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It Takes a Thief

Two ex-cons expose home security flaws using ex-burglars as testers. After witnessing their houses being robbed, homeowners get a home security makeover, and the ex-burglars test the new measures.
200540 episodesX-Ray16+
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Episodes

  1. S1 E1 - Bachelor Break-In
    February 1, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    Bachelors John, Angelo and Mark share a home brimming with original artwork, antique silver and expensive sports equipment, but they are more serious about partying than about home security. Now they survive a day of shocks, surprises and lessons.
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  2. S1 E2 - Heist in the Suburbs
    February 8, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    A couple watches as their home is ransacked and thousands of dollars' worth of goods, as well as priceless mementos, stolen. Perhaps this is the push they need to finally get on the same page when it comes to home security.
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  3. S1 E3 - Mom Knows Best
    February 15, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    Ginger and Bennett have argued about home security since they got married 25 years ago. She constantly reminds him to secure the home, but he admits security holds no importance to him. Now their daugher is following in her father's footsteps.
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  4. S1 E4 - City Slickers
    February 22, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    Newlyweds think their safe, quiet neighborhood, along with their two dogs, will keep their 1929 Tudor-style home from being broken into. They're about to find out that their charming, old-style home is actually an easy target for a burglar.
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  5. S1 E5 - Pinching the Painter
    March 1, 2005
    44min
    TV-PG
    A couple who has already been robbed once is still not protecting their home with its jewelry, electronics and tens-of-thousands of dollars' worth of art. Their son is adament that they change their ways, but they haven't been convinced so far.
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  6. S1 E6 - The Great Harley Heist
    March 8, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    Two roommates live on the edge of a large city along with two beloved dogs. Under the illusion that their cozy neighborhood offers protection from intruders, they think that leaving their doors unlocked and windows broken is standard fare.
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  7. S1 E7 - Three Women and a Burglar
    March 15, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    Burglarized twice in the house they've lived in since 1973, Suzanne and her 30-something twin daughters feel vulnerable in their precious home, particularly with the absence of any male figure. Bring in the ex-burglars for their first step to safety!
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  8. S1 E8 - Grand Theft Autos
    March 22, 2005
    44min
    TV-PG
    A 42-year-old bachelor lives in a waterfront dream house, complete with a tiki bar and plenty of high-ticket goodies a thief would love. He installed alarms and cameras, but still keeps the house open and unlocked. It may be time for a special visit.
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  9. S1 E9 - Reading, Writing & Robberies
    March 29, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    A couple who grew up in areas where security was not a concern now live with their two small children on the outskirts of a not-so-nice neighborhood. They must face facts to secure their home so that the kids stay in and thieves stay out.
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  10. S1 E10 - Like Mother, Like Daughter
    April 12, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    After two robberies, single mom Stephanie still has problems finding time to secure her home. While she leaves the windows and doors open and unlocked, now her teenage daughter has taken to climbing through the kitchen window.
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  11. S1 E11 - Desperate Housewife
    April 19, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    A couple lives in a Manhattan suburb with their young children. He leaves doors unlocked, while she won't stay home alone at night. Jon must convince one to take security seriously, while making the other feel safe to be alone in her own home.
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  12. S1 E12 - Little Women
    April 26, 2005
    44min
    TV-PG
    Liz is raising two precocious young daughters in suburban Connecticut and she doesn't even know if her basement windows have locks because she's too scared to get near the spiderwebs! Jon shows her first hand what she should be scared of instead.
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  13. S1 E13 - Something Old, Something New
    May 3, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    For Paul and April, owning an older home with its original doors and windows has been a challenge. Paul corrects his misdirected priorities of décor over deadlocks; however, when he realizes how vulnerable he's left his family.
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  14. S1 E14 - Thief and the Single Lady
    May 10, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    Loryn, a divorced mother of two grown children, saved for years to buy her dream house. It has everything she could want, but it also has shoddy locks, unprotected glass windows and no alarm system.
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  15. S1 E15 - Big Burglar on Campus
    September 11, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    Thirty fraternity brothers living under one roof with no cares besides how to pay for beer is a burglar's dream. Strangers come and go, while hundreds show up for patries and wander around unchecked. It's time for a security exam.
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  16. S1 E16 - Diamond Dealer
    September 12, 2005
    44min
    TV-PG
    Bruce, an auctioneer, buys and sells expensive jewelry, often bringing his large inventory home at night. His bustling, five-bedroom city home has very little security, and that concerns his fiancée.
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  17. S1 E17 - Haven in the Hood
    September 13, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    Malaika lives alone in a high-crime neighborhood. She's been mugged in the past and takes home security seriously, but with a pricey art collection and a $50,000 Mercedes in the driveway, sometimes "seriously" isn't good enough.
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  18. S1 E18 - Shaking Up the Southern Comfort
    September 14, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    Accused of being too trusting, Teresa and Don sometimes don't even feel the need to carry house keys during the day. Then Jon turns up in disguise, and receives an open invite from Teresa to case the house from the inside!
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  19. S1 E19 - Open House
    September 15, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    One would think that a single mom and real-estate agent would know a thing or two about home security since she shows houses to people for a living. Jon has to find a way in and out, without getting noticed, to teach her a lesson.
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  20. S1 E20 - Cops and Robbers
    September 18, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    Donna and Vinnie live in central New Jersey with their young daughter. Their home is full of valuables, classic cars and irreplaceable sports memorabilia, but Vinnie doesn't think they'll ever get robbed. Jon is there to provide a reality check.
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  21. S1 E21 - Special Assignment: Big Brother
    September 19, 2005
    44min
    TV-PG
    Matt and Jon are on special assignment when Frank, the show's security consultant, asks them to teach his brother a lesson. Frank's brother thinks all he needs is his Doberman Pincher for protection. Matt and Jon are out to prove him wrong.
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  22. S1 E22 - Security He Said/She Said
    September 20, 2005
    43min
    13+
    A husband designed the home he and his family live in. He wired the whole house with a state-of-the-art alarm system, but he never hooked it up! His wife forces him to finish the job he started so the family can be safe and secure.
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  23. S1 E23 - Daddy's Little Girl
    September 21, 2005
    44min
    TV-14
    Andrea and her husband Dylan, have just moved into their first home. Her father paid for the Porsche in the driveway, the new windows in back and the only decent locks on the doors. Now Dad wants her to take security seriously.
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  24. S1 E24 - Bed and Break-Ins
    September 22, 2005
    43min
    TV-PG
    A woman gets a life lesson when a potential guest at her Bed and Breakfast teams up with Jon to target her home and business and show her just how vulnerable her business is, and what she can do to prevent future theft.
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  25. S1 E25 - Wine, Dine and Dash
    September 25, 2005
    44min
    TV-PG
    Ron, Joanne and their kids live on the grounds of their family-owned vineyard. Ron is in and out of his house frequently and doesn't lock doors there or at any of his barns. Now he'll watch a stranger walk off with his things.
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Details

More info

Content advisory
Foul language
Audio languages
English
Subtitles
English [CC]
Cast
Matt JohnstonJon Douglas Rainey
Studio
Discovery Channel
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