Lockpicking on TV and in the movies

[abroxis]

Can anyone suggest some tv shows or movies have had a reasonably good depiction of real world lockpicking.

I was amazed to see an actual HPC lockpick set being used to pick a door lock on DueSouth a cop tv show shown in Canada. Lock was picked open in about 20 secs and given the key in knob lock that was no surprise. The actor used tension wrench and lockpick the way we would expect him to.

[uklockpicker]

Ive never really seen any, the only one was one was a show called eastenders, and he only used the pick !

Would like to see more tho

[Thedonofdeath]

in the United states, i have seen them use lock picks on ncis and ncis la, burn notice and a few other shows i can't remember. sometimes they use a tension wrench some times the just put a pick in and bam the door is open. ncis la is pretty good about the tension wrench thing though

[geardog32]

dexter does a pretty good job. he uses a tension wrench and a pick, but there is very little movement from the pick.

[usmcboltaction]

The old show "Simon & Simon" did a good job in that we couldn't see what was going on (usual his back was turned to us), but it was never a 3 second easy pick like what you usually see.

[flywheel]

A couple tv shows that, to my eye, have depicted lock picking accurately.
The awesome new comedy Brooklyn nine nine had Detective Diaz picking Captain Holt's locked cupboard in the episode "Halloween".
I've also been watching the first season of Elementary and have seen Sherlock picking locks multiple times. The first time he was picking padlocks one by one and dropping them into a bucket and the other time he entered a suspect's locked apartment since "he found the suspect first".

Scene that didn't seem legit involved a heavy padlock bypassed with a screwdriver (~2 seconds) in Leverage.

[GWiens2001]

There is one large, heavy padlock that can be picked with only a large screwdriver.



But I am suspecting that this is not the lock in question.
Gordon

[Gregted]

That's a big one alright. It's amazing how we perceive bigger being stronger and more secure. Only a screw driver. Yikes..

Had a look at the hardware shop the other day and some massive locks that were going for up to $90 had the mildest bidding I have seen. Last year I would have bought them and thought I was safe.

[GWiens2001]

Funny how a little knowledge can dramatically change your view on things. That is why I love to travel.

Gordon

[Gregted]

I've stopped telling people how easy it is to pick locks. Originally I thought they would improve their security but all it did was make them feel vulnerable and uneasy. Most People would rather be ignorant in their little cocoons than take positive action.

[UnlockD]

Jessie, a character from AMC's Breaking Bad picks his handcuffs/leg cuffs with a bobby pin.

[scudo]

I have come to the conclusion (at least where I live) thats the locks are never picked for entry, its always brute force or a smashed window for access.

[Neilau]

Here's a thread started a couple of months ago on the same topic.

http://keypicking.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8723&p=78859&hilit=movies#p78859

You might enjoy some of the posts on that.

Cheers.

[machinist]

"cop land" where harvey keitel picks the door is the most realistic I've ever seen.

[norwoodgolf]

The Americans has had some of the best and the worst lock picking depiction. The FBI agent picked the trunk of a car with just one regular pick and IIRC he used it like a jiggle key. The Russian agents do it right though.