BBC Two first broadcast the British television series Dragons' Den in 2005.
The programme debuted in the United Kingdom on 4 January 2005. It adapted the international format in which entrepreneurs present business proposals to wealthy investors and negotiate for funding in exchange for equity. The BBC version quickly became a prominent factual-entertainment series.
The British programme was based on the Japanese format Money Tigers, which had first been broadcast in Japan. The broader format was later adapted in several countries, including the United States as Shark Tank. Although the names and panel composition vary internationally, the central pitch-and-investment structure remains recognisable.
The year 2005 is sometimes confused with the year the format began worldwide. The Japanese programme predates the British version, so 2005 identifies the UK launch rather than the origin of the concept. Dragons' Den has continued through many panel changes since its debut.