De Mol

The Mole is a reality television game show which was originally created in 1999 by Woestijnvis. It was conceived by Michiel Devlieger, Bart de Pauw, Tom Lenaerts and Michel Vanhove, and won the famous Rose d'Or in Montreux, Switzerland, in 2000. The format has been licensed in 40 countries from all around the world. The show aired on TV1 (now VRT 1) for 3 reasons between 1998 and 2003; in 2016 it was revived and moved to VIER (now PLAY).

De Mol (1998-present) is a Belgian reality game show created by Michiel Devlieger, Tom Lenaerts, Bart De Pauw and Michel Vanhove and produced by Woestijnvis for VRT 1 and later Play. Hosted by Gilles De Coster and Michiel Devlieger, the format follows a group of participants who complete missions and tasks while one secretly hidden player works to sabotage them. The engine is suspicion: contestants must complete challenges, vote out suspects and piece together clues about who is deceiving the group, while the saboteur tries to avoid detection. Each season unfolds across nine or ten episodes of travel-based assignments, a structure that has run for fourteen seasons and continues to return with new participants. The show carries a playful, competitive and at times anxious register, with humour emerging from the participants' misdirection and alliances. Its premise was licensed in forty countries after winning the Rose d'Or in 2000, and fans of Survivor, Traitors and The Amazing Race will find the same mix of social scheming, teamwork tension and globe trotting challenges.

Viewers broadly enjoy the format's suspenseful impostor twist and travel-based challenges, though later seasons draw more mixed reactions.

• Survivorshared game show format with hidden saboteur and participant deception, competitive social play
• Traitorsshared impostor-within-a-group tension and reality competition structure
• The Amazing Raceshared travel-based reality competition with challenges across locations

Created by

Michiel Devlieger, Tom Lenaerts, Bart De Pauw, Michel Vanhove

Release Date

1998-12-06

Episode runtime

60 min

Rating

8.7 / 10 (22)

What is De Mol about?

A Belgian reality game show in which contestants on international missions try to unmask a hidden saboteur among them.

What is De Mol like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of De Mol as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is De Mol violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in De Mol.

What did critics think of De Mol?

Viewers broadly enjoy the format's suspenseful impostor twist and travel-based challenges, though later seasons draw more mixed reactions.

Which shows are like De Mol?

Shows with a similar feel include Survivor, Traitors, and The Amazing Race.

How long is De Mol?

De Mol: 15 seasons, 127 episodes.

Is De Mol still running?

Yes, De Mol is still running.