Ten launches new Dragon’s Den style reality show Shark Tank
Ten has lifted the lid on its new show which will see Australian entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to a group of potential investors, called Shark Tank.
As Mumbrella reported last month the network’s casting calls for the show included an online questionnaire asking contestants if they have ever been on Dragon’s Den, which lasted just one season before Seven pulled the plug on it in 2006.
The Shark Tank format is from Sony Pictures Television, and the US version of the show picked up an Emmy Award for Outstanding Structured Reality TV Show , with the Australian version created by Shine and set to air in 2015.
The selection of the sharks/ investors is critical for the show. Key to the success of overseas dragon den shows and the total failure of the Channel 7 version a few years ago was the choice of investors.
Agreed Fraser. This is all about the selection of sharks. They need to be from a variety of industries and have numerous contacts that they can leverage to get products launched. It also helps when an investor gets more than one offer and has to decide whether to take a better deal with someone less experienced in an industry or a worse deal with someone who is an expert. It brings drama and laughs.
They need a marketing maven, an online tech savvy person, an expert in franchising, a business-orientated money hungry guy and made-themselves from nothing person. Make sure you have a woman or two, have the cast like each other but love to be competitive and get both wacky products and good ones.
I can hardly wait to see who will be selected as Australia’s Mr. Wonderful….
OMG really Bem – “make sure you have a woman or two”?!?
So these women cannot be one of the above mentioned ‘business expertise’ and instead are there as “token”?
No comment on the show…
But if it’s to be a true reflection of Aussie investors it should be like this:
Panel: Are you planning to rip something out of the ground?
Contestant: No.
Panel: Will you be building apartments or other non-productive assets?
Contestant: No.
Panel: Then fuck off overseas to get funded.
@hmmm- no, not at all! They should definitely be experts in their fields. On Shark Tank Laurie is the shopping network’s biggest money maker, while Canada’s Dragon Den’s Arlene (my favourite dragon other than Mr Wonderful) is a marketing maven. It’s vital that every Shark has expertise in a specific area. I was saying that having a woman is important to the mix so it’s not all men. Don’t be so quick to judge
You just know it’s going be bad.
I think it hysterical that the name of the show is the state of the network. Are the sharks circling??
Bring it on and the US cast with it! Greatest example of men & WOMEN swinging their bits. The hustle is great.
Maybe this show might help Australian investors look to invest in home grown ideas.. instead of forcing them to look for overseas investors.. because it’s what I have had to do!!!