Original title
It Takes a Thief
Released
2/2/2005
Origin country
US
Genre
Documentary, Drama, Mystery
Production companies
Lion Television USA
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
2
Number of episodes
80
A unique series offering viewers something they've never seen before: an actual home burglary, live, as it happens. Hosted by two reformed ex-cons, It Takes a Thief exposes the security flaws of a home by unleashing two uniquely qualified experts - ex-burglars - who will provide vital insights into the workings of the criminal mind.
John, Angelo and Mark attempt to change a lifetime of bad habits in a bid to protect their ""big-boy"" toys and most treasured childhood possessions.
Henry and Susie differ on the security measures necessary to protect the contents of their rural home, including the priceless mementos left by their only son, who passed away at the age of 17.
Security-conscious Ginger has argued with her daughter and with Bennett, her husband of more than 25 years, about the issue. Will her fears be justified?
Newlyweds Sunitha and Eric see just how invulnerable their dog and neighbors are making their 1929 suburban house to a burglary.
Previous victims of thieves, Danny and Teresa have much to protect: jewelry, electronics and Danny's art, worth tens of thousands of dollars. Yet only their son, Damon, has been diligent about home security ... until now.
Jon and Matt visit a suburban neighborhood where most houses have no garage. The house they stop at belongs to Marlene and Katrina, two roomates who are as close as sisters. They learn that the smallest mistake, in this case leaving the 2nd story Bathroom window open, provides easy access to a thief. Jon makes off with stuff like a laptop, passports, jewelry, and Marlene's motorcycle.
Suzanne and her adult twin daughters ask for help in securing their house, already robbed twice and located in an unsafe neighborhood.
Matt and Jon visit a lakeside retreat known to the locals as Club Marko. Home to a batchelor who lives each day as if it were his last, it was well protected, or so the homeowner, Mark, thought. Security Cameras, Motion Detectors, and a top of the line Security System prove no match for Matt. The homeowner learned a big lesson as he watched his Plasma Screen TV, Safe, Motorcycles, and even his Cars get stolen.
Matt and Jon take a trip to New Jersey, to the home of Ryan and Camilla. Matt finds out that the only one who locks the doors in the house is their 3 year old daughter. After going through the house, they lock up and Jon tries to get in. It seems that an enclosed porch is the perfect cover for a thief. Jon broke a window with a piece of firewood and made off with bank files, jewelry, china, and the family's van.
Matt and Jon visit long island, to the home of Stephanie, a single mother of 2 who had been robbed twice already. They lock up the house, but, their efforts are wasted as six of the windows don't even lock. Jon gets in through the kitchen window and makes off with checks, pounds of jewelry, and even the family dog.
Once again in New Jersey, Matt & Jon visit the home of Roseann and Phil. Bill's unfinished projects have left Roseann feeling uneasy about being home at night, especially after robberies occurred in their neighborhood. Jon makes off with thousands of dollars in jewelry, collectibles, and fur coats and Phil learned that a golf club won't secure a patio door.
Matt & John go to Connecticut to visit the home of a single mom and her two daughters. Arachnophobia caused the homeowner to not check the cellar window. While it was locked, Jon used a cinderblock to smash out the glass and made out with thousands of dollards in Jewelry and Collectibles.
Matt & John visit a neighborhood outside NYC, to an old Tudor home. All the locks are original to the house, including the mortise locks on the side and back doors. Jon kicked in the side door and made off with jewelry, silverware, and the flat screen monitor for the computer. Matt secured the house while preserving it's old world charm.
Matt & John visit a suburban neighborhood outside of New York City. They find the home of a single mother whose children have moved out. She has lived all over the world and has expensive treasures from everywhere, including Sterling Silver and thousand dollar paintings. She learns a quick lesson when Jon makes off with all of it.
This episode will likely air in the fall when the show returns
This episode will likely air in the fall when the show returns
This episode will likely air in the fall when the show returns
Jon and his accomplices do the unthinkable when they decide to rob a town's police station, fire station, and courthouse.
Two women think their house, tenant, and adopted son are safe until a reformed burglar proves otherwise.
A Skate Shop in New Jersey thinks their "surviellance cameras in use" sticker will deter burglars. But when Jon sees no cameras, it's a welcome sign to rob them.
A homeowner thinks his handiwork will prevent a burglar from breaking in. After writing in to Matt and Jon, he is put to the test and fails miserably.
A family thinks their home in a gated community just off a golf course is safe from crooks.
A single mom with two young daughters gets a lesson in home security.
A suburban couple learns a lesson on how to keep their home safe while they commute to the big city for work.
Jon's next target is a house that has people always running in and out of.
A police officer and a forensic artist deal with burglaries everyday at work, but do nothing around their house to prevent it from happening to them.
Jon and his accomplices prove just how vulnerable a New York City bar is to crooks after breaking in during broad daylight.
Jon uses a family's disagreement on how to protect their home to his advantage and cleans their house out.
When Jon and his accomplice pose as landscapers, they try to show a family that their hired help isn't who they turn out to be.
During happy hour, Jon overhears a couple brag about the toys in their house, tracks the house down, and robs the couple of their fun.
Jon breaks in to the home of an FDNY firefighter and his wife while neighborhood children play out front.
With the help of an accomplice, Jon sneaks into a bed and breakfast late at night and teaches the owners they need to check ID for everyone who stays there.
While a family takes a relaxing fishing trip, Jon and his accomplices clean out a vacation beach house.
After the homeowners arrive back to their multi-million dollar house, Jon adds their precious Jaguar to his list of stolen items.
Ban, an antique collector, gets a rude awakening from Jon when they come face to face to his hallway.
While a meeting is being held on the top floor of a sorority house, pizza man Jon cleans the sisters out downstairs.
Matt and Jon target a home that is filled with rare memorabilia and a closet full of guitars.
While a husband and wife plan an RV trip with a friend, Jon robs their upstairs. After being disappointed by not finding the RV keys, he takes a peek at Matt's closed-circuit TVs and goes in for round 2.
Jon tries to teach two active teenage boys to lock up every time they leave the house.
When the homeowners of a beach front house argue over their security, it makes the perfect target for Jon. Matt and Jon hope that after their intervention, the homeowners would know as much about security as the homeowners' youngest daughter.
Jon gets more than he bargained for when he robs the home of a family of magicians and the house fights back.
With a swamp on one side and a giant hole in their fence, a family's home proves no match for Jon.
After being robbed in California, a monster-movie loving family moves to the Northeast in hopes of being safe. After Jon breaks in and steals all of their precious Godzilla toys, the family realizes crime is everywhere.
Jon targets a house with an ATV trailer across the street near their detached garage.
Now that her children have moved out of the house, a mother's security is on their minds and put to the test. Jon gets an unexpected visit from the police officer who lives right next door.
Jon has his eyes set on a vintage 1965 Ford Galaxy and will do anything to come home with it. As he tries to make his stylish getaway, the car proves to be troublesome, even with the homeowner inside the house.
After learning that a wife and mother is constantly telling her family to lock the doors and windows, Matt decides to change the layout just a bit. The mother gets a first hand look at her family's security flaws as she sits in the van with Matt and watches Jon break in.
With an increase in police patrol, Jon has no problem breaking into a house full of safes and cleans the family out.
Jon sets his sights on another water front home and shows his strength as he carries a heavy safe right out the front door.
After Jon spots two classic muscle cars in front of a house, he knows he must steal them by any means necessary; even if his accomplice has to lock the homeowner in an upstairs office.
While loading up a family's belongings into his truck, a nosy neighbor decides to pay Jon a visit and teach him that leaving your keys in the truck doesn't always provide the fastest getaway.
While guests enjoy "Murder Mystery Theater" in a fancy bed and breakfast, they are oblivious to the crime spree happening right up stairs.
Jon almost blows his cover when he walks up to what he thought was a single family home and runs into another family leaving. After a little confusion and a few seconds, Jon comes back with his accomplice and finishes the job. The family is soon thrown for a loop when they find out the person they saw as they left was the one who robbed them.
This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.
