The Mole 2008 ~ The TV Reality Show

The name of The Mole's host has been revealed: Jon Kelley.

Kelley, a former weekend anchor for "Extra", replaced original "Mole" man Anderson Cooper. Cooper, an unknown at the time of the show's 2001 debut, is now a key CNN prime time anchor.

ABC aired the new "Mole" on Mondays at 10 p.m., starting June 2nd, 2008.

"The Mole" has been on an extended hiatus since 2004. ABC aired four editions of the paranoia-themed competition, including two featuring celebrity casts. Latter editions were hosted by Ahmad Rashad.

In addition to his stint on "Extra", Kelley's credits include lead anchor for Fox Sports Net's "The National Sports Report" and "Baseball Today".

The 2008 version of The Mole followed a group of twelve players as it tried to work out who among it was The Mole -- a saboteur trying to keep the other players from winning money.

The group had to work together to complete a series of physical and mental challenges in order to build up a significant sum of cash, the total of which was awarded to the eventual winner.

Contestants had to decide who they thought The Mole was through various observations and suspicions made during the show, and then learn as much about him or her as they could. At the end of each one-hour episode a quiz was undertaken by the contestants, and the player who knew the least about The Mole was immediately eliminated from the game.

In the final dramatic episode, The Mole was revealed and one of two final players won a substantial cash prize which accumulated each week.

Kristen is a 35-year-old neuroscientist from Santa Monica, California. She is tall, blonde and beautiful.

Her current research at UCLA involves trying to find a cure for Parkinson's Disease. Kristen is from a Midwestern upper-middle class family. In her early years, she showed horses competitively and also worked in modeling.

Kristen lists her assets as athleticism and a naturally strategic mind. Kristen says she is kind and also a perfectionist.

KRISTEN IS NOT "THE MOLE". SHE WAS EXECUTED IN THE FIFTH EPISODE.

Paul has the accent and demeanor that clearly reveals he's an Italian New Yorker from Yonkers. Paul, 29, works 9 to 5 as a machinist for a utility company and as a wedding DJ on the weekends.

It is at one of these weddings where he met his wife, and his life changed forever. A self-professed former "pla'ya", he is now a family man who dotes on his family, especially his 2-year-old daughter. Paul is outgoing and has a charismatic personality.

He feels he has an advantage in the Mole because growing up, his father worked for a spy gadget company and would use the gadgets to spy on his kids. Paul considers confidence his best trait and his worst trait. He admits and his wife will readily agree that he just doesn't know when to shut up.

PAUL IS NOT "THE MOLE". HE WAS EXECUTED IN THE EIGHTH EPISODE.

Victoria, 26, is a spunky, former pageant girl and cheerleader from Bishop, Texas now working as a Retail Manager. She once told pageant judges her favorite reality show was "The Mole" because one gets to be deceptive in the game. This did not go over so well with the pageant judges!

Victoria is very close to her family and professes to be a daddy's girl. She admits that her looks and sweet demeanor often gets her what she wants, especially from men. Though people often mistake her for a naïve, small town girl, she admits she can be conniving when she wants to be. She says people usually underestimate her intelligence but she is much more observant and deceptive than she lets on.

Victoria considers herself to be very competitive and says she will not hesitate to back stab in the game if she has to. She admits one of her flaws is that she cusses like a sailor.

VICTORIA IS NOT "THE MOLE". SHE WAS EXECUTED IN THE FOURTH EPISODE.

Clay, 32, is a devoted husband and father of two sons from Philadelphia, PA. He feels that the skills he uses as a criminal trial attorney will closely parallel his strategy in the game. Clay plans on using his argumentative skills to convince others to do what he wants.

He is analytical and can easily hide his emotions. He says he will use the same skills he uses in selecting a jury for figuring out who the Mole is. Due to his trial experience, he has developed a keen sense of how to read people from all walks of life.

Clay thinks he can outsmart the other players in the game because he is usually smarter than most people. Clay admits he suffers a bit from OCD. He has been known to touch a light switch ten times before he can leave a room.

CLAY IS NOT "THE MOLE". HE WAS EXECUTED IN THE SEVENTH EPISODE.

Nicole, 32, is an OBGYN doctor from Chicago, IL and says she has the ability to be a social chameleon - a skill she's developed by growing up in a lower-middle class, African-American neighborhood, working in a white collar profession and dealing with a wide range of patients.

She says she can be street or professional when she needs to be, has a strong personality and isn't shy about letting her opinions be known. Nicole is very proud of being a doctor and has no problem with being considered a diva. She is close with her mother and credits her with her success.

NICOLE IS NOT "THE MOLE". SHE WAS REVEALED AS THE MOLE'S FINAL VICTIM.

Ali, 24, is a model (yep, there's a model) from St. Louis, MO who has worked as a ring girl for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

She describes herself as "stunning" and believes her beauty helps her get her way, but also causes people to instantly dismiss her -- which she plans on using to her benefit in the game.

Ali used to be a wild, party girl. She celebrated her 21st birthday with Motley Crue in Las Vegas. But now she treats her body as a temple. She has strong religious beliefs and has settled down with her boyfriend, a UFC fighter. She claims to have a 75% accuracy rate with shotguns and is experienced in fishing.

Ali considers herself ambitious and caring, but also forgetful and prone to road rage. She plans on using her beauty and brains to outsmart other players.

ALI IS NOT "THE MOLE". SHE ACCEPTED A $30,000 BRIBE TO LEAVE THE GAME. SHE WAS EXECUTED IN THE THIRD EPISODE.

Bobby, 25, from Philadelphia, PA is a Restaurant Manager who loves games, competing and winning, though you may not know it from his low key exterior.

He's a hardcore fan of "The Mole" and used to host "Mole" viewing parties in his basement. He knows the game well and has a solid strategy to form coalitions with less intelligent players whom he can lead astray. Bobby feels that being selected as a player on "The Mole" is the fulfillment a lifelong dream, and that also being gay, his "gaydar" -- the ability to recognize other gay people -- will help him read others players in the game.

Bobby considers himself loveable and generous, but also stubborn and vengeful. He used to work as a restaurant manager until recently, when his restaurant closed. Bobby feels his knowledge of the game guarantees him a spot among the final three players.

BOBBY IS NOT "THE MOLE". HE WAS EXECUTED IN THE THIRD EPISODE.

Mark, 42, is a High School history teacher and soccer coach from Mukwonago, WI. He plays to win and has no tolerance for whiners.

A huge fan of "The Mole", Mark has seen all the previous seasons and will be very intense and focused about playing the game. His only weakness is his family: Mark grew up poor, in a broken family, but his life turned around when he met his wife. He can get very emotional about his wife of 18 years and his three kids, whom he considers his life. He also has a fourth child on the way.

Mark says he thrives on competition and being challenged, and has an IQ of 143. His strategy is to figure out an "end game," whereby he foresees a desired end and the most advantageous route for himself towards it, then does everything in his power to manipulate things in that direction.

MARK IS NOT "THE MOLE". HE WAS REVEALED AS THE WINNER, EARNING $420,000.

Retired Liz from Whitefish, MT, at 60, has more energy than people half her age. She lives life to the fullest and doesn't let age stand in her way. Nor will she hesitate to shock people with her outlandish sense of humor.

When Liz's husband passed away, she decided to adopt two children and raise them on her own. She has an 18-year-old daughter, a senior in high school, and a 20-year-old son in the army, who recently gave her a grandchild.

She suffers a bit from empty nest syndrome, so she's eager to have this adventure to bring some excitement into her life. Liz feels that her age will be an asset in the game because with age comes wisdom, especially when dealing with younger people.

LIZ IS NOT "THE MOLE". SHE WAS EXECUTED IN THE SECOND EPISODE.

Craig, 30, from San Diego, CA is a graphic designer who has been overweight his entire life, so he developed a sense of humor in order to make friends.

He's a lovable prankster with a big heart, and his magnetic personality has gotten him through life. Craig plans on using his endearing nature and non-threatening appearance to win the players' trust and then manipulate them.

He knows his physical limitations, but says this can be an asset in the game because everyone will underestimate him. He hopes to surprise people with his abilities.

Craig has sleep apnea, so he has to sleep with a special machine to help him breathe. Craig has traveled extensively and worked as a humanitarian disaster relief aide worker in Turkey and Thailand.

CRAIG IS "THE MOLE".

Marcie, 31, from Corona, CA got pregnant in high school, married her high school sweetheart and is a devoted wife and mother of three sons. Married to a police officer, she devotes her entire life to raising her family, but sometimes feels she has missed out on the opportunity to do something just for herself. She believes stay-at-home moms have the most important jobs anyone can have; they're not people who can't do anything else, they just choose to raise their families rather than pursue a career.

Playing this game will be Marcie's big adventure and an opportunity to prove she is more than "just a mom". She feels that others will underestimate her, and she'll use that to her advantage. Spanish is her first language and she speaks it fluently.

MARCIE IS NOT "THE MOLE". SHE WAS EXECUTED IN THE FIRST EPISODE.

Alex, a musician aged 31 from Haverford, PA, grew up in the suburbs outside Philadelphia and has been drawn to music his whole life. In high school he was president of the jazz band, and now he's an aspiring musician, the lead guitarist for a fledgling rock band. He doesn't want to compromise his musical aspirations, so he works odd jobs and lives at home with his parents while waiting for his big break. He says he communicates best through his music. He plans on bringing his guitar to help entertain his fellow players with a song he wrote especially for "The Mole".

His strategy is to be the "nice guy," but he says he can play dirty if he needs to. He learned to speak Spanish from his mother and lived in Costa Rica for five years. He considers himself an expert marksman.

ALEX IS NOT "THE MOLE". HE WAS EXECUTED IN THE SIXTH EPISODE.

Week nine of "The Mole" saw the three remaining contestants Mark, Craig and Nicole undertaking their two final challenges. Firstly, the three successfully disarmed a "bomb" that was holding the next amount of money that was due to be added to the winner's pot, and then scurried around Buenos Aires locating various landmarks, taking photos as evidence to be sent back to host Jon Kelley.

After all was said and done, Mark won the challenge and was given the choice of adding more money to the pot or viewing The Mole's private dossier. He chose the latter, reasoning that any information he could garner about the identity of The Mole would be to his benefit.

At the end of the episode another quiz took place, this time containing twenty questions, instead of the usual ten.

Obviously, no contestant execution took place, as the results will be revealed on the show's finale on August 11. At this time, The Mole's last victim will be revealed, along with The Mole's identity and the winner of the game's cash prize.

The finale brought all the contestants back together to witness the winner of the competition, along with discovering the identity of "The Mole".

After updating the suspicious behavior of already executed contestants, the host Jon Kelley announced that the winner of the $420,000 pot was Mark.

Mark was then given the key to reveal that Craig was "The Mole", and that Nicole was Craig's final victim.

The Mole's Sabotage

1. In the Over the Falls mission in week one, Craig was told to drop the bag as he plummeted over the waterfall.

2. In the Crusoe mission, Craig unhurriedly looked for clues and covered up two of them in the sand. Caused a loss of $10,000.

3. In the Race to the Summit mission, he was told to slow down his team as much as possible. He then went on to score an own goal in the soccer match.

4. In the When Pigs Fly mission, he told cramping Bobby to get in the wheelbarrow (giving the team nowhere to put any recovered ceramic pigs) and to generally slow up his team. In the end, his team recovered no pigs, keeping a potential $11,000 out of the pot.

5. In the Fruit of the Luge mission, he broke the rules by talking to Victoria after they crossed the finish line.

6. He tried to sabotage the Travelers mission when assigning forms of transport to slow down other contestants from reaching predetermined monuments. He kept $30,000 from the pot.

7. Craig sabotaged the How's the View mission by getting Nicole to speak when she was not allowed to. His poor performance during the rest of the mission prevented $27,500 from being added to the pot.

8. In the Cell Out mission, Craig had been given the answer to the puzzle on the cell wall, but Mark was so fast in solving it that Craig had to find another form of sabotage. So, in the paint ball competition he got himself shot. Another $15,000 was kept out of the pot.

Overall, Craig prevented over $100,000 from being added to the winner's pot.

The Hidden Clues

In week one, during the Crusoe mission, Craig held up a message on the beach telling the others that they would be going home soon.

An embedded one frame message on the electronic map spelled out "NOT ALI" during week two.

In the week three title graphics, a clue to the identity of the final three players was given. A nine figure number was shown that when split up gave the home area codes for those players.

Three audio clues were heard in week four, again hinting at the identity of the final three contestants - a school bell for Mark (he's a teacher), a crying baby for Nicole (she's a OBGYN) and Craig's distinctive laugh at dinner (when he wasn't even there).

In the All For One mission, graffiti on the wall behind Mark spells out CRG, a shortened form of Craig.

The longitude and latitude of San Diego, Craig's hometown, was shown on the first map during the recap episode.

During an interview with Clay, four "i's" are superimposed into the background. Four eyes is a nickname for someone who wears glasses. Craig was the only contestant to wear them.

During week seven's act four bumper, the words "roja corbata" are barely visible in the graphic of The Mole's fingerprint. These words are Spanish for "red tie". Craig wears a red tie during that week's elimination.

Craig's name was never called during any of the executions.

Finally, in week nine another audio clue was used. During one of the break bumpers a sound revealed to be a short recording of a voice played backwards saying "Craig is the Mole".