The first episode of the British television show Dragon's Den was broadcast in 2005.
The programme premiered on BBC Two on 4 January 2005. It adapted the format in which entrepreneurs present business ideas to wealthy investors, known as dragons, and negotiate for financial backing in exchange for equity.
Dragon's Den is the British version of a format that originated in Japan. Its central feature is the pitch: contestants explain their product, business model and funding request while the investors question the proposal.
The show is sometimes confused with Shark Tank, the American adaptation of the same broad format. Dragon's Den remains the established British title, and its launch in 2005 began a long-running BBC franchise with changing investor line-ups.