The Mole (I) (2001–2008) User Reviews

Fun reality show

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 18 September 2013]

This was a fun engaging reality series originally hosted by Anderson Cooper. The contestants solve puzzles, complete tasks, and build the cash prize. The trick is one contestant is a mole or fake contestant out to sabotage the game the cash pot. Each week, the contestants take a test to see who knows the mole the least.

As the audience, we're engage along with the contestant. That is the big draw. The viewer starts guessing along with the competitors about the identity of the mole. A big problem is the creative editing always muddy the show and makes the mole very hard to guess. At some point, you feel very manipulated. The show did introduce the world to Anderson Cooper. It's too bad the show ended.

First two seasons are great; fifth is weaker but still enjoyable

[gridoon2024 · 8/10 · 19 February 2023]

The first two seasons are terrific: the concept is surefire, but it is also well-served by mostly charismatic, likable and/or talented players who make the most of it. The genius of the idea is that when a player screws up a mission, which happens regularly, there are three possible explanations and it is, at least at the start, virtually impossible to determine which is the truth: a) the player could be the Mole, b) the player could be pretending to be the Mole to throw the others off track, c) the player could just be honestly screwing up. The Mole of the first season is one of my favorire reaility-TV / game-show contestants ever, and the second season has a really strong F3. There is also a most pleasing variety of locations, missions and twists. The third and fourth seasons I skipped, a) because I can't easily find them online and b) because they involve "celebrities" (almost never a good idea) so I probably wouldn't want to watch them anyway. The fifth season, which came a few years later, is a step down: it suffers from a terrible elimination order, an unpleasant to the point of toxicity player, and a winner who, when all is revealed, pretty much stumbled onto his win by 80% sheer luck (he was methodical, don't get me wrong...but also way off-target most of the way). It's still enjoyable, however. The recent (2022) US reboot is equally great (don't listen to the naysayers), and it has been renewed for a second season. Better late than never. 8/10.

its obvios who is the mole but still a great reality !

[shay-67903 · 8/10 · 7 October 2022]

First of all i LOVE the idea of this show, just when you thought youve seen everything on reality shows someone comes up with a fresh start.

As for the mole its obviisly Jacob Hacker ...i mean hies facebook says he is an actor / and model.

And i could tell it is him from first 5minutes of the show.. so not a huge secret there.

The only "big" reveal would be if its not really him.

He also gets the least interview camera times. And sabotage everything super gently..

so if he ends up being the mole.. its very disapointed that a lot of people could tell in first 5min of show.

But as for the rest of it the cast are great ! Very cool looking people i love the characters of all of them.

And the escape room style missions they are doing

im a bit dont like that they only meet up in the mornings do the missions then go to a different hotel / home or what not i would love it if they would be taken their phones from them and they would stay in a villa or something but i do understand its not that kind of show

and i do love the breeze of fresh air.

As for the prize in the end, i mean they have 5k australian dollars, then 20k then 15k... lets say in the end someone will earn 30k by the end of it is it really that life changing money ?

I mean its a lot dont get me wrong but the interviews / sponserships / exposure they will get from this show should net them upportoneties for much much more no ?

In the end the missions look fun ! I love escape rooms and its all escape room styles.

The people are interesting! I love the group

i would love to see them a bit more in a villa or central place a bit more and see them talk more not missions related.

Just a bit more.

All this locations jumping is a bit all over the place

and i would want it to be less obvious who the mole is (and i really do hope im wrong in this)

but the show is easily a breath of fresh air in all reality shows going on now thats just a copy pasted version of other shows

i love it

easily 8/10.

The Best Reality Show

[SMLA11 · 11 June 2002]

The Mole is definitely the best reality show yet. The show is very fast paced and keeps you guessing who the mole is and who you think is going to win. It is very good and I hope they don't give the following seasons of the shows the dreadful ax.

Overall the show is very cool and I highly recommend it. Rating **** out of ****. (Favorite Reality Show)

Best Reality Show Ever

[brad_317 · 10/10 · 13 September 2007]

Honestly, this is the best reality show anyone has ever come up with. In order to win the money you have to actually be INTELLIGENT. Not only that you've got to be brave, athletic, cunning, etc. It actually requires skill. Not like some lame-ass shows that are on these days. And yet, they only have two seasons of it! Bull..they need to bring this show back!!

Although, they'll have a hard time pulling Anderson Cooper away from CNN. He was great.

But seriously, it was an amazing show. You never knew who would be going when. And it was so much fun trying to figure out the mole yourself! It was a show you could actually play yourself if you wanted to!

BRING BACK THE MOLE!!!! BRING BACK THE MOLE!!!!

Needs a better host...

[sammiea-641-361539 · 1/10 · 5 October 2021]

This show could have been good if they had a host with even a little personality. Anderson Cooper has the appeal of a wet carp. Couldn't watch past the first episode.

Who is the Mole? I can't wait to find out.

[CMartin · 27 February 2001]

The Mole. Throughout history, moles have been used successfully to worm their way into empires, nations and dynasties... only to cause dissention, mistrust, and paranoia. What a great idea for a TV Series.

The hype that is "Survivor" is mixed with the format of MTV's "Road Rules". Take 10 strangers, 9 real contestants and 1 that is working for the producers. In the end, one person will win the money, one person will be "executed", and one will be unmasked as "The Mole".

I tuned into this fantastic series about 1/3 the way through, and I've been hooked. Every time I think I have the Mole figured out, That person gets executed. And it makes for great "reality TV". Unlike Survivor, where everyone is backstabbing each other, "The Mole" is sabotaging the "tests" and the other players know it. The amount of paranoia is great. Who can you trust, when the mole is out to get you?

A fantastic series, and I hope and pray It's picked up for another season.

Good Show

[Spawn Devil · 1 July 2002]

Honestly, I love this show. I think this show is better than Survivor and Temptation Island. The thing I like about it is that people don't vote other people off, I find that stupid. They must take a test everyday to see who stays and who goes. If your the person who gets the most questions wrong, your outta there. The challenges are instreasting to watch to. I hope they make a lot of seasons because I'm getting tired of Survivor!

Friday Night = Television Suicide!

[tarheel10 · 6 June 2002]

ABC almost commited "television suicide" by originally putting this show on Friday nights! That is when the least amount of teenagers and young adults are home, their main audience!

I'm glad to see "The Mole II" back on Tuesday nights, and I wish they'll bring it back for a third season, although that's very unlikely.

One of The best "reality" shows yet

[LT-10 · 10 February 2001]

Okay so maybe it isn't "reality" but oh well they still put it in that category. This is awesome, it is fast paced and always keeps you attention. There are no boring contestants unlike some of the other shows. Fast, exciting, deserves all the attention it gets. 9.5/10 (If we were allowed to vote on TV series)

Here's hoping there will be a third "Mole"

[The Fox-2 · 18 August 2002]

I quite enjoyed "The Mole" the first time it was on TV, and eagerly looked forward to watching "The Mole 2." After a rocky start in which ABC pulled it from their primetime schedule late in 2001, before all the episodes had aired, they started it up again with a better timeslot (Tuesday evenings) and I'm glad that they did.

I'm not a huge fan of the "reality" genre. About the only "reality"-type shows I watch are "Survivor" and "The Mole." I actually prefer "The Mole" to "Survivor" (don't get me wrong; I LOVE "Survivor") because of the cerebral aspect of it. The games are interactive; you find yourself in the place of the contestants, trying alongside them to solve the various riddles that they are presented with, and trying to analyze fellow players' actions, wondering "Who is the Mole, and how can I get other people to think that I am?" With the exception of just a couple of games (the "fashion sense" game comes to mind), most of the games and challenges don't involve having the players stoop to the lowest common denominator to earn money for the pot.

When players are eliminated from "The Mole," it's not so because the rest of the players found them unpopular or too much of a threat. If you haven't been paying attention to the clues or haven't sorted fact from fiction, then you effectively eliminate yourself if you score the lowest on the execution quiz. "The Mole" isn't a popularity contest that can be sabotaged easily by overzealous fans (remember Brittany from the first "Big Brother"?) or vengeful losers; the best player does indeed win.

Another thing that I found so appealing about "The Mole" was how much more affable and interactive host Anderson Cooper was with the contestants. Cooper isn't just your aloof host that shows up only for challenges and elimination rounds. Cooper has a wicked sense of humor that manifests itself often during the games. He also joins the contestants for dinner, which further humanizes him. One of the most memorable moments of the second season came when contestant Rob, a magician, showed Cooper a card trick. Right after Rob revealed the outcome of the trick, Cooper immediately slugged him playfully in the arm. Imagine Rich Hatch trying to pull something like that with Jeff Probst on Pulau Tiga!

Because "The Mole" hasn't racked up the same kinds of ratings that "Survivor" or even "American Idol," a lot of people are quick to count it out for another go-round. I certainly hope not. Apparently, the ratings for "The Mole 2" were high enough for ABC to consider yet another installment. If that's the case, I hope to try out for it, because it's the only "reality" show that I would ever consider being on. If ABC decides not to bring it back for a third installment, it'll be a crying shame. In this age of trashy soap operas and lowbrow humor, "The Mole" is a shot of fresh air that most anyone could benefit from.

Best reality/game show out there!

[haackman_2001 · 12 May 2001]

This is the best reality/game show, even beating Survivor. It was about 10 people, 9 contestants vying for the cash prize, and 1 saboteur(The Mole) undercover trying to sabotage the contestants efforts to bring money into the group pot.

As it turned out, Kathryn Price was the Mole and Steve Cowles won the pot of $510,000. They both were probably the favorites from the beginning, and Kathryn was my personal favorite to be the Mole or winner.

The game was more original than Boot Camp or anything like that, and added elements of suspense, mystery, and intrigue. It also placed in the whodunnit sense of Clue.

I really wish Good Morning America decided to interview the executed each Wednesday/Thursday morning, it would have been interesting. I can't wait for the Mole 2 coming this fall. And by the way, the show didn't do that bad in ratings. It was ABC's top show for ages 18-34 in that time period and garnished a considerable rating place for a show.

The BEST show on TV!!!!!!

[the1kim · 2 March 2001]

This is the most awesome "reality" show that I have ever seen. It follows 10 people who have to try to win challenges to earn money for a group pot. The catch is that there is one person(the mole) in the group who tries to sabotage the challenges. The contestants don't get voted off, they have to take a test every few days to test their knowledge of who "the mole" is. Whoever gets the least right gets eliminated. It's kinda complicated unless you watch it. It's truly a good show. 10/10!!!

Hilarious, Intelligent, and [Viewers] Mind-Playing. What More?

[starry_magicstuff · 15 August 2002]

When I first saw the first Mole, I blew it off as one of those "reality shows". I had only seen Survivor, and didn't like it, so I stereotyped reality shows. Now, I regret that, and think that some reality shows can be good. One example is the Mole. This season, though pulled before, and brought back, was pretty good. It's been called the most intelligent reality television show [somewhere] and it's lived up to it.

And it's funny! The competitors do look a little bland, but when they show them at the group meals [especially dinner] it's very funny. [Sadly enough, it is, even after Al and Katie's Jelly Discussion.] Yes, even though some of the games were rather disgustingly boring [Three Questions, anyone?] some were rather intriguing. [Anyone for Gladiator, Evader, and Break out of Jail/Get the Key?] It's plays with the viewers mind, trying to figure out who the mole is. Even though the clues were slightly obvious, it was a great season!

One more note: this show was actually a show that kept me watching...especially since the one I picked out to win since the eighth or so week won. So it's very addicting, especially when you find it when they're doing something like rappelling off a dam.

Hands down the best show on television.

[SPENCINI · 13 July 2002]

The Mole is an exciting game of chance and suspense. A group of 14 people are taken to a very picturesque location in Europe, however one of the group is a special agent, a mole, hired by the show to prevent the group from gaining money. Each week the players compete in games to win money for the group, while being constantly vigilant for signs of sabotage from the mole. At the end of each episode the players must answer a ten question quiz as to the identity of the mole. The player who scores the lowest on this quiz is executed and must leave the show immediately.

Although it is not as good as the first installment of the mole, it is exciting because it is the only reality show that makes you think. The viewers can play along to try to find the identity of the mole. It is easily the most fun and exciting show to watch on television and I would not miss a week of it for anything.

Great Show, Even Better The Second Time Through

[Dogbert-10 · 24 June 2002]

Obviously, some of the previous negative posters have probably watched only one or two shows in the series and have casted judgement on that. Heck, in 2001, they only showed THREE episodes of Mole 2! Well, The Mole is back and it's getting better! If you like a smart and engaging game that'll keep you guessing who the Mole could be, then this is for you! If you want a game that'll keep you a couch potato, then this might be way too much for you. Disregard the previous comments because they've only seen PART of the series. It's like watching the first 5 minutes of a movie and saying whether you hate it or not. We're halfway through and I love it!

A game with a brain

[modhatter · 12 June 2002]

Unlike the voyeur "reality" shows all around, The Mole is a show that invites viewers to participate. Assisted by Mensa, the producers of the Mole create clues for both the contestants and those who want to play along at home. Execution comes not from being "unpopular" but from failing to gether correct information on the show's hired saboteur, The Mole.

True, there are few bikinis. True, there are no couples on the Mole that go on a cruise or on dates with other people to test their feeble "romance." And, true, no one has had to eat any bugs or animal innards yet. But, if you're interested in a show where you actually CARE who wins the money for once, try the Mole.

Dumb mistake to take off

[ILovePlanetOfTheApes · 18 May 2002]

This was a great show! Even better than the first season!

Why in the heck take it off?! And, why take it off after only two or three episodes?!

I would have loved to watch this, and see who the Mole was. Hopefully they're be putting the Mole 2, back on. I loved it. It was great!

wow...

[Lyra_89 · 27 July 2003]

I love the mole. I started watching before most of you, being as there was a British version - two series - before the US one. I happened to notice most of the tasks are very alike in all the series, though the US ones did have some excellent tasks we didn't have. Challenge (UK) has not yet started showing the Celebrity mole, though i think i will still prefer the originals without celebrities, as with all reality tv, it's much more entertaining. Due to this site, I did actually know who was the mole before i saw the programmes, which took out all of the excitement, but it was very entertaining to see the hidden clues, and how the mole disrupted tasks. I hope both the US and the UK versions continue, and as I would love to be on the show (especially as the mole!) i hope there will, in the future, be a junior version. Because, well, I'm only 14.....

Enrich your mind

[mbalsam · 6 August 2002]

Listen, it's not that I don't like trash. I got a huge kick out of survivor, boot camp, temptation island. I even became a huge O-Town fan after watching making the band. Sure they're not the most intelligent shows on TV, sure they're even slimy in a way, but they're entertaining and that's what TV is all about. But why watch entertaining trash when you can watch entertaining class? The Mole has got all the suspense and drama of any of these shows with its elimination style of play. It has all the same people politics(backstabbing, alliances, etc) that made those other shows fun. But the Mole is actually intelligent, sophisticated, and interactive, all things that the other shows lacked.

The viewer, through the show, is taken on a beautiful tour of quaint Italian towns and villages. We watch the contestants drinking fine wine,(with the exception of Al and Heather's creation)and having thoughtful conversation with each other at the dinner table. We have the host Anderson Cooper, former ABC newsman, hitting us with witty humor and charm all the way through. The contestants are all smart and well spoken. Not to mention that we as the audience have a chance to analyze the show to pieces. The show is multilayered so you can still enjoy analyzing people relations like in Survivor, but you can also analyze mysterious or suspicious characters and actions.

All entertainment is good, but when you get a chance to see entertainment with a brain, why pass up on it?

The only betrayal this show proved was coming back for another season!

[Aussie Stud · 9 October 2001]

I missed the first season of this reality show when it first premiered, but someone told me that it was pretty good, so when I discovered they were making a second season of it, I decided to watch it.

This is a very uninspiring series where a group of people (in this case, 14 unlucky suckers) have to figure out which person in their group is 'the mole'. There are no real hints given as to who the mole could be, other than the fact that each contestant gets themselves into compromising situations or they are simply 'put on the spot' - which of course leads the other contestants to make their own reserved judgments as to who they think is the mole.

Each episode has a few games in which the contestants participate in, usually where the host offers one or two contestants to make a 'deal'. They can either abort the game and be granted immunity for that episode's elimination round, therefore jeopardizing the team's goal to make more money that goes into their jackpot of winnings - or they can go ahead and participate in the game, but still risk the chance in failing that particular game and ending up making no money just the same. Either way, suspicion is still cast upon the player(s) who decide whether or not to take up the host's offer.

The elimination round is comprised of a series of questions that the contestants must answer pertaining to who they think the mole is. The person who gets the least amount of questions right is eliminated, and in the case of a tie, it's the person who answered the slowest. Naturally, 'the mole' will never be the person who answers the least amount of questions right.

Unfortunately, the personality characteristics of the people in this particular group of contestants is very dull and there is barely anyone worth rooting for. The games themselves are quite boring and sometimes downright ludicrous (one episode had the contestants donning ridiculous costumes such as wearing nothing but a diaper and walking around town just so they could add more money to the pot). When the episode ended, I didn't exactly find myself thinking, "Wow, I can't wait to see the next episode!" or "Hmm, I wonder who the mole is?".

I was very unimpressed. For a Friday night time slot, airing this show is almost like committing suicide. I could hardly see any scenario where someone would put aside their Friday night plans to stay home and watch this. Now if it were "SURVIVOR"... well that's in a league of it's own. :)

Too many Contestants in this Sequel that just Doesn't Compare to Season 1

[LT-10 · 28 October 2001]

The Mole, season 1, is probably the best and smartest reality tv show to hit North America. However, in this second season the changes take away from the show. It still is good enough to watch, but it simply isn't as good as season one. The main problem is too many contestants, it is easy to mix up who is who. Next, the amount of time spent on challenges had been reduced so their could be more "contestant interaction" aka alliance planning and fights. This takes away from the show and turns it into run-of-the-mill reality trash. The Mole WAS smart and always kept you guessing now its nothin' special.

Great show

[cloud540 · 21 October 2001]

THe only reason some don't like it is because it requires a higher IQ, Intelligence is crucial to like this. Sure Smart people like survivor, but dumb people love it because all it takes is atheletics and conieving to win the game. The mole2 is better that survivor, and actually takes some thinking to do. There are hard games the players must play, but figuring out the mole is the real treat. Though many people dont like it (those who rate low have IQs even lower probably) many people do. The real betrayel came when ABC (BOO hiss) canceled the show for a while. This TV show is not for everyone, but 14 people winning money, 1 is a traitor, sounds good to me.

Great Show. The first couple episodes were a bit bleak, but then it got going.

[MovieAddict2016 · 5 August 2002]

The Mole 2: The Next Betrayal is great. I personally was rooting for Al to win, but now he's gone. Watch the show to figure out how it works. I'm just here to tell you, WATCH IT. It may be too late now though. The last episode air tomorrow. I THINK DOROTHY IS THE MOLE!!!!

Best of the best

[jess_valentine · 15 February 2001]

Definitely the best of the "reality" TV shows. A fast-paced show relying on player strategy and fortitude. Wow. And Anderson Cooper is definitely the best host I've seen for shows like this ... not one of those annoying "how does my hair look?" guys that host Survivor, Temptation Island, etc.