Mark Burnett's new ABC show Shark Tank | Dear Entrepreneur,
I've seen a few CRAZY media pitches over the years....
I would be inclinded to create a TV show where would be creatives attempt to pitch their MEDIA PROPERTIES (FILM, TV, BOOKS, WEB SITES, GAMES) etc. The follow-up would be fascinating. Was the concept shelved, did it get picked up by a few stars, who is attaching themselves to it?
Matthew Phillips
By Hillary Canada
http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2009/05/22/oh-the-shark-has-pretty-t...
It's hard enough to pitch a business plan to hurried venture capitalists. Try doing it on camera in front of millions of people to five wealthy business people who aren't afraid to show their pointy teeth.
That's the premise behind Shark Tank, a new reality television series from Mark Burnett coming this fall, ABC announced this week.
The concept of pitching a business to potential investors isn't all that new for reality TV. ABC ran two seasons of American Inventor, which gave entrepreneurs $50,000 to improve their products, with the shot of winning "$1,000,000 worth of business support, entrepreneurial counsel, physical resources, and prize money." And last year, VentureWire covered the launch of a whole mess of these TV shows including Wall Street Warriors, Bobby G: Adventure Capitalist, and Start-Up Junkies, all of which sought to capture the drama behind high-stakes investing. AOL even got in on the action, creating an on-line series called The StartUp.
In fact the concept for Shark Tank, like all craze-inducing franchises (think American Idol, The Office and The Beatles), originally debuted in the U.K. under the moniker Dragons' Den.
But either way, we're interested to see what Burnett, who gave the world Survivor and The Apprentice, has in store for us. If Shark Tank follows the Dragons' Den model, we're eager to see the kind of pitches fledgling business owners can give in three minutes or less. We're also looking forward to the investors fighting one another for the right to fund top-tier ideas. Would it be too much to hope for another Omarosa?
The five "Sharks" are entrepreneurs-turned multi-millionaires: Barbara Corcoran, a Manhattan real estate titan; Kevin Harrington, an infomercials producer (think Flobee and Magic Saw); Robert Herjavec, a Canadian technology executive; Daymond John, owner of clothing company FUBU The Collection; and Kevin O'Leary, a Canadian entrepreneur and investor.
Here's the link to the casting call if you want to appear on the show.
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Tuesdays get going with Burnett's "Shark Tank" reality series, where budding entrepreneurs try to talk millionaires (billionaires?) out of their money to finance bright ideas. The "Dancing" results show follows at 9 p.m. and a Jerry Bruckheimer drama about amateur detectives who try to solve the deaths of unknown victims, "The Forgotten," airs at 10 p.m.
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UK version Dragons Den:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzcQtXA5Gc8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu0QifxOGvs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tc6-vSYIMk SPOOF
ABC orders Mark Burnett pilot
September 04, 2008 The network has handed out a pilot order to the unscripted project, an adaptation of the Japanese reality format "Dragon's Den." Sony Pictures TV is producing the show, which features aspiring entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to moguls, aka the "Sharks," in hopes of landing investment funds. The arena of business-themed reality shows is a familiar one for Burnett, who also created and is executive producing "The Apprentice," which returns with a second celebrity edition in January.
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March 29, 2009
ABC greenlights Burnett's 'Shark Tank'
http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/03/abc-mark-burnett-shark-tank.html
"Dragon's Den,' the UK version...
ABC is teaming with Mark Burnett for a new series that offers a bailout to struggling entrepreneurs.
The network has ordered seven episodes of Burnett's "Shark Tank," an adaptation of the U.K. reality hit "Dragon's Den" in which eager entrepreneurs pitch their business ventures to five multimillionaire tycoons. The pitchmen have to convince the investors (the "sharks") to part with the requested amount of their own money, or they leave empty handed.
The format originated in Japan and has since become a worldwide success, with BBC Two's "Dragon's Den" running for six seasons and airing domestically on BBC America. "Shark Tank" marks the first collaboration between ABC and Burnett, who has popular shows on the other three major broadcast networks but has never had a series on ABC. The network and prolific producer hope the project strikes a chord with viewers given the current economic climate.
"People are looking to be entrepreneurs to get ahead, yet there's no way anybody can go into a bank right now and get a loan," said Burnett, whose company Mark Burnett Productions is producing the "Shark Tank" along with Sony Pictures Television. "For these entrepreneurs, these sharks are their last stop."
The team's creative approach to the program has shifted since its pilot was ordered last fall. At first, everybody thought the show needed to feel bigger. The BBC version has the wealthy investors and pitchmen haggling in a sparse loft space. There's no cheering audience, no graphics, no exterior footage. The drama comes from whether the entrepreneur's proposal will survive an intense inquisition, and if it does, whether the sharks will then turn on each other to snatch up the idea.
"We've been excited about the 'Dragon's Den' format for years, but we didn't go forward at first because we thought it felt too small," said Vicki Dummer, co-head of alternative at ABC.
In 2006, the network attempted a similar concept called "American Inventor," which was co-produced by one of the British stars of "Dragon's Den." But "Inventor" was an elimination competition about the process of developing an invention, whereas "Shark" is self-contained episodes that are all about the drama of pitch meetings.
Working with Burnett, the network initially tried to make the show feel like a larger event, shooting a pilot in a huge auditorium and placing the investors behind an intimidating desk, among other tweaks. But most of the changes distracted from what worked so well about the original: the interpersonal tension between ambitious entrepreneurs struggling to convince five strangers to part with their money.
"The layers we added for a big huge show we've ended up peeling back to make the show more like the original," Dummer said. "The core essence of the show works, and they've done a terrific job with it."
No air date is set, though a premiere sometime next season seems likely.
The sharks include Robert Herjavec (who made his fortune in Internet security systems), Kevin Harrington (infomercials), Barbara Corcoran (real estate), Kevin O'Leary (well-known Canadian investor) and Daymond John (FUBU sportsware).
One aspect of "Shark Tank" that will be noticeably bigger than the previous versions: the deals spawned during the pitches.
"We have made bigger deals and more deals in our pilot than (other versions) make all season," Burnett said. "What country on earth is more entrepreneurial and risk taking than the United States of America? Here we have businesses and jobs being created, and it's a great feeling."
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Enter the Sharks of "Shark Tank" -- Barbara Corcoran (Manhattan real estate titan), Kevin Harrington (king of infomercials), Robert Herjavec (technology tycoon), Daymond John (fashion mogul) and Kevin O'Leary (venture capitalist) -- five multi-millionaires who lifted themselves up by their bootstraps to make their own entrepreneurial dreams come true and turned their ideas into empires.
Each week ambitious entrepreneurs from across the country will present their breakthrough business concepts, products, properties and services to the panel of ruthless investors. Their goal is to convince these merciless moguls to invest their own dollars in the concept. Convincing real-life millionaires to part with their own money is no easy task, because when the idea is poor, the Sharks will tear into the illprepared presenters and pass on the idea with a simple, "I'm out!" -- sending them running for the exit.
But these Sharks aren't just out for blood, they too have a goal: to own a piece of the next big idea. Entrepreneurs will be asked to give up a percentage of their companies' equity to the Sharks in order to get the investment they need. But when the Sharks hear a really top-notch idea, and more than one of them wants to sink their teeth into it, a war between them will erupt. Then the once-desperate entrepreneur can rejoice when the Sharks reveal their true interest in the product and bid up the price of the investment.
DO YOU HAVE THE NEXT GREAT MONEYMAKING IDEA? We are currently on the search for entrepreneurs, inventors, businesspersons, dreamers, promoters, creators, innovators, etc. If you feel you have a lucrative business idea but just can't seem to secure the financial backing to get it off the ground then Shark Tank is just the show for you. Each episode features aspiring entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to moguls in hopes of landing investment funds. Apply now for your chance to enter the "Shark Tank" and see if your idea survives.
IMPORTANT NOTICE - IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE FOLLOWING DO NOT APPLY:
By making an email submission, you acknowledge and agree that you are making a submission solely for purposes of being considered by Mark Burnett Productions, Inc., Sony Pictures Television, Inc., American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. and their respective affiliated or related entities (collectively "Shark Tank Entities") to be a participant on "Shark Tank" and will not receive any compensation or credit for making a submission. BY MAKING AN EMAIL SUBMISSION, YOU ARE ACCEPTING AND AGREEING TO THE ABC.COM TERMS OF USE . You understand that your email submission is not confidential nor submitted in confidence or trust and no confidential or fiduciary relationship is intended or created by making an email submission. You understand that the Shark Tank Entities are diversified companies who may possess or come to possess information similar or identical to information contained in your email submission, and you agree that any such similarity or identity shall not give rise to any claim or entitlement, whether for compensation, credit or otherwise. By making an email submission, you hereby release the Shark Tank Entities and their respective directors, officers, shareholders, employees, and licensees from any and all claims relating to your email submission, including without limitation arising from the risk of misdirection or misdelivery of your email.
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