From a CBC media release:
Canadian Entrepreneurs Pitch their Big Ideas to Wealthy Inventors on Dragons’ Den
New Series Debuts Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. on CBC-TV
All it takes is guts, determination and a great idea. Budding entrepreneurs pitching everything from sexy and playful underwear to an innovative technology that can mould glass without heat will try to convince five wealthy Canadian business executives (the Dragons) that their idea is the next big thing. DRAGONS’ DEN the five-part, one-hour series premieres Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. on CBC Television. In this high-stakes game of all or nothing, the candidates must face a panel of Dragons, who will invest up to $1 million of their own cash to bring dreams to reality for those chosen entrepreneurs.
The Dragons, who are all multi-millionaires, know a good business investment when they hear one, but they won’t mince words or hesitate to dash the dreams of those who don’t have what it takes. After hearing two hopeful candidates quit their jobs for their dream business, one Dragon advised them to beg for the jobs back!
The Dragons include Robert Herjavec, who sold his IT security firm at the height of the dot.com boom for more than a $100 million; Laurence Lewin, co-founder and president of La Senza, a chain of lingerie shops with more than 310 stores throughout Canada; Kevin O’Leary, popular host of ROB TV’s SqueezePlay, who sold his educational software firm to Mattel for $3.2 billion; Jim Treliving, a former RCMP officer who owns Boston Pizza; and Jennifer Wood, who entered the male-dominated cattle business in 1990 and is now one of the most influential executives in Canada’s beef industry. CBC Television personality Dianne Buckner of Venture will host the series and interview the contestants after they make their pitch.
The DRAGONS’ DEN producers auditioned more than 40 Dragons, and reviewed more than 1700 applicants from across the country before selecting the most intriguing, personable and entertaining personalities to appear on the show. The series is based on the successful format that has taken the U.K., Japan and Australia by storm.
“Dragons’ Den taps into Canada’s entrepreneurial spirit and puts an entertaining spotlight on our home-grown innovations,†says Julie Bristow, executive director of Factual Entertainment Programming. “We have assembled a top-tier group of business executives of high net worth, all of whom are willing to commit their own money and time and put their reputation on the line because they believe in the show’s concept.â€
Leading up to the series debut, www.cbc.ca/dragonsden will provide profiles on the candidates and updates on their progress. The executive producer for DRAGONS’ DEN is Stuart Coxe and the senior producer is Tracie Tighe. Michael Downie is the series producer.
