I finally got around to seeing the second episode of CBC-TV’s Dragon’s Den last night, after taping the Sunday night repeat off Newsworld.
It stuck me as slightly less entertaining than the first week’s episode. The Dragons were more snarky, rude and impatient than clever and witty. One of the disappointed entrepreneurs whose pitch had been rejected told host Diane Buckner that he thought the Dragons were trying too hard to live up to their name – rather than acting like “angels,” which is what venture investors are called “in the real world.”
Still, there were a lot of nice moments. Kevin O’Leary forbidding a woman entrepreneur from spending any more time peddling her invention. Robert Herjavec’s emotional story of the vacuum cleaner salesman who nearly reduced Robert’s family to ruin by selling his mother a $500 contract. Laurence Lewin needling O’Leary. Jovial Jim Treliving turning downright nasty. And the entrepreneur who forgot to bring his prototype – and so lost his chance to make the deal of a lifetime.
Best Moment: two Dragons were about to make a deal with an entrepreneur when Herjavec swooped in and trumped them with a bigger, better offer. “Smell that?” he said to O’Leary. “Is it money?” Kevin asked. Yeah – the moolah Herjavec expects to make instead of O’Leary.
No one can accuse these Dragons of not taking the Den seriously.
Check it out for yourself Wednesday night. Only three shows left.
(PS: Watch it with your kids. It’s a great lesson in Business 101 – and family bonding.
(I talked to an entrepreneur today who’s kicking himself that he didn’t hear about the show in time to audition as a pitcher. He watches with his 11-year-old, who enjoyed it as much as he did. My daughter watched with me last night, and can’t wait for the next episode. How many other shows can parents and kids watch together?)
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