The British television programme Dragons' Den premiered in the United Kingdom on 4 January 2005.
The first episode introduced British viewers to entrepreneurs pitching directly to a panel of investors. Each entrepreneur had to explain a business idea, discuss sales and finances, and negotiate over the percentage of the company offered to the dragons.
The launch date places the series in the mid-2000s, when business-focused factual entertainment was becoming increasingly prominent on British television. The programme was made for BBC Two and became an enduring part of the BBC schedule.
This date is sometimes confused with the premieres of overseas versions, especially the Canadian and American programmes that use related investment-pitch concepts. The UK series is also distinct from the Japanese format that inspired it; Money Tigers began earlier, but it was not the British premiere.