It Takes a Thief | |
---|---|
Genre |
Reality Crime Mystery |
Written by | Matt Johnston |
Presented by | Matt Johnston Jon Douglas Rainey |
Starring | Matt Johnston Jon Douglas Rainey |
Narrated by | Matt Johnston |
Theme music composer | Tammany Hall NYC |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 80 |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Allison Corn Nick Catliff |
Location(s) |
Connecticut New Jersey New York |
Camera setup | Multiple |
Running time | 46 minutes |
Production company(s) | Lion Television |
Distributor | Discovery Communications |
Release | |
Original network | Discovery Channel |
Original release | February 2, 2005 | – April 13, 2007
External links | |
Website | |
Production website |
It Takes a Thief is an American reality television series that originally aired on the Discovery Channel from February 2, 2005 to April 13, 2007. The program stars and is hosted by Matt Johnston and Jon Douglas Rainey, two former thieves who use their unique expertise to teach people in an unusual way to protect their properties.
With the owners' permission, the hosts stage a full-fledged burglary as their victims watch on closed-circuit television (CCTV), either live during the break-in (for season 1) or in real time with pre-recorded video playback (for season 2). Rainey assumes the burglar role and plans and executes the break-ins while Johnston acts as mentor to the security-challenged owners. Immediately following the burglary, Johnston and Rainey meet with the residents to return their stolen goods and explain to them what they have been doing wrong. Johnston then organizes a complete security makeover and provides additional safety tips. Weeks later, Johnston and Rainey return and attempt another break-in to test whether the homeowners are using their new security system properly. Although most thefts on the show occur in suburban homes, some places such as businesses, college houses, and even a police station have also been burgled.
The last episode of It Takes a Thief premiered on April 13, 2007. The Discovery Channel has not produced a third season.
On Discovery Science, reruns air on Saturdays and Sundays at 8 AM E/P, Mondays at 6 PM E/P, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 12 PM E/P.
On the Discovery Channel, reruns began to air on Tuesday, September 29, 2009, after the last rerun aired the year before (in September 2008). Until November 9, 2009, a marathon of six reruns aired on Mondays.
It Takes a Thief airs in Canada on Investigation Discovery (Canada). Monday-Friday at 7am.
Shown in the beginning of the program, the disclaimer states: