| "Mole Hunt" | |
|---|---|
| Archer episode | |
 Malory interrupts Archer's torture training exercise. | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Mack Williams |
| Written by | Adam Reed |
| Production code | AR01001 |
| Original air date | September 17, 2009 |
"Mole Hunt" is the first episode of the animated comedy Archer. The episode premiered on September 17, 2009.
In the episode, suave yet rude and belligerent spy Sterling Archer, prompted by questions regarding his expense account, breaks into the mainframe computer of his organization ISIS and inadvertently discovers a mole in the organization. The episode was written by Archer creator and co-executive producer, Adam Reed, and directed by Mack Williams. It was produced at Floyd County Productions and animated at Radical Axis Studio in Atlanta, over the course of approximately one month.
The FX Network officially greenlit the series in August 2009 for six episodes—along with an additional four scripts—and planned on airing it alongside the fifth season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. However, because of production time constraints, the network was forced to push the official series run to January 2010 and changed Philadelphia's paired series to The League, but aired the special sneak preview of this episode following the season premiere of Philadelphia on September 17, 2009, without promoting it or listing it on channel listings.
"Mole Hunt" attracted 1.4 million viewers, with 950,000 between the ages of 18 and 49. The episode received generally favorable reviews from television critics, who noted that despite its raunchiness, it contained sharp dialogue and quick wit. H. Jon Benjamin received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his performance as Archer in the episode.