The UK version of Dragon's Den was first broadcast in 2005.
The programme premiered on BBC Two and adapted the format of the Japanese business show Money Tigers. Entrepreneurs present business ideas to a panel of investors, known as dragons, seeking funding in exchange for an ownership stake.
The first series established the show's familiar structure: entrepreneurs make a presentation, answer detailed questions, and negotiate if one or more dragons shows interest. The British programme later became one of the best-known versions of the format internationally.
A common mix-up is confusing the UK launch with the American programme Shark Tank. Shark Tank began in 2009, several years after Dragon's Den had started in Britain.