Shark Tank
Shark Tank is an American business reality television series that premiered on August 9, 2009, on ABC.[1] The show is the American franchise of the international format Dragons' Den, a Japanese TV series.[2] It shows entrepreneurs making business presentations to a panel of five venture capitalists (investors in start-ups) called "sharks" on the program, who decide whether to invest in their companies.
This article is about the American series. For the "Shark Tank" TV franchise, see Dragons' Den. For the Indian series, see Shark Tank India. For the arena in California, see SAP Center.Shark Tank
- Craig Spirko
- Ken Fuchs
- Alan Carter
Phil Crowley
United States
English
15
338 (list of episodes)
- Mark Burnett
- Clay Newbill
- Phil Gurin
42 minutes
- Mark Burnett Productions (2009–11)
- One Three Media (2012–14)
- United Artists Media Group (2014–15)
- MGM Television (2016–)
- Sony Pictures Television[a]
August 9, 2009 –
present
The series has been a ratings success in its time slot, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Structured Reality Program four times (2014–2017) in the first four years of that category's existence.[3]
Cast[edit]
Sharks[edit]
Two of the show's longstanding sharks, Robert Herjavec and Kevin O'Leary, are Canadian entrepreneurs who had previously appeared on the Canadian version of the series titled Dragons' Den. Since 2023, Herjavec also appears on Shark Tank Australia.
Timeline[edit]
Early seasons (2009–2013)[edit]
Shark Tank premiered in August 2009 and aired 14 episodes through January 2010. In August, it was renewed for a second season.
Season 2 premiered with a "sneak peek" episode on Sunday, March 20, 2011, before resuming its regular Friday night time slot on March 25, 2011. Season 2 had 9 episodes, 5 of them featuring new panel members. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy[20] and Mark Cuban replaced panel member Kevin Harrington in those episodes.[21] In season 2, Kevin O'Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Robert Herjavec appeared in all nine episodes; Harrington appeared in four, Cuban in three, and Foxworthy in two.[22]
Shark Tank's third season premiered in January 2012.[23][24] From the third season, Kevin Harrington was replaced by Mark Cuban, while the "queen of QVC" Lori Greiner replaced Barbara Corcoran on 4 episodes. Kevin O'Leary, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, and Mark Cuban appeared in all 15 episodes of season three. In February, ABC ordered two additional episodes for season 3 using unaired footage, which brought the season's episode total to 15.[25][26]
On May 10, 2012, Shark Tank was renewed for a fourth season consisting of 26 episodes.[27] This is the first time the series received a full season order.[28] Filming began on June 30, 2012. According to TV Guide, as of December 2012, the show's panel members had invested $12.4 million in the business opportunities presented to them during that season.[29]
In 2013, ABC renewed the show for a fifth season.[30] Season 5 premiered on September 20, 2013.[31] In October 2013, ABC ordered an additional two episodes for the season. In December 2013, ABC ordered another four episodes, bringing the season order to 29 episodes.[32][33] Steve Tisch and John Paul DeJoria were added as panel members.[34][35]
CNBC syndication (2013–2015)[edit]
In 2013, CNBC licensed exclusive off-network cable rights for the series from ABC.[36] In May 2014, ABC announced a sixth season starting in September 2014.[37] The series began its syndication run on CNBC on December 30, 2013.[38]
The seventh season of the show premiered on September 25, 2015.[39] Actor/investor Ashton Kutcher, music manager/CEO Troy Carter, and venture investor Chris Sacca all appeared as guest sharks.[40][41][42]
Spin-offs and specials[edit]
In 2015, ABC launched a companion series, Beyond the Tank, which shows the current state of companies that appeared on Shark Tank, including both those that made a deal and those that were rejected by investors.[66] Two seasons of Beyond the Tank have aired so far, one in 2015 and one in 2016.[67][68]
A prime time special titled Shark Tank: Greatest of All Time premiered on February 26, 2020.[69]
Reception[edit]
Critical reception[edit]
During its first season, Shark Tank saw a mostly positive reception. Josh Wolk of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "The moneymen ask informed questions and make shrewd decisions, a welcome relief from Donald Trump's capricious calls on Burnett's Celebrity Apprentice".[70] Heather Havrilesky from Salon said that "ABC's Shark Tank is easily the best new reality TV show to air this summer."[71] Tom Shales of The Washington Post wrote, "It sounds gimmicky and visually tedious, with most of the so-called action taking place in a conference room. It's all those things, but the moments of misery make it memorable."[6] Shales noted that the series was premiering during an economic recession, and that many of the aspiring entrepreneurs had poured significant amounts of money into their businesses; he praised "how deftly the show personalizes the desperation and pain experienced by victims of a broken down economy."[6] And David Hinckley of the New York Daily News said, "Once you get past its somewhat misleading title, Mark Burnett's new Shark Tank is a well-paced hour that offers entertainment without humiliation."[72]
Ratings[edit]
During the first two seasons, the series barely peaked at 5 million viewers, with season 2 only having 9 episodes in its run. By season 3, the show's viewership went past 5 million and started to crack the top 100 in the ratings. By 2012, the show averaged over 6 million viewers per episode. It is the most watched program on Friday nights in the 18- to 49-year-old demographic.[73] As a result, ABC added three more episodes to the original season order of 22. In its sixth season, the series reached over 9 million per episode, becoming its most successful season to date.
In popular culture[edit]
Shark Tank has been a part of several crossovers with other TV shows. Jimmy Kimmel has pitched on Shark Tank (pants for horses) as a comedy skit which aired on his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[138] Disney's Phineas and Ferb character, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, pitched his invention on the 2013 season finale in a cross-over episode.[139] On the Season 6 Episode "The Tank" of Grace and Frankie, Grace and Frankie pitch their Rise Up toilet invention to the Sharks.[140]
Saturday Night Live has parodied Shark Tank with Chris Rock pitching a parodied ISIS asking for support in going after "Western pigs and vile Jews",[141] prompting Daymond John to state that he found the skit "insensitive".[141]