The Big Idea
Contents |
Host
Co-hosts
Product tester: Dick Strawbridge
Mentors: Craig Johnston, Lord Karan Bilimoria (of Cobra beer fame), Ruth Badger (The Apprentice Series 3 runner-up)
More Big Ideas: Di Stewart (Sky Three coverage)
Broadcast
Ricochet/Vodafone for Sky One/Three, 2006
Synopsis
It's as if Innovation Nation never happened! Sky One are on a mission to uncover the country's best new business idea, with the public voting for the winner who will be given £100,000 to invest in their concept. Regional heats in Manchester and London are held in the Dragons' Den stylee.
In each studio show, the three mentors each introduce two of the products they've backed from the regionals. Scrapheap Challenge's Dick Strawbridge is wheeled in on video tape with some rather quirky product testing.
The series was rather uneven, with Strawbridge's tests being rather fun but many of the pitches feeling like reheats from the Den. Also the studio set was nice but the lighting in the regional heats - recorded in a Novotel conference room with a couple of searchlights in the corner - bordered on shocking.
Despite the backing of Vodafone the series was something of a flop, with the rushed and shouty live final picking up only 24,000 viewers.
Winner
Julian Peck with the Cyclaire bicycle pump.
Inventor
Format by Grand Central.
