It's not hard to explain why this season of The Mole, the first one under the original format in six years, just didn't work out (not that it was a ratings hit the first time around). The replacement of Anderson Cooper with new host Jon Kelley didn't help; Kelley was game, but fears that Cooper was indispensable proved well founded. A bigger problem was that the show made some compromises in an attempt to reach a wider audience: making the tasks simpler, reducing the length of the quiz, and ramping up the amount of interpersonal conflict. The predictable result was that new viewers never materialized and old ones were upset that this was no longer the show they loved.

All the tasks are now complete, so all that remains for tonight's finale (ABC, 10 PM) is a reunion of the cast and a revelation of the results of the final quiz: someone won, someone lost, and someone else is the Mole. There will likely be a recap of the season week by week, showing how the winner zeroed in on the Mole and the mistakes made by the others along the way. The first two seasons of The Mole were wonderfully cast, and the fact that I'm not looking forward to seeing this year's group again is another sign that the producers and ABC missed the boat with this revival. Still, I had given up on ever seeing a new season, and I'm pleased they at least gave it a shot.

Olympics Highlights: Four more finals in swimming will anchor NBC's prime-time coverage (7:30 PM; the swimming should start around 10:15), with Americans considered to have excellent gold medal chances in three of them. The men's team final in gymnastics should pit China against Japan. CNBC's overnight coverage (beginning at midnight) is highlighted by the USA playing Venezuela in softball. My misgivings about how up front NBC would be in covering controversies may have been unnecessary; so far the network has been stellar.

American Mall (MTV, 9 PM): The producers of High School Musical are behind this one, which has a similar structure: a girl who wants to be a songwriter and works in her mother's music store strikes up a friendship with a good-looking mall janitor (that's something you see everyday), while the daughter of the mall owner conspires to put the music store out of business. Why? Because you need someone evil in these teen musicals, apparently.

I Want to Work For Diddy (VH1, 9 PM): The first week of this series was almost Diddy-free, which was a welcome relief. Tonight, the would-be flunkies are roused in the middle of the night, flown in a helicopter to the middle of New Jersey, and told to make their way back to Diddy's office using only a few clues. It must be reassuring to know that kidnapping is considered something that Diddy's employees need to prepare for.

The Closer (TNT, 9 PM): Provenza's casual attitude towards the details of police work comes back to bite him when his car, which contains key evidence from a sting operation, is stolen, forcing a suspect to be freed. The squad is then given 48 hours to recover the evidence.

We Are Together: The Children of Agape Choir (HBO, 9 PM): The story of a 12-year-old South African girl who lost both parents to AIDS, her siblings, and the other residents of an orphanage whose choir records a CD and attracts international attention.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (Travel, 10 PM): Tokyo isn't quite as exotic or obscure as most of Bourdain's subjects, but we'll no doubt learn some new things anyway. He examines the relationship between the ideal knife blade and the ideal cut of sushi. In the end, it's raw fish however you slice it.

L.A. Hard Hats (National Geographic, 10 PM): The work of electricians is spotlighted this week, as more than two million feet of wire is strung. And the building isn't even all that tall.

Saving Grace (TNT, 10 PM): Grace discovers that there is a huge sum of money hidden inside her Porsche, and then learns that the money is tied to the murder of a highway patrolman years before. Also, Ham learns that his brother is missing in Afghanistan.

The Middleman (ABC Family, 10 PM): Austin Powers meets The Middleman tonight: when an old enemy returns, the 1969 version of the Middleman (Kevin Sorbo) is reawakened from a cryogenic freeze to assist in his capture, but the old guy has some difficulties coping with the demands of modern life.

Weeds (Showtime, 10 PM): Doug and Andy run into some problems across the border; Silas and Lisa expand the menu at the cheese shop; Nancy and the mayor continue their no-doubt doomed dalliance; and Nancy finally realizes young Shane is messed up beyond all salvation. Better late than never, mom.

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