In hindsight, it seems a logical step. Take two successful BBC formats, The Apprentice and Dragons' Den, mix them together into a hybrid reality TV show, and what what you got? Tycoon (ITV 1, 9pm).
Self-made millionaire Peter Jones, who is one of the Dragons on the BBC 2 business-cum-car-crash-telly show, finds six would-be entrepreneurs and helps them start businesses. But whereas as Dragons Den ends where the money is handed over, Tycoon only really begins after that point.
The six entrepreneurs have to run their business from 'Tycoon Towers', and also live there. This programme would probably have been entertaining even if it just stopped there - a six-parter which sees follows the six in the quest to be the most successful.
But ITV doesn't do reality TV like that - so cue the mean streak. Each week, one firm gets binned off as Jones decides which one is the weakest. He can also liquidate any of the companies he gets fed up.
In one sense, it's the business format meeting Big Brother - but without the saturation coverage day in, day out. Good fun, non the less.
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John wrote...
It should be interesting to watch, though it does sound as though it's in danger of being a business big brother!
Posted by: John | June 19, 2007 4:43 PM