When was the first episode of the UK television show Dragon's Den broadcast?
Answer
4 January 2005
The first episode of the UK television show Dragon's Den was broadcast on 4 January 2005.
The BBC launched the programme as a British adaptation of the international Dragons' Den format. Entrepreneurs present business proposals to a panel of wealthy investors, known as the Dragons, and seek investment in exchange for equity.
The series quickly became a regular BBC factual-entertainment programme. Its early episodes established the core structure still associated with the show: a pitch, questioning about sales and valuations, negotiation, and the possibility of an offer. The investors are not judges awarding a prize; they decide whether to risk their own money.
Dragon's Den is sometimes confused with the similarly structured programme Shark Tank, which is the American adaptation of the same broad format. The UK series has retained its British title and has featured changing investor panels across its long run.