When did the first episode of the British television show Dragon's Den air?
Answer
4 January 2005
The first episode of the British television show Dragon's Den aired on 4 January 2005.
The programme was launched by the BBC as a British version of the international Dragons' Den format. Entrepreneurs present business proposals to a panel of wealthy investors, who can offer money in exchange for an ownership stake.
The original regular panel consisted of Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Rachel Elnaugh, Doug Richard and Simon Woodroffe. The programme later became one of the BBC's best-known business reality series and helped popularise televised pitching in the United Kingdom.
The 2005 premiere date is sometimes confused with the show's production history or with the dates of later international adaptations. It refers specifically to the first broadcast of the British television series, not to the original Japanese format on which the franchise is based.