The UK television show Dragon's Den first began broadcasting in 2005.
The BBC launched the British adaptation on 4 January 2005. It brought entrepreneurs into a studio to present business ideas and investment proposals to a panel of wealthy investors, known as Dragons. The format combines a formal pitch with unscripted questioning about sales, ownership, costs and growth.
Dragon's Den was adapted for the UK from the Japanese television format Money Tigers. The international format was created by Nippon TV and has since been adapted in many countries. The British version became one of the BBC's best-known factual-entertainment programmes.
The launch date is sometimes confused with the dates of later spin-offs or international versions. The first UK series featured Adrian Chiles as presenter and included investors such as Duncan Bannatyne, Peter Jones and Rachel Elnaugh. Although the panel has changed substantially over the years, the central structure—entrepreneurs seeking investment in exchange for equity—has remained consistent.