America's Dumbest Criminals is an American comedic news magazine that aired in syndication from September 21, 1996, to May 27, 2000, for a total of 104 episodes.
The show's disclaimer partially parodies the radio and TV series Dragnet by stating that each segment was a real-life occurrence, but that "only the names have been changed...to protect the ignorant".
While some captures featured in the show were easy and straightforward due to obvious oversights or mistakes by the offenders, many others were much tougher and sometimes required greater resources.
Many criminals put together their game plan beautifully but were tripped up by a simple oversight (such as forgetting to fill the tank of the getaway car).
A short-lived Australian version of the show called World's Dumbest Criminals, hosted by Gordon Elliott, aired in 1997.