When did the first episode of the UK television show Dragons' Den air?

The first episode of the UK television show Dragons' Den aired on 4 January 2005.

The programme launched on BBC Two as a British adaptation of the Japanese business format Money Tigers. Entrepreneurs present business ideas to a panel of wealthy investors, known as Dragons, and seek funding in exchange for an ownership stake.

The launch date is sometimes confused with the programme's commissioning or production dates. The series was developed before its television debut, but 4 January 2005 is the date associated with its first UK broadcast. The format later became one of the BBC's best-known factual entertainment programmes.

Dragons' Den also inspired versions in several other countries, including Canada, Australia and the United States. Those adaptations have different launch dates and different investor line-ups.