Network: CBC Television Network
Broadcast Run: 2006
Broadcast Medium: Television
Debuted October 4, 2006
This weekly hour-long program featured five successful Canadian business people looking to invest in new products. Entrepreneurs appeared in a staged dungeon and pitched the potential investors (Dragons) with their products. The investors interviewed each candidate and decided whether or not to invest their money in the new company. If the investors liked the product they negotiated with the entrepreneurs and made a verbal commitment to do business.
Dianne Buckner hosted the series, with the original panel of Dragons consisting of Robert Herjavec, Laurence Lewin, Kevin O’Leary, Jim Treliving and Jennifer Wood.
Executive producer was Tracie Tighe, and Lisa Gabriele was the Senior Producer.
The series returned for a second season on Sunday September 30th 2007, with Arlene Dickinson replacing Jennifer Wood on the panel. In the 2008-09 season, W. Brett Wilson succeeded Laurence Lewin. A new season of 9 episodes of Dragon’s Den began on January 6th 2010. Dianne Buckner continued as host, with the same panel.
Dragon’s Den returned in September 2010. Then, after a hiatus, the series returned for a fith season on Wednesday January 6th 2011 at 8:00 pm. Dianne Buckner continued as host, with an unchanged panel of Arlene Dickinson, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O’Leary, Jim Treliving and W Brett Wilson.
On March 1st, it was announced that W. Brett Wilson would be leaving the series following the end of season 5 on March 17th 2011, reportedly because the performer and the Corporation could not come to terms. The CBC announced that Bruce Croxon, founder of Lavalife, would become the series’ newest Dragon on series 6, which would begin in the fall.
Dragons’ Den returned for a sixth season on Wednesdays at 8 pm, effective September 14th 2011
As the sixth season ended on April 4th, the CBC announced that Robert Herjavec would not be returning to the series for the 2012-2013 season. On April 19th it was confirmed that Dragon’s Den would indeed return in the Fall for another season, and on May 10th Wealthy Barber author David Chilton was announced as Robert Herjavec’s replacement.
Dragon’s Den returned for a seventh season on CBC on September 19th 2012. On November 13th it was announced that after a short break, Dragon’s Den would return to the schedule on Sundays at 8 pm effective January 6th 2013. This series ended on April 14th 2013.
On April 3rd 2013, Dragon’s Den was included in an announced list of programs that would be returning to the CBC schedule during the 2013-14 season. A “brand-new ominous den” was promised. The new season began on October 2nd 2013.
On March 14th 2014 the CBC announced that Dragons Kevin O’Leary and Bruce Croxon would be leaving the series at the end of the season. Their replacements would be restaurateur Vikram Vij and Difference Capital merchant bank CEO Michael Wekerle.
On April 4th it was confirmed that Dragon’s Den would again be a part of the CBC schedule in the 2014-15 season. On May 29th the CBC announced its fall 2014 schedule, which showed Dragon’s Den returning on Wednesdays at 8:00 pm.
On February 6th 2015 it was announced that David Chilton would be leaving the cast of Dragon’s Den at the end of the current season, and a week later Arlene Duncan announced that she too would be leaving the series after eight years on the panel. She did, however, return to the series in 2017.
On March 4th the CBC announced that a new season of twenty one-hour episodes of Dragon’s Den would be scheduled starting in the Fall of 2015.
On March 18th, the CBC announced that Joe Fresh founder Joe Mimran would be joining the upcoming 10th season of Dragon’s Den, due to air in the fall of 2015.
On March 25th 2015 , the CBC announced the departure of restaurateur Vikram Vij and the addition of two women, Michele Romanow and Manjit Minhas, to the series, rounding out the Dragon’s Den panel to join Joe Mimran, Jim Treliving and Michael Wekerle for the all-new 10th season.
The series continued its healthy run on CBC through the 2018-19 season, with Lane Merrifield and Vincenzo Guzzo joining the Dragons’ Den lineup for Season 13.
The two new Dragon investors joined Arlene Dickinson, Jim Treliving, Michele Romanow and Manjit Minhas, as financier Michael Wekerle and fashion icon Joe Mimran departed the series.
On March 25th 2019 it was announced that Dragon’s Den would be continuing production for a fourteenth season of ten 1-hour programs.
Dianne Buckner would be continuing as host, with the panel consisting of Jim Treliving, Arlene Dickinson, Manjit Minhas, Michele Romanow, Lane Merrifieldand Vincenzo Guzzo.
On May 27th 2020 the CBC announced that Dragon’s Den would be returning to the network schedule for its fifteenth season in the fall.
The 15th season of Dragon’s Den began on October 22nd 2020.
Written by Pip Wedge – March, 2014