Shark Tank

Shark Tank is a reality TV series featuring a panel of experts judging entrepreneurs' business pitches to decide if one of the "sharks" will invest in the startup. Before announcing whether they're in or out on a deal, the judges usually point out the flaws in an entrepreneur's business model, product, or business valuation. The main judges are Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, real estate magnate Barbara Corcoran, QVC queen Lori Greiner, tech entrepreneur Robert Herjavec, branding/fashion guru Daymond John, and venture capitalist Kevin "Mr. Wonderful" O'Leary. Guest judges have included NBA great Charles Barkley, Virgin founder Richard Branson, and actor/venture capitalist Ashton Kutcher. The business-themed show has won multiple Emmy Awards since its debut on ABC in 2009. It also helped jump-start popular interest in investing and entrepreneurship.

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• Cast: Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary
• Genre: Reality TV
• Original release: 2009
• Seasons: 14 and counting
• Network/Streaming: ABC, Hulu
• Awards: Multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Structured Reality Program
• Behind the scenes: The sharks hear up to eight pitches a day for 12 hours straight, but viewers see only about 10 minutes of each.
• Fun fact: Producers look at about 30,000 pitches per season; 150 make it into the tank for tapings, and only 88 pitches air on TV.
• Spinoffs: Beyond the Tank
• Series like this one: Dragons' Den, Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, The Profit

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Visit the Shark Tank page on ABC's website.

Read more about Shark Tank, including the cast, behind-the-scenes information, and new episodes: