Yes! Yes! YES! The Mole Is BACK!

Praise be unto Disney for bringing back the BEST REALITY SHOW EVER! On Monday June 2, THE MOLE returns to ABC. Sadly, this incarnation is sans Anderson Cooper. That fact bums me out in a BIG way, but I'll sacrifice my sweet Coop for the return of at least ONE intelligent show on TV. BIG BROTHER this ain't! I am SO excited, and YOU should be too. The ABC website explains,

"Dubbed television's smartest reality show, ABC is bringing back "The Mole," featuring all-new missions, locations and music, plus online and mobile interactivity, enabling more viewer participation during the 10 episodes. Jon Kelley ("Extra," "The National Sports Report," "Baseball Today") is host.

"The Mole" follows a group of 12 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 Mole," based on the hit Belgian format, will be produced by Stone & Company Entertainment. The original series, produced by Stone Stanley Entertainment, was hosted by Anderson Cooper.

So, we'll see about this Jon Kelley character. He's got some mighty big track pants to fill. Cooper was really what made the show so smart. He really had to play the role of omnipotent tease and impartial guide on a crazy maze of clues and misdirects. I hope the new version doesn't dumb-down the razor sharp show for America's plummeting national average IQ. If it's 7/8 as good as the original there will FINALLY be a reason to watch TV until the next PROJECT RUNWAY in 3 years.