Dragons' Den

Used to like this but it's unwatchable now thanks to the totally unnecessary and constantly repetitious voiceover from Evan Davis.

Evan: Peter is going to ask about the financials

Peter: Tell me about the financials...

Evan: Peter has asked about the financials.

Hugely padded, over and over and over the same thing.

This is another BBC show that started good but is now made by people who have lost all interest in making it worth watching.

I am not a fan of reality TV, but I do really enjoy Dragons' Den. I concept of the show is simple, budding entrepreneurs pitch there business ideas to the Dragons, all of them leading business people, and offer a percentage of there company in exchange for investment. Some of the people who go onto the show have poor idea or just do not think things thought and it is entertaining watching the Dragons rip them to pieces. However, there are some people who do have good ideas and get the investment there need, such as the man who created Reggae Reggae sauce and the Watford goalkeeper Richard Lee for his shop Dr. Cap. There are also people who have good ideas but do not get the investment they want, normally because the Dragons make them an offer that is unacceptable or there is a hole in the pitch. People who do the best in the show are ones who have a good safety invention or show that there company is already profitable.

The reason why I summarise this program as X Factor for the Middle Classes because people watch it to see people get humiliated, especially the arrogant people and want to see conflict. But there are clever people who come up with very good ideas and Dragons' Den is an interesting program and does show an aspect to how the business world works.

The idea is simple: entrepreneurs pitch ideas to a group of 5 multimillionaire business investors. The investors ask questions of presenters to clarify, expose pitfalls and negotiate the percentages and dollar amounts offered. The presenters state in advance how much they want to raise and if they don't raise the full amount between all the investors, they leave empty handed.

If you have ever tried to raise money, this is one of the best shows to watch. You WILL learn what a good, tight pitch sounds like (as well as what terrible ones are like). Regardless of whether you agree with the decisions made by the investors, it's worth watching for that alone. You'll also learn what kinds of questions you should expect and what you need to know going into such a meeting.

The questions asked are often insightful and penetrating. It's fascinating to watch how good/bad ideas coupled with good/bad presentations play out.

Faults: The narration is somewhat annoying. The narrator generally spills the beans on what an investor is about to say, so the element of surprise is lost. Also, the investors frequently sound derogatory. It's unfortunate, but there's not much one can do about it - these are real people with their own money and not actors. If you're asking for money here, you better have a thick skin.

If you enjoy thinking out new businesses and how to create or expand a company, this show will likely be fun to watch.

Dragon's Den is a welcome relief in the constant scheduling of the usual type of reality show where people generally people sit around whining and/or swearing for no apparent purpose. The idea is that contestants come to a panel of five 'dragons' (highly successful business people) with a project or concept that they hope to get some investment in. The programme focuses on the business pitch and the reaction of the 'dragons'. It is a strong concept, offering an insight into the way that companies start up and hopefully encourages talented individuals into taking the plunge and setting up for themselves, a class of people that the UK lacks at the moment.

However it keeps in the cruelty that the British are so fond of (how else could someone like Simon Cowell become so popular?). Much of the berating is deserved as some contenders try to get hundreds of thousands of pounds for a small fraction of their tiny company whilst being completely clueless about such simple things as their turnover or net profit, but it often comes across as arrogant rich people ridiculing the dreams of ambitious entrepreneurs. The ridiculous nature of some of the products suggests that either screening applicants was limited or they were let through just for the dubious entertainment value of 'the Dragons' making fun of them. The comments are often unnecessarily barbed instead of constructive, and while this is defended as 'cruel to be kind' frequently it sounds more like the panel are trying to outdo each other to get themselves on the trailer. Some of the panel appear a lot more helpful than others, like Richard Farleigh who usually had some good advice for the contestants who were unsuccessful, while Theo Paphitis comes across as the most shrewd of the bunch.

Apparently Peter Jones is leaving which is not much of a loss as recently he has seemed more interested in boosting his ego and trying to be funny than investing - shame he is about as amusing as a documentary about the Holocaust. Lately also the panel seems to be extremely cautious, almost always refusing to take on a project by themselves, instead trying to get a partnership with another Dragon, which takes away from their supposedly bold entrepreneurial nature. The programme has also declined in quality recently due to the editing which allows you to predict which ideas will get investment by the running order and removes most of the tension. The annoyingly insistent commentary by Evan Davis repeating the rules of show and everything that has just gone on in the show also detracts from the viewer's enjoyment.

Thoroughly enjoyed it. I've just started watching from season 19 onwards. Was into shark tank for a couple of months saw a DD clip on YT; Peter jones was on a whole other level compared to the sharks; switched to DD after that. Peter Jones, Deborah Meadon, Duncan Bannatyne are truly dragons on the show. Like the 3 dragons from GOT.

Totally savage and ruthless. The entrepreneurs get a thorough roasting from the dragons though some escape with a light grilling and some get the dream investor/s they were hoping for. Brilliant in terms of entertainment plus you get insight into the business world. Very interesting to watch. British dry humour at its best 👍💯

There is drastic change from season 1 to 19 in the setting, dragons attitude and demeanor, humour and of course the dragons themselves (with the exception of den legends Deborah Meadon and Peter Jones). The dragon savagery has gone down sadly but there's a nice vibe on the den.

Season 19 has a great lineup of dragons. There's 2 younger dragons Sara davies and Steven Bartlett who bring a fresh perspective to the show. Theres the older more experienced dragons like Deborah Meadon, Touker Suleiman, Peter Jones all who are well established in the business world with diverse portfolios and rolling in cash. Experience of decades combined with new perspective and ideas.... The perfect combination for a good business.

A word of advice if you're just watching clips on YT know that each pitch takes nearly 1.5 hours to film, so many parts are edited out.