Overview

If you’re a fan of business-themed television shows, then you’ve probably heard of Dragon’s Den. Dragon’s Den isn’t a show per se – while it is the actual title of many television shows, the term “Dragon’s Den” has grown to become an umbrella term that defines an entire format of business-themed television shows. So whether you’ve seen it as Shark Tank in the U.S. or El Mashroua in Egypt, you’re probably familiar with the concept of Dragon’s Den.

In this review, we’ll be taking a look at the Canadian version of the show, which is arguably one of the most successful editions to this day. It’s been around since 2006 and is a fan favorite among entrepreneurs and businesspeople. The Canadian show won two Canadian Screen Awards for Best Reality/Competition Program or Series in 2013 and 2014.

Premise

Imagine having a million-dollar idea. Maybe it’s some special new gadget, a scientific breakthrough, or some smart and innovative business model that’s never been done before. Now imagine what would happen if you pitched that idea in front of millionaires who could potentially give you the funds you need to succeed with your venture. In a nutshell, that’s how the Dragon’s Den format works.

It’s clear why this is such a popular format for Dragon’s Den versions across the globe. It gives plenty of smart businesspeople the opportunity of a lifetime. Furthermore, the viewers gain a thrilling experience and a look into the world of investing. Not everybody gets their ideas invested in (in fact, only a few of them do), but the show always gives you something to look forward to, with the hope of finding the “next big thing”.

The format of the show itself is pretty simple: the entrepreneur pitches their idea, specifying as many details as they can. Then, they specify the amount they’re requesting for an investment, and also what they’re willing to offer in return for said investment, whether it be in the form of royalties or equity. The Dragons (the millionaire investors) then decide whether or not they should invest, often trying to strike deals with entrepreneurs they deem as potentially good investments.

Cast and characters

  • Jim Treliving – Dragon
  • Arlene Dickinson – Dragon
  • Dianne Buckner – Host
  • Kevin O’Leary – Dragon
  • Robert Herjavec – Dragon
  • Michael Wekerle – Dragon
  • Manjit Minhas – Dragon
  • Michele Romanow – Dragon
  • Joe Mimran – Dragon
  • Bruce Croxon – Dragon
  • Brett Wilson – Dragon
  • David Chilton – Dragon

Filming locations

The filming location for the Canadian version of Dragon’s Den isn’t really known. There are no public mentions of it anywhere, though the location doesn’t really matter too much, as it’s filmed in a studio. Since all of the episodes are filmed with the same format, there’s no need to change locations, hence the studio being the sole filming location throughout the show.

Trailer

Dragon’s Den, though a popular TV show format, isn’t popular on its own. This could be due to the fact that there are so many versions of Dragon’s Den that there’s no real international audience for any one of them. The Canadian trailer for Dragon’s Den is a testament to this, with the video on YouTube garnering only a mere 4,088 views at the time of writing. Of course, the trailer itself is 14 years old, which could also explain why it’s a lot more “under-the-radar” than most trailers nowadays.

The trailer is pretty short, being 15 seconds in total, and there isn’t really much to gather from it other than the concept of the show itself. It shows the entrepreneurs pitching their ideas, with scenes of the Dragons either rejecting or accepting their pitch. You can also see the varied expressions on the faces of the entrepreneurs depending on how the Dragons critiqued their pitches.

Production

Canada’s Dragon’s Den has been produced by three different companies since its first airing in 2006. Between 2006 and 2007, Celador handled production. 2waytraffic was in charge from 2007 to 2012, and Sony Pictures Television finally took over from 2012 to present day. Originally airing on October 3, 2006, Dragon’s Den was available on CBC Television – a Canadian TV network.

Episodes and reception

Despite being a somewhat niche show, Dragon’s Den pulled in enough viewers for it to remain on air for over a decade. The show has a total of 14 seasons at the time of writing, with 245 episodes of pitching and investing. While the show has had its ups and downs, there have been times where the show was met with some level of criticism.

In a season 12 episode of Dragon’s Den, a couple of entrepreneurs pitched the idea of NeuroReset, a device that could improve your neurological functions using what they called “quantum entanglement.” The pitch ended with all 6 Dragons expressing interest in the idea, and 5 of them even investing equity. After the filming, however, the agreement ended up falling apart, with Health Canada even stepping in to remove NeuroReset products from the market.

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