BBC Two originally commissioned Dragon's Den in the United Kingdom. The channel gave the format its British home when the programme premiered in January 2005.
The show places entrepreneurs before a panel of investors, known as Dragons, who decide whether to offer personal money for an ownership stake. That structure combines business questioning with the tension of a television competition, but the pitches are built around real companies and proposed investments.
BBC Two became associated with the programme during its early years, before Dragon's Den developed into one of the BBC's most recognisable factual-entertainment brands. It is easy to mix up the commissioning broadcaster with later international versions, since the format has been adapted in many countries under different channel names. The British edition remains a BBC programme and is distinct from other national versions, including the Canadian and Australian series.