Musings of The Mole

Applications

Mr. Mole — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 18:59:00 +0000

OK, folks, this is your chance. If you don't apply to be on this summer's new Mole show...you absolutely will be guaranteed of staying home in a humdrum job. There are still a few days left; get those applications in!

Bill
The Mole II

www.molecasting.com

Mr. Mole — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:36:00 +0000

Dubbed television’s smartest reality show, ABC is bringing back THE MOLE, featuring new “whodunit” game elements, interactivity and a new host.THE MOLE, based on the hit Belgian format, will be produced by Stone & Company Entertainment and follows a group of players as they try to figure out who among them is The Mole, a saboteur trying to keep them from winning money. Players must decide who they think The Mole is and then learn as much about him or her as they can, because, at the end of each one-hour episode, the player who knows the least about The Mole is immediately eliminated from the game. In the final dramatic episode, The Mole is revealed and one of two final players wins a substantial cash prize.The highly-rated ABC unscripted series aired in various time periods during its four-season run, and was a consistent draw with key young adult viewers opposite established network competition, including NBC’s “Law & Order” and the inaugural season of Fox’s “American Idol.” “The Mole” ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in its respective slots each season with Adults 18-34 and took second place in each of its time periods among Adults 18-49. Despite facing stiff demographic competition, “The Mole” improved each of its time periods among Adults 18-34.A NATIONWIDE CASTING SEARCH IS UNDERWAY TO FIND THE NEXT COMPETITORS TO PARTICIPATE IN A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY!Do you have what it takes to participate in this challenging, once-in-a-lifetime adventure? Are you observant enough to identify THE MOLE? If so, you could win up to $500,000! We are looking for dynamic competitive people with BIG personalities and a strong point of view. You must be able to participate in both physical and mental challenges and have the smarts to outwit your fellow competitors.SEEKING: • Men and women, ages 21 and over by March 1, 2008. • Must have an interesting life story and background. • Must have a U.S. passport valid by March 1, 2008 through the end of 2008. • Must be available to travel for approximately 6 to 8 weeks

New Mole season

Mr. Mole — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:07:00 +0000

OK, I've had a number of you ask if the new show is really coming. Absolutely! And, I don't know what the number of the show is, nor the host. However, I do know for certainty that the show will happen! The rest of that stuff will be revealed in due order; you know how secretive those mole folk are!

Again, thanks for the notes back on the book; I'm glad that some of you are enjoying it. I feel like I'm finding a whole new bunch of old friends out there!

Bill

New Season?

Mr. Mole — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:16:00 +0000

ABC bringing back 'The Mole'
Reality show scheduled for summer trek
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER, JOSEF ADALIAN
Saade"The Mole" has come out of hiding.
ABC has given a 10-episode order to Stone & Co. Entertainment ("Tim Gunn's Guide to Style") to revive the reality competish, which hasn't aired in four years.
Casting and pre-production have begun on the show, which will likely start shooting later this spring. ABC is looking to run "The Mole" this summer.
"This is a show we honestly love and people ask us about all the time," said ABC Entertainment alternative series senior VP John Saade, who added that plans were afoot to dig out "The Mole" even before the writers' strike.
"We were looking to bring the show back even when the writers were working," he said.
The first two editions of "The Mole," which aired in 2001 and 2002, earned ABC's top marks among adult 18-34 auds in both of those years. ABC then ran two seasons of "Celebrity Mole," in midseason 2003 and 2004.
Stone Stanley Prods., which produced all four "Mole" segs, dissolved in 2004. But principal Scott Stone said he kept a fire burning for the show, and has been looking to revive it under his new shingle for years.
"It was just about getting the timing right," Stone said.
The hiccup: Rights to "The Mole" had reverted back to Belgium company TTTI, which owns the format. Stone, who's repped by WMA, finally managed to close a new deal to license the show two months ago.
"If anyone asks me what my favorite show has been, I've answered 'The Mole,'" Stone said. "Not surprisingly, this has been a passion of mine since the option lapsed three or four years ago. In my staff meeting every week, people would say, 'Don't even bring it up.' I kept throwing it out that it was eventually going to be the right time. And it perennially ends up on lists of people's favorite reality shows. That kept the fires burning inside me."
The revived "Mole" will revert back to the original format, sans celebs.
Show features contestants traveling across a foreign country completing tasks and solving puzzles in order to add money to the winner's pot. At the same time, they're trying to figure out which of their competitors is actually "The Mole" -- a player planted to sabotage the game and limit the money won.
At the end of each episode, players take a quiz; lowest-score sends someone packing. Person who's left standing alongside the Mole wins the money pot -- which could be as much as $1 million, but ultimately came to $510,000 in season one and $636,000 in season two.
Stone said the new version has been simplified, but said he hasn't "dumbed it down."
"We simplified it to where the people at home can play along," he said. "And the quiz will be much shorter than in the past."
Anderson Cooper, who hosted the first two editions, remains at CNN and isn't available to host; Ahmad Rashad, who hosted the celeb editions, hasn't been asked to return. Stone said he's scouting for a host in Cooper's vein.
"We're looking for someone in the Anderson mode, a little mysterious but full of comedy," he said. "It could be a breakout role for someone."
"Celebrity Mole" won an Emmy in 2004 for Outstanding Achievement in Enhanced Television.

Happy 2008!

Mr. Mole — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 19:17:00 +0000

Friends, I wish you a most wonderful 2008! And, may the headaches go away quickly! If you have not seen it, go to Murtz Jaffer's web site, www.insidepulse.com, and click on his ad for Reflections of the Mole. My appreciation to Murtz and his staff for giving a wonderful writeup for this book. Again, if we all push, the networks will listen. Mole III will return!

Again, Happy New Year!

Bill

Coal in my stockings!

Mr. Mole — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 07:12:00 +0000

OK, folks, I suppose most of you got good gifts; I got enough coal in my stockings to decrease my fuel bill for the winter! Darn! It has been great hearing from many of you in the last few weeks, and especially following the Mole II marathon over the weekend. Keep the notes coming! My book will be available soon via other sources...Amazon, book stores, hopefully airports, and even more hopefully Costco! Keep your fingers crossed for Mole III!

Bill

Merry Christmas

Mr. Mole — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 18:45:00 +0000

Good morning, friends. I just want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a most wonderful 2008!

Bill

Airing of Mole II

Mr. Mole — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 17:08:00 +0000

I hope many of you got to see the many hours of Mole II yesterday on Fox Reality TV. 5 more hours today, starting at 0800 Eastern, 1100 West Coast. Personally, I still think Elavia is the Mole.

Merry Christmas to you all! For those whose books have not arrived, my apologies. Between Christmas package rush, freezing temps and frozen roads across the country, and the fact that I live on an island with pony express as our initial mode of mail transit, the books have not arrived as quickly for some of you as I had hoped. They will be there!

Happy 2008! I firmly believe a new season of The Mole will be its own reality in 2008!

Bill, The Mole II

Christmas presents

Mr. Mole — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 20:57:00 +0000

Dr. Perry Taaca, thanks for taking the lazy man's way to shop and ordering 16 books for your friends! I hope they appreciate it as much as I did!

Bill

New Season/DVD's

Mr. Mole — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 20:52:00 +0000

I've had several questions about possible DVD releases of Season II. Season I did not sell well, and I've been told that currently there is no plan to release DVD's of Season II. However, you all know that Fox Reality TV is showing our show 22 DEC of this year...coming up soon! Help me spread the word through reality web sites about the book if you get a chance! Heather, thanks for the note! I'm glad you enjoyed it! And, folks, again I think the Mole will be shown again on network television!

Bill

books on their way!

Mr. Mole — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 01:34:00 +0000

Folks, thanks to all of you who have ordered books; John O'Melvaney and I have been working all afternoon signing, making labels, and getting them all ready for shipment on 12/12/07. You should have them within 5 days or so! There is still time for Christmas presents to be ordered; get your mole fan friends to come to the site and check it out!

Bill

Book signing

Mr. Mole — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 17:36:00 +0000

OK, my book shipment finally came in on Friday...just in time, inasmuch as I had a local book signing scheduled for a coffee shop in town (Angelo's Caffe) on Saturday and Sunday! I hate to try to sign promissory notes! Super people showed up, some friends (who probably felt they should buy a book, and who am I to dissuade them?) and some just mole fans who enjoyed the show. The best part of this first signing was just chatting with people about the little things that happen on a show like this, and the personalities of my fellow players, and trying to assure some of them that, yes, I actually can swim better than I apparently could on television! (Marginally so, however.) Folks, you will never get rich at book signings, but I guarantee that you can thoroughly enjoy meeting and talking with friends...even new ones you make on the spot! Thank you to all of you who were there!

Bill

Re-airing of "The Mole II"

Mr. Mole — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 23:48:00 +0000

Folks, Fox Reality TV is going to show all of our season of "The Mole II" on 22 DEC 07, starting at 1:00 PM (EST) until 9:00 PM (again Eastern Standard Time). West Coast folk, that is from 10:00 AM-6:00 PM. You might ask how they are getting 13 weeks of show into 8 hours? Darned if I know! I guess we will have to watch to find out! Let's get the drum beats going for a new season of the best reality show on television!

Bill, The Mole II

Thanks for responding!

Mr. Mole — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 04:36:00 +0000

Folks, it has been delightful receiving emails from so many of you; the best part of all this is continuing to renew old friendships and establish new ones! Of all the positive results of doing "The Mole II," by far the most positive have been the enduring friendship of my fellow 'moles' and the crew who worked with us, then finding so many more great friendships across the country! Thank you all very much for this. Help me get the word out if you will; let's keep generating interest and get this most fun show back on the air!

Bill

From the Mole

Mr. Mole — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:22:00 +0000

OK, folks, get on here. Let's get another season of The Mole out there! I loved writing this book; I hope you enjoy it as well!

Test post

Mr. Mole — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:27:00 +0000

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