In Britain it's called Crimewatch. In Germany its Aktenzeichen XY. TV programmes that recreate crimes so that viewers can help track down the, as yet, uncaught crims.
Alas, an actor was arrested by police in Stuttgart after being mistaken for the criminal he had played in a jewellery store robbery reconstruction.
A viewer contacted cops when they recognised thesp Aaron Defant in Stuttgart city centre, over five weeks after his appearance on telly.
“Suddenly two officers were standing behind me,” Defant told The Bild. “They demanded my ID. I asked them why, but they didn’t answer. I told them I’m an actor,” he said.
This is the first time such a mix-up has happened, Aktenzeichen XY presenter Rudi Cerne told Bild. “Maybe it’s because the actor looked very similar to the real criminal,” said Cerne.