Let’s face it, if you’re a fan of Shark Tank like me, you probably thought Shark Tank Live sucked. I do too. While I understand the novelty of it, it came off like an episode of The Price is Right. I half expected Rod Roddy to be the announcer. Now I like The Price is Right. I used to love watching it when I was home from school sick when I was little. I love Shark Tank too, as evidenced by the existence of this blog. Even so, I still thought Shark Tank Live sucked. It wasn’t true to its format.
When companies usually appear on the show, they’re in front of the Sharks for an hour or so. The producers then edit the segment to fit into an approximately 10 minute segment. It’s edited to create a narrative of the pitch. Many of the same questions get asked of every entrepreneur: what are sales, customer acquisition costs, cost to make the product etc. This rarely happens in an orchestrated manner – it’s edited to look that way.
The REAL REASON Shark Tank Live Sucked
Here’s what happened. The producers picked three savvy entrepreneurs who wouldn’t buckle under the pressure of a live audience. For example, Jeff Grace from KENT used to be a stand up comic. Each entrepreneur had a taped introduction segment, then they went into their pitch. The pitches, other than some crowd reactions, went very much like a standard, “regular” pitch. That’s impossible in a live broadcast. That’s where my theory comes in.
I would bet my house on this theory. Before the live broadcast, each of the three entrepreneurs did a “standard” pitch. The producers then edited it and they created a script from the edit. The entrepreneurs rehearsed their script, as did the Sharks. I’m willing to bet they did many live rehearsals too. This goes against the spontaneity of the show. Even with an edited segment, viewers see real reactions from both the entrepreneurs and the Sharks. The tears are real, the train wrecks are real – they’re just edited for continuity.
The Sharks also don’t know anything about the entrepreneurs before they walk through the doors. In Shark Tank Live, they did. The questions for the viewers were obviously made up and set up before the show too. The only moment I liked was when Kevin got the crowd yelling “ROYALTY! ROYALTY!” Then he sat down and offered a royalty “because the audience demands it.” It was still contrived and rehearsed, but it made me laugh. Other than that, Shark Tank Live sucked.
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
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