Dragons' Den (UK)

If you've ever had an idea to make money, Dragons' Den is THE show to watch. All manner of money-spinning minds will step into the intimidating world of business financing, determined to make their dreams come true. All they need is the cash. To get this, they must face the Dragons, all of whom are formidable business thinkers with the money to make things happen.

But this is no lottery - the contestants will need all their powers of reasoning, presentation and persuasion to convince our five business experts that theirs is a product worth investing in. The Dragons know what makes a successful idea, how much it's worth and how much cash is needed to get it off the ground.

* Each business (pitcher) can pitch for a specified amount of funding for their idea or product.

* If the pitcher can convince one or more of the Dragons to meet that specified amount (usually in exchange for shares of their company), the pitcher walks away with the cash.

* If the pitchers find themselves short of the specified amount of funding, they lose it all.

* Each pitcher is free to bargain with the Dragons in order to get the specified level of funding.