What Happened To The Reality Show 'The Mole'?
Over the years, ABC has been home to some of the biggest reality shows in the world. Dancing With the Stars, Shark Tank and The Bachelor franchise are all original reality shows that have been airing on the network for almost two decades now.
When American Idol was canceled at Fox in 2016, ABC immediately started plans to revive the series on their platform. This dream became reality in 2018, when the singing competition returned for a 16th season - the first on ABC - with Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie in the judging panel of three.
Completing that panel was pop star Katy Perry, whose involvement as a judge appeared to excite fans the most. Idol is currently in its fifth season on ABC, which is expected to end when a winner is crowned in May. These are just some of the reality shows that are still airing, with the network also having hosted Extreme Makeover and Wife Swap in the past, among others.
Another old series from the genre was The Mole, which lasted on air for five seasons, between 2001 and 2008. ABC canceled the show in 2009, although fans continue to lobby for a revival.
Anderson Cooper Was The First Host Of 'The Mole'
The concept of The Mole was adapted from a Belgian reality series called De Mol, which in fact translates directly to the English title. The original show had aired on Belgian television between 1998 and 2000, and would later be syndicated to more than 40 countries around the world.
The concept of the series involved a number of contestants working through various missions to add money to a common pot. At the end of every episode, the contestants were quizzed on the identity of 'the mole.' 'The mole' was usually one among the contestants, designated by the producers to sabotage the efforts of the rest of the team.
The contestant with the least knowledge on the mole is eliminated each week, with the eventual winner taking home the cumulative sum of money in the pot. The first two seasons of the show were hosted by Anderson Cooper, as he briefly switched lanes from broadcast news to the world of reality television.
Cooper left ABC and joined CNN in 2001, inspired by the tragic events of 9/11 to 'get back to news.'
Comedian Kathy Griffins Was The Winner Of Season 3 Of 'The Mole'
For the third season, former NFL star and later sportscaster Ahmad Rashad took over Cooper's spot as host of the show. He ran with the job for two seasons before he himself was replaced by fellow sports broadcaster, Jon Kelley.
The third season also saw a significant change in the format of The Mole. For the first time, the show featured celebrities, instead of regular citizens. Among the contestants that year were actors Corbin Bernsen and Erik von Detten, and Dutch model Frederique van der Wal.
Stephen Baldwin, Michael Boatman and Kim Coles were also on the cast. In the end, van de Wal was revealed to be the mole, while comedian Kathy Griffin emerged victorious, and walked away with the eventual prize money - a total of $233,000.
This was in fact a drop-off from what the winners of the first two seasons had taken home: In Season 1, Steven Cowles, an undercover cop from Denver carried the day with a pot containing $510,000. The second season went to Dorothy Hui, a New York musician who won $636,000.
Why Was 'The Mole' Canceled?
Season 4 of The Mole also followed the same model as Season 3, with celebrity participants contesting the grand prize. That season eventually went to the controversial Dennis Rodman, former NBA star and now unofficial Peace Ambassador of the United States to North Korea. He walked away with a total of $222,000.
There was a four-year hiatus between Season 4 and 5 of The Mole, after the production company had initially lost the syndication rights. The show eventually returned to ABC in June 2008. The series also then returned to its original format, with civilian contestants instead of celebrities.
Once again, the civilians outdid the stars, with the eventual winner that year taking home the final pot worth $420,000. Season 5 also earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music.
Nearly eight months after the final episode of Season 5 aired, ABC announced that the show would not be returning for a sixth. The network never gave any explanation for this decision, although fan boards demanding the return of the series are still active today. The old seasons can, however, be found on Netflix.
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