peek at how The Mole finally got drawn out of its burrow through the commitment and dedication of one man and the vision and foresight of one network. This week, we bring you a bird's eye view of the 12 individuals confirmed to take part in return of this sorely-missed reality program.

'The Mole' Returns June 2 after Four-Year Absence

editor@buddytv.com — Tue, 20 May 2008 10:52:23 GMT

In keeping with the creature it's been named after, or even the profession dubbed after it, the reality competition show, The Mole, has re-emerged after four years in hibernation. ABC has issued the order for Stone & Co. Entertainment to produce 10 installments of the said program.

It's been a while since The Mole was on the air and Scott Stone of Stone Stanley Productions couldn't be happier.