His actual argument, encouraging investors nicely versus slamming them, brings up interesting idea. Slamming entrepreneurs in an unkind fashion can make for really good television. Encouraging and educating can also make for really good television, but a very different sort of television. Very different, at least I tend to think of them as very different. One is more high-minded and one is more interested in fireworks. While they both can be good television, the goal of each show, it seems to me different.
Is the goal teaching others out there about running a business? Is the goal to teach the entrepreneurs coming to the dragons about running a business? Is the goal solely to entertain the masses?
Dragons' Den seems to be trying to do all three of these things and more. Maybe that's why I find it so interesting, maybe that's why I like it so much. Of course, that might also be why they feel like they need their voiceover announcer to be overly talkative. We might be hearing from him so much so that we can stay on the multiple tracks the show is running down. If that's the case it's nice of Dragons' Den to do that for us, but I think wholly unnecessary.
And, let's face it, they only have an hour (minus commercials) to do all those things, which makes it increasingly likely that they'll do none of them.
Article comments
1 - Esmer
I totally agree. Dragons' Den has too much commentary. The other thing that annoys me is the edited in silences! So they cut out all the interesting pitching and negotiating, leaving just the bare presentation; then they get the presenter to make sure everyone's following what is already boringly simple, and then fill the rest of the show up with obviously faked silent suspense moments!!
*presentation*
--- EDITED IN SILENCE ---
oooooohhh
Presenter: "One of the dragons is about to ask for a revenue forecast for the next year!"
Dragon: "What's your revenue for the next year?"
Contestant: "Err, 4 thousand, erm... 5.."
--- EDITED IN SILENCE ---
Presenter: "They haven't got their revenue forecast worked out, that doesn't look promising"
--- EDITED IN SILENCE ---
Presenter: "The dragons are not pleased"
Dragon: "I'm not pleased with your figures, i'm out"
Presenter: "One of the dragons has pulled out!"
--- EDITED IN SILENCE ---