Television series

Shark Tank

Name: Shark Tank
Released: 2015
Cast: Sarah Harris, Naomi Simson, Steve Baxter, Andrew Banks, Janine Allis

Other titles called Shark Tank: the 2009 series (ABC).

Drama
Light-hearted
Dip in and out

Shark Tank is Australia's adaptation of the global investment format where entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to a panel of wealthy investors. It's compulsively watchable: high-stakes negotiations, gut-punch rejections, and moments where someone's life savings hang on convincing a millionaire their idea matters. For people who love watching ordinary people take enormous risks, or who simply enjoy seeing ideas torn apart and rebuilt.

TVMaze rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy watching nervous strangers pitch their ideas and get grilled by people who built their own fortunes, and you like guessing which deal will close before the verdict lands.

Skip it if you find business talk tedious or want a story with a through-line, since each episode is a fresh cluster of unrelated pitches with a predictable format.

What it asks of you: Each episode runs close to an hour, and with six seasons already made, it rewards dipping in and out rather than sustained attention.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Dragons' Den2005

The British original that spawned the global format. Sharper editing, more visceral negotiations, and Dragons who ask harder questions. If you've loved Shark Tank, this is where the template was perfected.

But Slightly dated production values, and the British pace is slower—fewer pitches per episode means you're investing more in each founder's journey.

The Apprentice2005

Same dopamine hit: watch ordinary people compete for investment and mentorship from someone wealthy and famous. But here they're working through tasks instead of pitching. Sharp editing, clear stakes, and surprisingly emotional payoffs.

But Donald Trump's presence and catchphrase-heavy hosting style will grate if you're not already charmed by it.

American Greed2007

True stories of people who built empires and crashed spectacularly. Real consequences, real money, real lives destroyed. If you love seeing ambition tested, this shows what happens when it's tested by reality.

But Darker tone—these aren't feel-good pitches, they're cautionary tales. Some episodes are genuinely bleak.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Shark Tank

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Screwball2019

Both shows are about persuasion and the gap between a pitch and reality. Shark Tank asks 'Is this idea worth investing in?' Screwball asks 'What if the person pitching you is a liar?' Same mechanism, opposite moral poles.

A documentary about the rise and fall of a pharmaceutical fraudster who pitched investors with charisma instead of ethics. Hypnotic, infuriating, and shows what happens when a Shark gets conned. Darkly funny and deeply unsettling.

But Real people get hurt—the victims of the fraud are interviewed. It's not entertaining schadenfreude, it's watching a con artist win until he doesn't.

The Profit2013

Australian business reality that follows entrepreneurs through a full year of building their companies. Deeper than a pitch show—you see the grinding, unglamorous work that comes after the Shark's cheque clears.

But Slower burn, less confrontational. If you watch Shark Tank for the fireworks, this is quieter than you might want.

StartUp2016

Follows real entrepreneurs building cryptocurrency startups in a reality format. Young, chaotic energy, and the stakes feel genuinely dangerous because the space was so new. Absolute chaos disguised as business television.

But The subject matter (crypto, 2016) dates badly, and the production quality is uneven. Also, half the people in it turn out to be ethical disasters.

Dancing with the Stars2005

Completely different format, but same energy: watch ordinary and famous people attempt something hard in front of judges. The vulnerability and the grind are real, even if the stakes are lower.

But You have to care about celebrity gossip, and the judging is deeply subjective in ways that frustrate people who want measurable outcomes.

Made in Chelsea2011

Both shows are built on the tension between people with different amounts of power in a negotiation. Shark Tank: entrepreneur vs. investor. Made in Chelsea: everyone vs. everyone, all the time.

A reality series following wealthy people in London negotiating money, power, and social status. Not about business—it's about privilege, hierarchy, and people fighting to climb structures that are already rigged. Trashy but oddly addictive sociology.

But It's essentially watching rich people have petty drama. If you're looking for business lessons, you'll find only self-sabotage and inherited money.