Fire Breathing Dragons? (Dragon's Den)

Member Name: cazkins

Product:	Dragon's Den
Date:	07/09/09 (45 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting pitches & good dynamics between the dragons make this entertaining to watch

Disadvantages: Long introduction

When this first came on TV there was a lot of talk about it and so many people seemed to be regular viewers. I didn't join in on the fun until more recently, because it never sounded appealing to me. It wasn't until I watched a similar American version (American Inventor I think it was) that I considered watching Dragon's Den.

This is a program that I wasn't interested in at first because talk of investments and business funding put me off. I expected the content to either be dull and boring, or complex and boring. Either way, it surprised me because I found it to be easy to watch and entertaining.

The premise of the program is that individuals (or sometimes a couple/group) will make a pitch for an investment. This pitch is a business idea which needs funding for the individual/group to be able to get the idea off the ground and earning money. The investment is in terms of money (and guidance from one or more experienced 'dragons') and the pitcher must state how much they require in order for a deal to be made. This is the crux of the show; that amount of money must be secured in order for there to be a deal between the dragon(s) and entrepreneur.

The negotiation balances between the investment from the dragon, and the dragon's stake in the business venture. It may sound slightly confusing when explained by the presenter (or by me!) but it's relatively straightforward if you don't get too bogged down by the financial sums and calculations thrown about during the negotiations.

Evan Davis presents Dragon's Den, which is shown on Wednesdays at 9pm BBC2 (repeated on Sunday at 7pm, or alternatively you can catch up online). The introduction lays the ground for the program, with Davis describing how the set up works and introducing each dragon.

The downside to this program in my view is this initial address to the audience, which seems to drag for quite some time whilst Davis introduces each dragon individually, giving details of how they climbed the ladder to become a successful business 'person' (trying to be politically correct here).

The dragons have changed since the show first aired, and the current series sees a strong set of 5 dragons: Theo Paphitis, James Caan, Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones & Duncan Bannatyne.

I find the 'dragons' to be harsh but not too ruthless. This isn't like the X-Factor, where people come on willy-nilly and get talked down or mocked to make for better viewing figures. The dragons have a serious edge to them and are dressed professionally, giving the program a business-like feel. And yet there are elements of humour and playfulness between the dragons. For example, if a dragon decides to test one of the products it can be quite entertaining to watch, especially when the dynamics between some of the dragons come to light.

The pitches are very diverse, from seemingly stupid & unnecessary items or services, to serious and beneficial ones. The diversity in pitches means you don't just watch the same old thing repackaged by different people, it means you get some variety which makes for more interesting viewing.

Following the pitch, which can either be confident, average, or quite painful to watch, (ie. some entrepreneurs can get very nervous and tongue-tied, or try to show off a product which then fails to work), the dragons get their chance to ask the questions.

The conversations, questions and debates are interesting and not entirely business focussed, meaning the show has an appeal extending beyond those interested in business and investments.

There have been various international spin-offs of Dragon's Den, and our version has been doing for a while and looks set to continue to do so. This just shows that the program is original and has a strong appeal, highlighted by its popularity and household name. There have even been some success stories from Dragon's Den where a dragon (or dragon's) have invested in a product/service which has hit the shelves and become quite popular. An example would be Reggae Reggae Sauce (or the lesser known rockband from Cambridge, Hamfatter).

Overall, this is a program which can keep me entertained for an hour and it makes for interesting and easy viewing. Definitely recommended, even if, like me, it doesn't necessarily appeal to you at first.

Summary: This program has made me want to get creative & invent something utterly useless! :o)