the dragons - Reading file 4 Background Enter the Dragons...

© Oxford University Press 2008
Business Result Upper-intermediate
Background
Reading file 4
‘The Sharks’ in Israel, ‘the Lions’ in
Finland and ‘the Tigers’ in Japan – these
are the new stars of reality TV. Dragons’
Den as it is known in most English-speaking
countries, has become a hugely popular
reality TV show in which ‘contestants’
pitch their ideas to established, successful
entrepreneurs in the hope that they might
invest in their business proposals.
1
The
contestants (although the producers
insist it is not a game show) are people who
are considered to have a viable
business idea but need financial backing
to get their idea up and running. They pitch
their ideas to five business moguls who
then decide whether or not to invest in the
project. Before the show the contestant
must state how much money they wish to
raise and if they do not reach that figure,
they go home with nothing.
2
Of course the
Dragons are not acting benevolently.
Before agreeing to invest, they give the
‘contestants’ a good grilling, making sure
the business plan has a sound foundation ,
and if they do agree to invest they expect a
large share of the company in return.
3
‘The
ruthlessness of the Dragons has become a
feature of the show and although most of
the audiences want to see the contestants
succeed there is a strange fascination in
watching them unravel in the face of the
pressure put on them by the panel,’ says TV
writer Beata Bell. The Dragons are not only