The popular reality series “Dragons’ Den,” with international versions spanning the globe, has been a hit in Canada on the CBC ever since its premiere back in 2006. The kick-off to Season 6 is on September 14th and will feature a new Dragon: Bruce Croxon, co-founder of the internet dating site Lavalife. He joins mainstays Arlene Dickinson, Robert Herjavec, Jim Treliving, and Kevin O’Leary. Here’s a quick round-up of the top “Dragons’ Den” moments from the past five years.
– Wins best reality show
Last June the team of “Dragons’ Den” won for best reality TV show at the Banff World Television Festival. The team were in the midst of season 6.
– Arlene Dickinson joins Dragons
Arlene Dickinson is one of Canada’s most renowned independent marketing communications entrepreneurs and joined “Dragons’ Den” for season 2. After becoming a partner in Venture Communications in 1988, she became sole owner in 1998. She has grown the company into a strategic and creative powerhouse for a blue-chip client list, which includes Toyota (Prairies), Unilever, EnCana, Travel Alberta, Mayo Clinic, LCBO, Western Canada Lotteries, and Forzani Group Ltd.
– Atomic Tea takes off
In 2007 the Dragons struck up a deal with the creators of Atomic Tea, the Bohrson siblings, and gained control of interest in the company. However, they have since expanded their current operations and opened a second location, so despite public criticism of the deal it worked out for everyone.
– W. Brett Wilson becomes a Dragon
When season 3 kicked off W. Brett Wilson joined the panel of Dragons. Wilson is founder of FirstEnergy Capital Corp and left the show after season 5 wrapped up. There has been a good deal of controversy surrounding his departure. He recently said to The Canadian Press, “For me, ‘Dragons’ Den’ isn’t living up to the potential of celebrating entrepreneurship. It’s raising the profile but we’re not really doing all that we could do and that’s really the lost opportunity. It also just came out that Wilson will be involved in the new TV show “Risky Business.”
– Eco Traction attracts clients
In season 4 two friends presented their answers to icy driveways and walkways to the Dragons: volcanic rock, which is safe to children as well as pets and is a more environmentally-friendly substitute to salt or sand. Only one of them bit, Brett Wilson, but the product is now sold in hundreds of stores across the country including The Home Depot and Canadian Tire.
