When was the first episode of the British television show Dragons' Den broadcast?

The first episode of the British television show Dragons' Den was broadcast on 4 January 2005.

The BBC launched the programme on BBC Two as the British version of a Japanese business-pitch format. Entrepreneurs present their companies to investors and seek money in return for an ownership stake.

The debut series established the central rules still associated with the programme: contestants make a short pitch, answer questions about their business, and negotiate directly with the investors. A televised offer is not necessarily completed after filming, because legal and financial checks follow.

The programme is sometimes confused with other national versions of Dragons' Den, which began in different years. The 2005 date refers specifically to the first British broadcast, not to the international franchise.