Author Topic: Jon Kelley's Blog  (Read 4003 times)

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Offline marigold

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Jon Kelley's Blog
« on: June 02, 2008, 10:22:51 PM »
Jon Kelley's Bog For Episode 1:

Episode 1 - Welcome to The Mole ... Blog

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Mole ... Blog."

Oh, by the way, my name is Jon Kelley.  Great meeting all of you, live and
in living color, via the World Wide Web. From what I’m reading on these
message boards, there’s a long list of you seriously juiced up for this
show’s return.  It’s been 4 long years - 'bout time we got the magic and
green kool-aid flowing again.

I’m a blog fanatic and I can tell by these message boards that fans are
amped. "Mole-a-holics"... getting "Mole-a-fied"… feeling "Mole-liscious"...
just a few of the new phrases I’ve picked up around the blogosphere.

One of my all-time favorite comments so far?  That Anderson Cooper and I
actually resemble each other!  No joke.  One guy even wrote that we must be,
"brothers from another mother."  That is CLASSIC!  For those of you who
might get us mixed up, I’ll help you out with a little hint:  if you look
very closely, I have a small freckle under my right eye. He doesn’t.  So as
long as you stay aware of that, you should be good.  Oh, and I’m black.

For the record, I, like many of you, thoroughly enjoyed watching Anderson Cooper
lead the way through season’s 1 & 2.  He’s smart, funny, talented and I dig his style.
Cooper no question was an important thread and a solid part of the show’s appeal. 
Knowing he held the reigns to this hosting position before I did, made this role even more appealing.

So where do I start? How about Los Angeles?  Los Angeles, Chile, that is. 
It’s a small, rural town that served as the site of our first mission.  As
soon as we rolled up to our hotel, it reminded me of my old summer camp from
back in the day:  Camp Kataki.  Camp Kataki on steroids
... especially the mosquitos.  At least this time I didn’t have to share a
bunk bed w/ little Teddy Williams.  Nice enough kid, but damn, he could not
control his bladder. Don’t worry, I rocked the bunk up top -

My first few days were spent settling in … bouncing around getting
acquainted with the virtual army of Team Mole.  It’s a force… a movement
that gives off the vibe and hum of a well-oiled television machine. The
stories, the heartfelt camaraderie, enthusiasm and pleasure of reuniting for
another season … I hadn’t even shot the first episode, and I was already
feeling the fever.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner were usually a trip.  Beat up little local
joints, tables full of Mole warriors, great conversation, a menu I really
couldn’t read, soccer on all the television monitors around the room.  Since
my Spanish is muy limited, I’d stick to the only word I recognize on the
menu: Pollo.  Using some weak mime moves, I’d show our server how I’d like
it grilled.  Somehow it worked.  Eventually, I figured out, "Pollo ala
plancha" was my go to, money phrase in Chile.  Also a huge hit in Chile ...
instant coffee.  Thought that was discontinued back in the 70’s - who knew?

Well, fast forward to 2008 and prepare yourselves for a premiere that will
reach out of your plasma, grab you by the collar and snatch you inside for
the ride of your life. The show comes strong right out of the box.  Our Exec
Producers and entire Mole team are going above and beyond to create nothing
short of memorable television.  In the colorful words of EP, Clay Newbill,
"It’s The Bionic Mole. Bigger… faster… stronger… better than ever!"  Steve
Austin, eat your heart out.

Remember:  trust no one.  Gonna be a lot of of dirty games, underhanded
moves, deceit and betrayals.   After all, we do have a killer mix of
personality types.  I can tell this is going to be one wild, exciting,
dynamic run.

I have no idea who The Mole is ... to this day.  So, let the game... and the games begin.
« Last Edit: June 02, 2008, 11:33:56 PM by ca bb fan »

Offline marigold

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Re: Jon Kelley's Blog
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2008, 12:07:42 AM »
Jon Kelley's blog

Episode 1- Recap

By now you've all had a chance to take in episode 1 of The Mole's rebirth.  I loved every minute of it. 

Why wouldn't I? I had the pleasure of saying hello to our 12 players and then sending them over a spectacular 100-foot waterfall. They did alright for rookies.  What you couldn't see was how crazy cold it was and how the mist off the waterfall made us swear it was on the verge of turning to snow.  Along with the brawn, we of course tested the players' brains in the Crusoe mission.

No doubt:  this was a completely different gig than anything I'd had before.  The added bonus was -- just like the players -- I was challenged every step of the way.  Taking it all in, making adjustments on the fly, feeling my way through the early missions ... I was energized because I was evolving and forced to produce a different kind of television than I was used to... The Mole way.  Episode 1 had me all juiced up for 2, 3, 4 and beyond because I could feel I was starting to find a rhythm and a flow in a whole new game.  For me personally, this made the ride even more fulfilling.

Sweet Marcie was the first to feel The Mole's wrath being sent off in the Black Execution mobile (that became my official title for our SUV). It's too bad ... would've liked to see her stick around to enjoy the ride.  What you didn't see behind the scenes was how the very first execution really went down.  New technology.  So new, in fact, we didn't really get a test run... so you know what that means...technical problems.  Every so often, the screen would freeze mid-frame -- which had the players frozen at the edge of their seats.  It definitely helped amp the tension.

Add that to a local dog who, almost on cue, would manage to wander into the shot every time we started rolling cameras.  And once we got Fido out of the picture, 3 dudes fresh out of a nightclub, cross-eyed drunk strolled into our set in the middle of shooting, asking for cigarettes. Our drama-filled execution was becoming more comical by the second. We told them no -- about 5 times, I believe they cussed at us in Spanish and finally rolled out. It's a little after 4 a.m. at this point, so we are racing to beat the sun coming up.  Daytime execution just doesn't have the same effect.

After the intoxicated, nicotine craving triple threat was done, we learned that 4:15 a.m. must be trash pick-up time in the city.  You know that loud "beep beep" you hear when big trucks back up? That's what started ripping through the air as we tried to wrap.  The players didn't know whether to laugh or cry at this point.  But we managed to chill the sanitation engineers for a minute, and finally finished up just before the sun poked up over the horizon. Crazy stuff.  Couldn't make this up if I tried.

Before I wrap .... wanna say I appreciate everyone dropping in to my blog to say what's up.  Gotta to send a quick hello to Jill S. who stopped in to leave me a sweet note after my first entry.  Great to hear from you... put a giant smile on my face to hear you are watching.  Tell your mom I said hello, and let Steve know we definitely need to hook up for a poker night over the holidays.  He's very generous at cards ... I dig cleaning out all his chips. 

One of the perks of hosting The Mole and doing this blog is I get to reconnect w/cool people like my girl Jill S. who I haven't seen for years.  I appreciate all the killer feedback I've been getting ... looking forward to hanging w/ you all Mole season long.

Episode 1 was a blast and the stakes keep getting higher and higher.  Blog to you soon.


Offline marigold

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Re: Jon Kelley's Blog
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2008, 04:30:25 PM »
Episode 2

Number 2 on The Mole's hit list:  Liz.  Our sweet, self proclaimed "little old lady."  May she rest in TV land peace. 

No doubt Liz will be missed... by players and yours truly.  She never stopped smiling, had non-stop energy and could crack a joke -- using a mouth more suited for a sailor -- that would leave the room both laughing AND in shock.

Liz was so sweet as I walked her to our dreaded "Execution Mobile."  She gave me a sincere hug, flirted and made me promise to sign her ceramic pig when we shoot the finale.  Based on her off-the- wall humor, that request coming from her, sounds borderline R-rated now that I see it in print. 

Let's rap about the missions.  Race to the Summit.  Set up w/ the gorgeous "Parque Metropolitano" in the heart of Santiago as a breathtaking backdrop.  And the soccer match?  Well, the Chilean minis used our players up, delivering the kind of merciless and ugly beat down a Mole would truly love. That made for brilliant television. 

As for Kristen and Mark, the dynamic duo was flying up the incline so fast, I barely had time to fly up the hill and get out in front of them so I could have my offers waiting.  No joke.  Mark didn't want any part of me offering to make their job easier, in fact, I almost had to literally grab him to make him stop.  Kristen did chill at one point, to enjoy one of my homemade pisco sours.

What'd you all think about those flying ceramic pigs?  I like to refer to them as "aerodynamic swine."  Talk about a creative way to weave the fabric of Pomaire, Chile into the mix.  "When Pigs Fly" had many components:  teamwork, racing around, confusion, language barriers, riot gear and a helluva riot to pull off.  Fortunately for you at home, "smell-a-vision" has yet to be invented.  Those cute little pigs chilling around our launch pad... let's just say they were extremely generous and not shy about treating our players to loads of pungent land mines to dance around.  Then, of course, you had Bobby using the wheelbarrow as his personal la-z-boy.

2 shows... 2 lovely ladies bite the dust. 10 left standing and in the hunt for "The Moley Grail.".  I just made that up... nice ring to it.  Won't be the last time I roll that phrase out.  Feel free to use it, my blogging comrades.

Before I get out of here, a couple of inquiries from Mole bloggers.  Apparently more than a few of you are somewhat intrigued by seeing me "walk on water" during the promos/first mission.  Look, you know a magician can't reveal his tricks.  But good news for you:  I ain't David Blaine or Harry Houdini.  I just kinda played an illusionist on TV.  How did I do it?  I will tell you it's real.  No computer generated stuff.  I was truly out there.  Let's just say we had the best in the business, Bungee.com, hooking up our safety rigs.  Nice effect. Worth the effort ... despite ruining a killer pair of new John Varvatos boots.

Keep the questions coming.  Until we blog again...

Offline puddin

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Re: Jon Kelley's Blog
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2008, 11:05:25 AM »
Episode 3
Hey Mole bloggers,

Before I jump into this week's episode, wanted to drop a few impressions of S. America, specifically Santiago.  It's the capital of Chile and definitely has a big city feel:  picturesque views, lots of energy, lots of traffic and on many days, a fair amount of smog.  Yeah, kind of reminded me of  Los Angeles.  People in Santiago also enjoy sharing the good vibrations.  Translation:  lots of PDA on the streets.

Speaking of sharing the love and good vibrations...didn't take long to figure out Nicole and Paul wouldn't be hugging it out anytime soon.  Funny thing is, it goes in waves.  Sometimes they're like the brother and sister who can't help but fight all the time.  Other times, they were actually cordial ... ok, cordial w/ an underlying tension.   Paul admitted to me he found it odd that Nicole was actually civil to players when the cameras were off, but her inner diva dominated whenever the cameras were rolling.  That clearly irritated him because he didn't believe she was for real.

I will tell you there were a few dinners where I wanted to make sure I kept all the knives and forks off the table.  At times, it made sense for the game.  Other times, I had to step in and chill them out.  Oddly enough, both players were constantly emphasizing, "It's just a game", "part of their game plan" and "I'm here to win, nothing personal."  But in spite of all that talk, the truth was you could tell it really DID bother both Nicole and Paul at times.  Which ultimately led to a few infamous quotes from the self proclaimed Dr. Diva:

1)   "I’ll kill you in your sleep."
2)   "I won’t leave any DNA."
3)   "You’ll wake up dead." 

Okaaaaaaay.    Sometimes, it felt like a game of "Snaps" or "Yo Mamma."  The only question that really mattered -- would it help either of them win the game or was one of them actually The Mole? 

Back to our missions.  "Fruit of the Luge" not only had a nice ring to it, but this adventure also revealed much Moley activity.   $24,000 painful dollars were lost from the pot and the players were bummed ... big time. 

"Dress Code" was an adventure.  And not just the various physiques on display.  I quickly found out our group was even more diverse than I could have imagined.  It's become a running joke that whenever I walk into a room, all the players would say in unison, "Ahhhh, bleep, here’s Jon.  What's next?  What’s the twist?"  I could sense the little obscenities were wrapped w/ love and from the heart ... most of the time, anyway.  I did take pleasure in giving them spa day to relax and unwind.   Even more therapeutic?  Hijacking their wardrobes.

Interesting how Clay and Mark both bowed out.  The players needed to seriously jump start their cash flow, but apparently neither Clay nor Mark could put a price tag on their pride.  Both were already on camera in their shorts, topless in front of the entire nation.  Both had explanations tied to dignity and embarrassment.   Hell, the way Mark’s robe flew off immediately after I explained what was up, I thought he might be laying groundwork for a layout in Playgirl.  Very strange indeed...

From what I read on this site, you guys have some serious theories on our Mole's identity.  From clothes, to clues, to actions and lack thereof, I’ve been blown away by your meticulous and detailed quest for the game's "Moley Grail."  I wish you well. 

One of my favorite conspiracy theories thus far -- while it had little to do w/ the game, was clever, unique and very imaginative.   Here on the ABC message board, somebody went deep, passing along the following nugget.  Went something like this:  "I think on the final episode, Jon Kelley will reach up and rip off his face -- ala Mission Impossible III, revealing all along, he was actually Anderson Cooper!"

Love it.  Keep it coming. We're just getting warmed up...

Offline puddin

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Re: Jon Kelley's Blog
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2008, 11:05:44 AM »
Episode 4
OK.  Things are starting to heat up and get down to some serious business.  Translation:  Victoria getting bounced left a bunch of you running back to the thumbprint drawing board.

Yeah, you know who you are.  Those in the Victoria camp were stone cold sure they had the game and The Mole pegged.  Well, don't sweat it.  Every time this ride seems too easy or predictable, reality bites.  Hard.  Those of you who had young Victoria locked in your sights -- you're not alone.  Clearly, she was way off the trail as well.

I will tell you that Midas Rush was a rush... both figuratively and literally.  Like a dope, I forgot to wear any headgear.   Knew I was in for a chilly ride when I noticed our crew members decked out like South American Sasquatch.  So while I took in the mind-blowing sights of the Andes (and simultaneously fighting off a touch of frostbite on my earlobes), I made sure to heed my own advice as I pounded the H2O.  Since it was my first time at the altitude, it didn't take long for the dizzy vibe to creep into effect.

The drama reached a crescendo when Craig was carted off, sirens blazing and oxygen pumping full force.  Rough moments as the ambulance rolled away...nobody was sure how serious his condition truly was.  Fortunately we keep medical staff close at hand and they were right on top of the situation.  Craig looked winded on top the mountain...but we all were, so I didn't see his collapse coming.  We were all relieved when we got the update that his prognosis was solid.  R&R... chilling in the hotel... and he would soon be back.

Just curious...anybody else notice Mark was a little salty... i.e. not a real big fan of mine during "Burn Journal Burn"?  Maybe I'm over-thinking it, but man our boy was p*#$$ed off.  It was one of those situations I kinda saw coming.  Let's face it, his journal was his lifeline.  I was starting to think he was authoring the kind of read Oprah might dig for her book club.  So, I was bracing for all hell to break loose.  And then -- the moment of truth.

As I unleashed my inner pyromaniac, I ignited the stack of journals AND Mark's inner rage.  I was kind of hoping he'd be the one to volunteer his ... nope.  Once the flames started licking around his journal, I fully expected Mark to bolt and dive into the burning stack.  At the same time, I was mentally diagramming my best path to sack him like Tom Brady rolling out at this year's Super Bowl . Instead, he just stood painfully still with his jaw clenched.  Then he went AWOL.  What you saw on TV was the Cliff's Notes version.

Look, I get it ... Mark is an emotional cat.  He was seriously upset.  He'd written a lot in that journal and had to watch it go up in smoke.   But here's the deal:  Players are told the journals are to be used for the game.  And everything is fair game.  Despite my man having fury in his eyes aimed straight at me, Mark knew deep down it was nothing personal.  At least he eventually figured it out.  Nothing in the game from our side is mean spirited.  Oh, we make sure to bust their chops from time to time... and dish out some high quality degradation -- all for your viewing enjoyment.  But nothing but love and no ill will attached.  The way I see it, a burned journal is a small price to pay for a serious crack at up to a half million bucks.  You dig?

Time for me to bounce.  I've done enough damage for the week.  Keep on keeping on ... you can't hide forever Mole!


Offline puddin

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Re: Jon Kelley's Blog
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2008, 07:04:57 PM »
Episode 5
This week's execution was one of those "good news/bad news" deals for our fair Kristen.  The upside?  She made it out of Moleville virtually unscathed:  no ambulance rides, no hypothermia and no fruit projectile that smacked her upside her blonde melon.  On the down side, The Mole kicked her athletic and cerebral junk to the curb.  This took a lot of you by surprise:  watching your top suspect roll off in the Grim Reaper mobile.  For all, a finish to what turned out to be nothing short of a one-of-a-kind, if not legendary, episode in this show's history.  You ever heard of a mass, unified player revolt against one of their own?  Exactly.

And that was just part of this week's Mole Madness. 

It started out with "All for One."  The players found themselves literally linked together in what looked like a deleted scene on the "Escape from Alcatraz" DVD.  If you thought all those burning barrels were simply for cool effect and aesthetics, don't kid yourself.  Frigid temps had everybody freezing their Andes off.

Mark was the last player standing in the cold.  On most nights, I would've bet big dollars he would've been a lock, wasting no time unlocking himself, ignoring the exemption and bouncing over to join us for a fireside chat.  But after watching his wheels fall off during "Burn Journal Burn," I'd seen a major shift in his attitude.  Gone was the team player, high-strung coach and type-A personality.  Mark had seemingly sunk into a personal abyss, displaying a much darker persona.  Ultimately, he chose to put money in the pot but I know giving up that free ticket to the next round was a HUGE struggle for him.

You've heard the expression, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade?"  Well, apparently this show's creed has morphed into, "When life serves you a lemonhead ... DUCK!"

For a few minutes inside one of the show's vans, aka "the love machine," "The Lawyer" vs. "The Yonker" had a pay-per-view grudge match.  A Mendoza Citrus Smackdown.  Somebody hand me a strong lemon pisco sour, please.

Might be a mismatch in size.  Clay has him in height, weight and reach but Paul seems fairly scrappy.  I figure Paul'd be one of those cats not shy about jumping outside the ropes, into the screaming crowd for a metal folding chair, and then whacking anybody who got in his way right in the mug with it.  Unfortunately for Don King, this headbanger's ball never quite lived up to its much anticipated pre-fruit hype.   No ejection, and through it all, everyone seemed to overlook the condition of the individual most at risk:  lemonhead.

We go from Pulp Fiction, to a full-blown, no holds barred, "Mole Revolution."

Travelers final tally:  Zero dinero.  Strangely enough, they all seemed kind of proud they chose not to attempt the mission.  Correct me if I'm wrong here, but the players pulling the rip cord on the mission didn't burn anybody except themselves.  Did they make a statement?  Absolutely.  They proved by not even trying one step of the mission, they'd never know what offers I had up my sleeve.   They did however add a big fat $0 grand to the pot.  Congrats. 

Looks like the newly formed "Zero Heroes" were so blind with resistance and pride, they bought fully into the campaign to toss in the towel ... ultimately playing right into The Mole's dirty hands.  Did I say congrats?

Offline Crash_hust

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Re: Jon Kelley's Blog
« Reply #6 on: July 02, 2008, 12:36:24 PM »
dang it jon.... why didnt you at least tell US what you were going to offer. geez.