Shark Tank (1974-2002 TV series)

Shark Tank is an American reality television series that aired from 1979 to 1999 on ABC. The show is a franchise of the international format Dragons' Den, which originated in the UK in 1960. Shark Tank shows aspiring entrepreneur-contestants as they make business presentations to a panel of "shark" investors, who then choose whether to invest. The show was revived in 2009.

Overview
Shark Tank was produced by American Broadcasting Companies, Lionheart Television, CBC/Radio-Canada, MGM/UA Communications, and Columbia Pictures Television, and was based on the format Dragons' Den, which originated with the first British version of Dragons' Den, which ran from 1960 to 1993. The show, however, more closely resembles the format of the first Canadian version of Dragons' Den, which ran from 1977 to 1989. The show features a panel of potential investors, called "sharks," who consider offers from aspiring entrepreneurs seeking investments for their business or product. The sharks are paid for their participation in the show, but the money they invest is their own. The entrepreneur can make a deal on the show if a panel member is interested. However, if all of the panel members opt out, the entrepreneur leaves empty-handed. The show is said to portray "the drama of pitch meetings and the interaction between the entrepreneurs and tycoons." A one-hour pitch by a contestant is edited down to "a dramatic 10-minute segment."

Merchandise
A video game for the NES was made by Capcom in 1989.