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Not too long
ago, a young up and coming journalist decided to take a job hosting
a new and intriguing reality series called “The Mole,”
presumably to further his television career. Now Anderson Cooper,
host of CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” would probably like to
erase any association with the series from his resume.
The original show featured everyday people with a knack
for solving puzzles and a love of riddles and games, and one very
deceptive individual trying to ruin it for everyone. Despite its
unique premise, the second season was cut prematurely from ABC’s
lineup, and the series was later resurrected with some substantial
modifications.
Unfortunately, the current rendition bears little
resemblance to the complexity and interest of that first season.
Ordinary people with problem-solving skills have been replaced by
has-been celebrities from years ago. The show has even been given
the laughable new name “Celebrity Mole” and is inexplicably
hosted by sportscaster lite Ahmad Rashad.
The
latest season, premiering tonight on ABC at 10 p.m., includes former
MTV VJ and talk show host Ananda Lewis, comedian Mark Curry, model
Angie Everhart, “Growing Pains” veteran Tracey Gold, “Cosby
Show’s” Keshia Knight Pulliam and NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman.
They join returning players Stephen Baldwin and Corbin Bernsen whose
repeat performance may stand as the most attention the duo has
received in the past decade.
It’s
no secret that ABC has some work to do with its schedule, but
another season of “Celebrity Mole” isn’t likely to be the
ratings fix the network is looking for.
| A
look at this week’s top TV draws |
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7 |
|
Time |
Network |
Program |
Description |
|
9 p.m. |
ABC |
“Life After Extreme
Makeover” (R) |
Is everything hunky dory
after you’ve had your face rearranged? |
|
9 p.m. |
NBC |
“West Wing” (D) |
John Goodman returns. |
|
9:30 p.m. |
Court TV |
“North Mission” (N) |
Series debut. Looking at
the LA County coroner’s office. |
|
10 p.m. |
ABC |
“Celebrity Mole
Yucatan” (R) |
Season debut. Of all the
celebrities to return, ABC inexplicably chose Corbin “DOA
since LA Law” Bernsen and Stephen “Which One’s He?”
Baldwin. |
|
10 p.m. |
ESPN2 |
Figure skating: U.S.
Championships |
The pairs and ice
dancing programs. |
|
10:25 p.m. |
AMC |
“Bond Girls Are
Forever” (A) |
“The Living Daylights’”
Maryam d’Abo hosts a look at 007 gals past and present. |
|
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8 |
|
Time |
Network |
Program |
Description |
|
6:30 p.m. |
TCM |
“Viva Las Vegas” (M) |
Shake your groove thing
with Elvis and Ann-Margret. |
|
8:30 p.m. |
NBC |
“The Apprentice” (R) |
Series debut. Ninety
minutes of The Donald primping and prepping would-be
executives to join his company. |
|
9 p.m. |
CBS |
“CSI” (D) |
Charleston, S.C.,
resident Charlene Hubenthal won CBS’s “Early Show”
contest and gets a guest appearance on the show. As a corpse. |
|
10 p.m. |
ABC |
“PrimeTime” (N) |
Pete Rose reportedly
admits that he bet on baseball in his new autobiography. ABC
gets the scoop – he’ll be on “Good Morning America”
tomorrow, too. |
|
10 p.m. |
Showtime |
“Chris Isaak Show”
(C) |
Season debut. In this
odd hybrid show, Isaak (who plays himself) performs a benefit
concert at an Indian casino. |
|
FRIDAY, JANUARY 9 |
|
Time |
Network |
Program |
Description |
|
8 p.m. |
HGTV |
“Debbie Travis’
Facelift” (R) |
Series debut. Where have
we seen this before: making over an unsuspecting relative’s
home while they’re away. Oh, yeah, one hour later on TLC’s
“While You Were Out.” |
|
9 p.m. |
CMT |
“CMT Crossroads” (A) |
Dave Matthews jams with
Emmylou Harris. |
|
9 p.m. |
Oxygen |
“Absolutely Fabulous”
(C) |
The fifth season opened
last week, but we were off, so consider this your alert. |
|
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 |
|
Time |
Network |
Program |
Description |
|
4:30 p.m. |
Fox |
NFL playoffs (S) |
St. Louis hosts a
second-round NFC game. |
|
8 p.m. |
CBS |
NFL playoffs (S) |
Watch regular-season No.
1 New England try to make the AFC championship game. |
|
SUNDAY, JANUARY 11 |
|
Time |
Network |
Program |
Description |
|
1 p.m. |
CBS |
NFL playoffs (S) |
See who else makes the
AFC title game with Kansas City facing the wild card game
winner. |
|
4:45 p.m. |
Fox |
NFL playoffs (S) |
Donovan McNabb rebounded
nicely from all that controversy, didn’t he? The top-seeded
Eagles host a second-round NFC matchup. |
|
9 p.m. |
CBS |
“The 30th Annual
People’s Choice Awards” (A) |
The people choose quite
differently than Emmy voters, you’ll note. |
|
9 p.m. |
WB |
“The Surreal Life”
(R) |
Season debut. Welcome to
season two of watching celebrity has-beens like Vanilla Ice
and Erik Estrada play wacky roommates. |
|
A = Awards show or special,
C = comedy, D = drama, K = kids, M = movie, N =
News/Documentary, R = reality, S = Sports, T = Talk/Variety
show.
Source:
Media Life
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