The Mole (US TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Mole was an American reality game show
that aired on ABC
. It was based on The Mole franchise
of programs that have aired in numerous countries. The Mole was produced by Stone Stanley Entertainment
for its first four seasons. It was cancelled but was later picked up again after a four year hiatus. The fifth season was produced by Stone & Co. Entertainment.
The series is a reality competition in which the contestants work as a group to add money to a pot that only one of them will eventually win. Among the contestants is one person who has been designated "the Mole
" by the producers and is tasked with sabotaging the group's money-making efforts. At the end of each episode, the contestant who knows the least about who the mole is, as decided by the results of a quiz, is eliminated from the game.
The series was first hosted by news reporter Anderson Cooper
; for the third season, Ahmad Rashād
replaced Cooper, and Rashād was in turn replaced by Jon Kelley
for the fifth season. The third and fourth seasons featured celebrity contestants instead of average citizens. The series' logo is a bright green thumbprint.
s with the show's thumbprint logo and their names on them in which to keep their belongings. Each is also given a numbered journal which is the only place they are permitted to record information and thoughts about the other contestants.
Some contestants form "coalition
s" with other contestants, ostensibly to share theories and observations about the other contestants. Some contestants attempt to cause others to believe that they are the Mole, on the premise that believing the wrong person is the Mole will result in them having poor quiz results.
) challenges posed to the contestants. Most are straight-forward, and the rules are fully explained to all contestants. In some cases, however, a mission is not fully explained to all contestants, increasing its difficulty. In those cases, perhaps only selected contestants are informed of the full nature of the challenge, and must work towards a different goal than the rest. In rare instances, there are secret missions which only one, or none of the contestants are aware of.
Missions are sometimes entirely physical, or entirely mental, but usually have elements of both. Overcoming fear is a common challenge theme, however, none of the missions have ever involved harmful actions (e.g. ingesting unsavory items as done in Fear Factor
) or explicitly unsafe stunts. Some missions have involved "extreme
" activities such as bungee jumping
, rappelling, or tightrope walking
, but all are under strict expert supervision with proper harnessing.
Another common theme used in seasons 1, 2, 4, and 5, was use of the locale as an obstacle (such as overcoming a language barrier).
Some missions require every member of the team to complete their task for the team to earn money, while other missions award money for each contestant that finished, regardless of the others. A common requirement is for the team to divide themselves into groups based on given attributes (e.g., "leaders" and "followers") before they learn what the task is.
Secret missions may include "morality tests," where the players might be unexpectedly approached by a local (secretly arranged by the producers), for help (i.e., change a tire, etc.) The contestants would later be informed that they won or lost the mission depending upon if they helped the person in need.
Failing a secret "morality test" may also warrant a penalty.
After dinner, the players complete the quiz in private on a computer. The Mole completes the quiz as well, with the knowledge that they are answering about him/herself, as if he/she did not, it would become quickly obvious who the Mole was. Players that receive exemptions from execution also are still required to take the quiz. The player who has the lowest score on the quiz is eliminated from the game in an "execution" ceremony. Players are said to be "executed by the Mole." If there is a tie for lowest score amongst two or more players, the player who complete the quiz in the slowest elapsed time is the one executed.
The execution ceremony consists of the players sitting in rows of chairs before the host. In the first four seasons, the host had a laptop
on which he typed each player's name, in random order, one at a time. This caused a large television display of the thumbprint logo to turn either green or red, with the latter signifying the player as eliminated. For the fifth season, the laptop and screen were replaced with a single HDTV touchscreen
display, showing thumbnail images of each contestant. The host touched the players' images to bring them up on the homescreen. In most episodes during Season 5, for dramatic effect, the host would then ask the contestant if he/she was ready for their results, then a second touch of the screen would reveal the same green or red thumbprint. In seasons 1-4, the host was never informed of the identity of the Mole, therefore the order in which he choses to input the player's name is entirely random. In season 5, the host did know the identity of the Mole, because he did not pick the Mole in any executions.
Even after the first season, exemptions are usually twists in the game. Sometimes the exempted player is chosen by the group thinking they are choosing the player for something else; other times, the exemption comes in the form of a temptation to not complete a task and forfeit money or the pot. In the second season, there was an additional element called the "neutralizer" which prevented a contestant from being eligible for an exemption that episode.
The contestants began the season in California
, and traveled to France
in the first episode. The remainder of the season took place in Europe
, eventually traveling to Monaco
and Spain
.
and Italy
. The maximum possible pot was again $1,000,000, but the quizzes were shortened to 10 questions. Various other minor format elements were changed for the second season.
. The possible maximum jackpot was also reduced to $250,000. The season aired from January 8 - February 12, 2003.
in Mexico
. The season aired from January 7 – February 18, 2004.
and Chile
. The season aired from June 2 - August 11, 2008. This season received an Emmy nomination for best theme song composition.
on CBS
by bombarding their offices with packages of peanuts.
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
that aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. It was based on The Mole franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
of programs that have aired in numerous countries. The Mole was produced by Stone Stanley Entertainment
Stone Stanley Entertainment
Stone Stanley Entertainment was an American television production company founded by TV producers David G. Stanley and Scott A. Stone, who both began their careers working at Lorimar-Telepictures in the 1980s....
for its first four seasons. It was cancelled but was later picked up again after a four year hiatus. The fifth season was produced by Stone & Co. Entertainment.
The series is a reality competition in which the contestants work as a group to add money to a pot that only one of them will eventually win. Among the contestants is one person who has been designated "the Mole
Mole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
" by the producers and is tasked with sabotaging the group's money-making efforts. At the end of each episode, the contestant who knows the least about who the mole is, as decided by the results of a quiz, is eliminated from the game.
The series was first hosted by news reporter Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Hays Cooper is an American journalist, author, and television personality. He is the primary anchor of the CNN news show Anderson Cooper 360°. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio; however, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories...
; for the third season, Ahmad Rashād
Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
replaced Cooper, and Rashād was in turn replaced by Jon Kelley
Jon Kelley
Jon Kelley is an award winning American sports journalist, author, producer, and television personality. Born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Kelley played four seasons as a running back for the University of Nebraska before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcast journalism...
for the fifth season. The third and fourth seasons featured celebrity contestants instead of average citizens. The series' logo is a bright green thumbprint.
Contestants
The contestants typically meet for the first time at or shortly before the start of filming, shortly before their first task. They are given black duffel bagDuffel bag
A duffel bag is a large cylindrical bag made of cloth with a drawstring closure at the top....
s with the show's thumbprint logo and their names on them in which to keep their belongings. Each is also given a numbered journal which is the only place they are permitted to record information and thoughts about the other contestants.
Some contestants form "coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
s" with other contestants, ostensibly to share theories and observations about the other contestants. Some contestants attempt to cause others to believe that they are the Mole, on the premise that believing the wrong person is the Mole will result in them having poor quiz results.
Missions
Each mission (referred to as "tests" in season 1, and as "games" in seasons 2-4) generally has a cash reward towards the group pot for various levels of success. On occasion, a mission will have a cash penalty for failure. The missions comprise a wide variety of physical and/or mental (brain teaserBrain teaser
A brain teaser is a form of puzzle that requires thought to solve. It often requires thinking in unconventional ways with given constraints in mind; sometimes it also involves lateral thinking. Logic puzzles and riddles are specific types of brain teasers....
) challenges posed to the contestants. Most are straight-forward, and the rules are fully explained to all contestants. In some cases, however, a mission is not fully explained to all contestants, increasing its difficulty. In those cases, perhaps only selected contestants are informed of the full nature of the challenge, and must work towards a different goal than the rest. In rare instances, there are secret missions which only one, or none of the contestants are aware of.
Missions are sometimes entirely physical, or entirely mental, but usually have elements of both. Overcoming fear is a common challenge theme, however, none of the missions have ever involved harmful actions (e.g. ingesting unsavory items as done in Fear Factor
Fear Factor
Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol USA and NBC adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor. The show pits contestants against each other in a variety of stunts for a...
) or explicitly unsafe stunts. Some missions have involved "extreme
Extreme sport
An extreme sport is a popular term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger...
" activities such as bungee jumping
Bungee jumping
Bungee jumping is an activity that involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter, that...
, rappelling, or tightrope walking
Tightrope walking
Tightrope walking is the art of walking along a thin wire or rope, usually at a great height. One or more artists performs in front of an audience or as a publicity stunt...
, but all are under strict expert supervision with proper harnessing.
Another common theme used in seasons 1, 2, 4, and 5, was use of the locale as an obstacle (such as overcoming a language barrier).
Some missions require every member of the team to complete their task for the team to earn money, while other missions award money for each contestant that finished, regardless of the others. A common requirement is for the team to divide themselves into groups based on given attributes (e.g., "leaders" and "followers") before they learn what the task is.
Secret missions may include "morality tests," where the players might be unexpectedly approached by a local (secretly arranged by the producers), for help (i.e., change a tire, etc.) The contestants would later be informed that they won or lost the mission depending upon if they helped the person in need.
Penalties
In addition to challenges, violations of the game's rules by a player, such as going out after curfew or talking about a forbidden topic, can result in a deduction from the group pot as a penalty.Failing a secret "morality test" may also warrant a penalty.
Quizzes & Execution
Each quiz follows the same basic format, asking either twenty or ten (depending on the season) questions about the identity of the Mole. Questions are in multiple choice format with widely varying number of choices; some questions have only two options (e.g. yes/no answer). The questions reflect upon a variety of observations about the Mole. Some ask about personal information (i.e., physical attributes, personal history, likes/dislikes, all collected from the original game applications), while other questions are based on in-game information (i.e., how the Mole performed in that day's mission). The final question of each quiz is simply "Who is the Mole?", with all remaining players' names as options. The final question does not hold more weight than the others, and it is not unusual for players to miss that question, but still score well on the quiz.After dinner, the players complete the quiz in private on a computer. The Mole completes the quiz as well, with the knowledge that they are answering about him/herself, as if he/she did not, it would become quickly obvious who the Mole was. Players that receive exemptions from execution also are still required to take the quiz. The player who has the lowest score on the quiz is eliminated from the game in an "execution" ceremony. Players are said to be "executed by the Mole." If there is a tie for lowest score amongst two or more players, the player who complete the quiz in the slowest elapsed time is the one executed.
The execution ceremony consists of the players sitting in rows of chairs before the host. In the first four seasons, the host had a laptop
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
on which he typed each player's name, in random order, one at a time. This caused a large television display of the thumbprint logo to turn either green or red, with the latter signifying the player as eliminated. For the fifth season, the laptop and screen were replaced with a single HDTV touchscreen
Touchscreen
A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...
display, showing thumbnail images of each contestant. The host touched the players' images to bring them up on the homescreen. In most episodes during Season 5, for dramatic effect, the host would then ask the contestant if he/she was ready for their results, then a second touch of the screen would reveal the same green or red thumbprint. In seasons 1-4, the host was never informed of the identity of the Mole, therefore the order in which he choses to input the player's name is entirely random. In season 5, the host did know the identity of the Mole, because he did not pick the Mole in any executions.
Exemptions
Contestants are sometimes offered exemptions from the quiz. An exempt contestant can not be eliminated, though they still take part in the quiz. In the first season, exemptions were an occasional twist, while in the second through fifth seasons, exemptions were offered in almost every episode.Even after the first season, exemptions are usually twists in the game. Sometimes the exempted player is chosen by the group thinking they are choosing the player for something else; other times, the exemption comes in the form of a temptation to not complete a task and forfeit money or the pot. In the second season, there was an additional element called the "neutralizer" which prevented a contestant from being eligible for an exemption that episode.
Season 1
The first season of The Mole consisted of nine episodes, first aired from January 9, 2001 - February 28, 2001. It featured ten civilian contestants, one of whom was the Mole. The maximum possible value of the pot was $1,000,000, and each quiz consisted of twenty questions.The contestants began the season in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and traveled to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in the first episode. The remainder of the season took place in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, eventually traveling to Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Season 2
Season 2 of The Mole was subtitled The Next Betrayal. Fourteen civilian contestants, one of whom was the Mole, competed over 13 episodes. The first three episodes aired September 21 - October 12, 2001 before going on hiatus until the next summer, starting again from the first episode on May 24, 2002. The season again took place in Europe, mainly featuring SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The maximum possible pot was again $1,000,000, but the quizzes were shortened to 10 questions. Various other minor format elements were changed for the second season.
Season 3
Season 3 was billed Celebrity Mole: Hawaii and featured a cast of seven celebrities. The season, which was only six episodes long, was filmed on the Big Island of HawaiiHawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. The possible maximum jackpot was also reduced to $250,000. The season aired from January 8 - February 12, 2003.
Season 4
The fourth season was billed Celebrity Mole: Yucatan, and featured eight celebrity contestants, including two returning from the previous season. The season was again a short seven episodes long, and was filmed on the Yucatán PeninsulaYucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The season aired from January 7 – February 18, 2004.
Season 5
The Mole returned after a four-year hiatus for a fifth season, returning to the civilian contestant format. Twelve contestants, one of whom was the mole, competed for a maximum pot of $750,000. The setting for this season was ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. The season aired from June 2 - August 11, 2008. This season received an Emmy nomination for best theme song composition.
Future seasons
Following the conclusion of Season 5 of The Mole, ABC did not comment on its consideration for a sixth season. On April 8, 2009, they announced that the show had been cancelled. Fans have also created their own private site to encourage the signing of an online petition, e-mailing ABC executives, as well as sending "lemon-heads" to ABC headquarters in New York. (This is in reference to an occurrence on the fifth season of the show.) The latter of these techniques for being noticed is in reference to the successful revival of the television drama JerichoJericho (TV series)
Jericho is an American action/drama series that centers on the residents of the fictional town of Jericho, Kansas, in the aftermath of nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the contiguous United States...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
by bombarding their offices with packages of peanuts.