The British TV programme Dragons' Den premiered in 2005.
The first British episode was broadcast on 4 January 2005, introducing UK viewers to entrepreneurs seeking investment from a panel of businesspeople. The format was adapted for Britain from the Japanese programme Money Tigers, which had established the central idea of entrepreneurs pitching directly to potential investors.
The debut helped popularise business terminology such as equity, valuation, turnover and profit among a general television audience. A typical pitch asks for a specific sum in return for a stated share of the business, after which the dragons question the founder and negotiate. The investors can also reject a proposal outright.
The 2005 premiere date is sometimes confused with later changes to the panel. Deborah Meaden, for example, became a dragon after the programme had already launched, while several other familiar investors joined in subsequent series. The premiere therefore refers to the beginning of the British programme, not the arrival of any particular later dragon.