Series synopsis
It Takes a Thief is an American action & adventure drama television series that premiered on ABC on January 9, 1968. It ended on March 23, 1970. It was created by Roland Kibbee. It stars Robert Wagner, Malachi Throne, Edward Binns and Fred Astaire.
Convicted cat burglar Alexander Mundy gets an offer he can't refuse from the United States government: If he puts his formidable thieving skills to work for them, he'll be released from prison. Alexander's dad, Alister, sometimes comes out of retirement as a thief to help his son on special jobs.
Premise
Convicted cat burglar Alexander Mundy gets an offer he can't refuse from the United States government: If he puts his formidable thieving skills to work for them, he'll be released from prison. Alexander's dad, Alister, sometimes comes out of retirement as a thief to help his son on special jobs.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Robert Wagner as Alexander Mundy
- Malachi Throne as Noah Bain
- Edward Binns as Wallie Powers
- Fred Astaire as Alister Mundy
- Joe Louis as Prizefighter
- Leslie Nielsen as SIA Security Man
- Doug McClure as Mr. Saunders
- Raymond Burr as SIA Bureau Chief
Supporting cast
- Wally Cox as Tourist
- Don 'Red' Barry as Airline Captain
- Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson as Concierge
- Ed Haskett as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Kay Peters as Countess Georgiana
- Ricardo Montalban as Nick Grobbo
- Carolyn Nelson as Julie
- Earl Holliman as Major Arlin McCoy
- Barry Sullivan as Gen. Wiley
- G.D. Spradlin as Col. Collins
- George Murdock as Fred Devon
- Al Bain as Casino Patron (uncredited)
Guest cast
- Edward Binns as Wallie Powers
- Fred Astaire as Alister Mundy
- Joe Louis as Prizefighter
- Leslie Nielsen as SIA Security Man
- Doug McClure as Mr. Saunders
- Raymond Burr as SIA Bureau Chief
- Wally Cox as Tourist
- Don 'Red' Barry as Airline Captain
- Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson as Concierge
- Ed Haskett as Party Guest (uncredited)
- Kay Peters as Countess Georgiana
- Ricardo Montalban as Nick Grobbo
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 67 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 1 | ||
| Season 1 | 16 | January 9, 1968 | April 30, 1968 |
| Season 2 | 26 | September 24, 1968 | April 22, 1969 |
| Season 3 | 24 | September 25, 1969 | March 23, 1970 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Magnificent Thief This is an extended feature length version of 'A Thief is a Thief (a.k.a. Magnificent Thief)'. |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Thief is a Thief | January 9, 1968 |
| 2 |
It Takes One to Know One Mundy is tasked with going to a small European state who's only source of income is its casino. Soviet infiltrators are attempting to steal the states crown jewels as a way of forcing the casino to close. Mundy must try and stop the robbery from happening |
January 16, 1968 |
| 3 | When Boy Meets Girl | January 30, 1968 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | One Night on Soledade | September 24, 1968 |
| 2 | A Sour Note | October 1, 1968 |
| 3 | The Bill is in Committee | October 8, 1968 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saturday Night in Venice | September 25, 1969 |
| 2 | Who'll Bid Two Million Dollars? | October 2, 1969 |
| 3 | The Beautiful People | October 9, 1969 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | ABC |
|---|---|
| First aired | January 9, 1968 |
| Last aired | March 23, 1970 |
| Runtime | 50 minutes |
| Status | ended |