On what date did the British television programme Dragon's Den premiere?

The British television programme Dragon's Den premiered on 4 January 2005.

The programme brought entrepreneurs before a panel of wealthy investors, known as dragons, who could offer money in exchange for an ownership stake in a business. Its launch introduced the British audience to a format adapted from the Japanese business-pitching show Money Tigers.

The first British series featured Duncan Bannatyne, Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis, Rachel Elnaugh and Doug Richard as investors. Evan Davis presented the programme, a role that helped make the pitch-and-negotiation format familiar to viewers.

The premiere date is sometimes confused with the date of the programme's first series announcement or with the launch dates of international versions. Dragon's Den later became a long-running BBC business series, with changing investor line-ups and entrepreneurs seeking investment under intense questioning.