If this is on...I'm In! (Dragon's Den)

Member Name: jo1976

Product:	Dragon's Den
Date:	13/08/09 (133 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Highly entertaining programme, gives entrepreneurs exposure and potential investment

Disadvantages: Peter Jones

Many TV shows start to lose their appeal after several series but Dragon's Den is currently in its seventh series and every episode is every bit as enjoyable as the last. In fact, this show is probably my favourite TV programme as it continues to entertain, amuse and enthrall me week after week.

Dragon's Den is currently showing on BBC2 on Wednesdays at 9pm (and previous series are almost constantly repeated over on Dave, so anybody who hasn't yet fallen in love with the series can see what they've been missing out on.) The concept of the show is, as with most successful programmes, very simple but totally engaging. Members of the public are invited into the den to 'pitch' a business idea and ask for an investment from one of five 'Dragons', who are expected to use their own personal fortune to fund this if the deal does go ahead.

The actual Dragons themselves have changed since the series started with the current line up consisting of Theo Paphitis, James Caan, Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones and Duncan Bannatyne who are all multi-millionaires and are now well-established as TV personalities in their own right.

The show is hosted by Evan Davis and his voice-over and the programme's clever editing helps to make the show. I love how he really over-eggs things and when the Dragons are, basically, interrogating the 'Den hopefuls' he says things like 'The Dragons are furious' and the camera cuts to a shot of Peter Jones shaking his head solemnly. It's all very cleverly done and very addictive. I do find Davies' gammy eye a bit off-putting though. He's trying to look all serious and talk to camera but one of his eyes appears to be eyeing up the other side of the room!

Out of the Dragons, my personal favourites are Duncan Bannatyne and Theo Paphitis. They both seem very down to earth with a great sense of humour and are always the first up there trying out some of the more bizarre inventions. The funniest episode was one in which an inventor had created a home gym incorporated into an armchair which was every bit as daft as it sounds! Duncan and Theo were testing it out and were both literally crying with laughter. Just thinking about that episode makes me laugh even now!

I'm not quite so keen on Peter Jones who comes across as extremely cocky and arrogant and generally has the attitude that he is the most knowledgeable and successful of the Dragons. This can lead to conflict between some of the Dragons, particularly when they all express an interest in the same product or person. I have to be honest and say that I think Deborah Meaden only seems to be on the panel to represent the female entrepreneurs (who are probably few and far between.) She very rarely makes offers of investment and often seems to sit on the fence, only making an offer if other Dragons have already expressed an interest and it seems unlikely that her offer would be accepted. James Caan seems much calmer than the other Dragons and concentrates on figures and projections rather than some of the more emotive issues and disagreements that can erupt.

Sometimes the dragons seem so busy trying to find reasons not to invest in products or businesses, that they appear to let fantastic opportunities slip away. The 'Trunki' children's suitcase is the most famous example of 'the one that got away.' Having recently watched the original episode where the Trunki was presented to the Dragons, albeit with the benefit of hindsight given how successful the Trunki has become, I was amazed at how the Dragon's could overlook such a great business opportunity. In the end, they turned down the chance to invest in the business because they managed to snap the chord of the prototype Trunki! Such a simple issue to address, yet they let the inventor walk away from the den and the rest, as they say, is history.

Most of the products that go on to great success are the ones that do receive the backing of one or more of the Dragons. I've seen the I-Teddy for sale in Argos and can remember one of the Dragons dismissing the idea, although it did succeed in getting an investor. Who can forget Levi Roots, coming in to the Den with his guitar singing 'my reggae reggae sauce'? I certainly can't, especially as his name and product range now appears to be everywhere from Subway to Birds Eye frozen chicken! The Dragons certainly picked a winner there and Levi Roots is now a millionaire in his own right. A lot of it is down to his own personality and charisma but without his moment of opportunity in the Den, he'd probably still be making up batches of sauce in his own kitchen for the Notting Hill carnival. That's one of the best aspects of the show seeing ordinary people get the opportunity to make a success of their product or business idea.

Over recent series, the types of opportunities presented in the Den has become more diverse - including poker players, a sculptor, racing car driver and fashion designer! (Although I'm sure that Peter Jones had his own reasons for investing in her business as he saw some assets apart from her 'business acumen!') The programme even featured an up-and-coming indie band, Hamfatter, who succeeded in getting an investment from Peter Jones, although I'm not sure how successful they've been since then.

I suspect that most of the businesses and individuals featured now have their own agendas, other than simply securing investment from the Dragons. Most will have realised that the simple act of appearing on the programme will give them massive exposure and free publicity, offering any fledgling business a massive boost. Having an offer of investment is probably just the icing on the cake.

The show is pretty formulaic and it is usually easy to predict who is going to be successful, just based on the introduction and the voice over. Generally, there are only two successful 'budding entrepreneurs' within each episode with the rest 'leaving the Den disappointed' as Davies regularly says. Nonetheless, having listened to all the evidence, I can honestly say 'I'm in'...the house, watching this on TV every Wednesday night!

Summary: Fantastic show