When did the first episode of the UK television series Dragon's Den premiere?
Answer
4 January 2005
The first episode of the UK television series Dragon's Den premiered on 4 January 2005.
The BBC launched the British adaptation after the success of the Japanese format Money no Tora and international versions such as the Canadian Dragons' Den. The programme gives entrepreneurs a short presentation opportunity before a panel of wealthy investors.
The opening series featured Rachel Elnaugh, Peter Jones, Duncan Bannatyne, Simon Woodroffe and the show's original presenter, Evan Davis. The programme quickly became a regular BBC factual-entertainment series and later moved between BBC Two and BBC One.
This date is sometimes confused with the dates when individual Dragons joined or left. The premiere date refers to the broadcast of the first UK episode, not the launch of the original Japanese format or a later series.