The first episode of the BBC business series Dragon's Den was broadcast in the United Kingdom on 4 January 2005.
The programme brought entrepreneurs into a studio to present business proposals to wealthy investors, who became known as the Dragons. Contestants normally requested money in exchange for a percentage of their company, although the Dragons could also reject the proposal or negotiate different terms.
Dragon's Den is the British version of an international television format. Its structure developed from the Japanese programme Money Tigers and was later adapted in many countries, including the United States as Shark Tank. The British series became a long-running BBC factual-entertainment programme rather than a short-lived experiment.
The date is sometimes confused with the launch dates of overseas versions or with the beginning of later presenter and investor line-ups. The original British broadcast date refers specifically to the first UK episode, not to the format's earlier Japanese origins or to a later series.