When did the first episode of the British television series Dragons' Den air?
Answer
4 January 2005
The first episode of the British television series Dragons' Den aired on 4 January 2005.
The programme launched on BBC Two as a British adaptation of the Japanese format Money Tigers. Entrepreneurs present business ideas to wealthy investors, known as dragons, seeking finance in exchange for equity.
The original panel included Duncan Bannatyne, Rachel Elnaugh, Peter Jones, Simon Woodroffe and Doug Richard. The series later became one of the BBC's best-known business programmes, with changing investor line-ups and entrepreneurs from many industries.
The launch date is sometimes confused with the date of the show's pilot development or later BBC scheduling changes. The relevant fact is the UK programme's first broadcast episode, which was shown in January 2005. The series has since generated international versions and related business programming, but the original British run began in 2005.