August 22, 2008
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?
August 12, 2008
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?
August 11, 2008
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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.
August 4, 2008
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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.
July 28, 2008
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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.
July 21, 2008
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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.
July 16, 2008
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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.
July 14, 2008
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.