When ABC’s The Mole first hit TVs in 2001, Survivor was ruling the network roost for reality TV. The Mole‘s highly complicated and manipulative game won viewers over until 2004, after the series had started featuring celebrities. It’s been gone for about four years - that’s a whole lot of viewing seasons. So why is ABC bringing The Mole back now?

Hosted by Anderson Cooper in the beginning seasons, The Mole showed off beautiful locales and intense challenges. The premise of the show is that a single contestant - placed there by the producers - is there to sabotage all the others. But only that one person, you see, really knows who the saboteur is. Everyone tries to guess the identity of The Mole, while some masquerade as The Mole to throw the others off. Even the viewers have no idea who The Mole is, which turns all of us into sideline detectives.

Two seasons of celebrities hurt The Mole, but now the show is now being given another chance. It will return tonight with a new host, Jon Kelley. Why this show, why now? My guess is programming gaps and an appalling lack of creativity - but we’ll see what tonight’s premiere turns up. Perhaps it’s just a case of the right show finally hitting its stride and getting its chance - a la Family Guy on FOX. Producers of the show have promised The Mole will be simpler the second time around, allowing the home viewer to “play along.” It won’t be the original, but it will be back. Will you watch?