BBC Two first broadcast the UK business programme Dragon's Den in 2005.
The programme premiered on 4 January 2005, adapting the Japanese format Money Tigers for a British audience. Entrepreneurs enter a room and present businesses or products to wealthy investors, known as Dragons, seeking finance in exchange for equity.
The original British panel included Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Rachel Elnaugh, Simon Woodroffe and Doug Richard. The lineup later changed substantially, but the central pitch-and-negotiation structure remained the same.
Dragon's Den is sometimes confused with Dragons' Den, the title used in several other countries. The British programme uses the singular possessive in its title, while the BBC's branding uses Dragon's Den. It became one of the UK's best-known business reality programmes and helped popularise televised investment pitches.