The Shark Tank Season 14 Premiere promises to be one of the most unforgettable episodes in the show’s history. The reason for that is it is being broadcast live in front of a studio audience! The season premiers on Friday, September 23 at 8 PM eastern time. ABC claims viewers will be able to vote live on whether or not the Sharks should invest. It ought to be a crazy night as there will be no editing and the Sharks and entrepreneurs will be “unfiltered.”
One thing strikes me as problematic. Usually, businesses pitch before the Sharks for about an hour to as much as two hours. The tape of the pitch is then edited down to an eight to eleven minute segment. Many entrepreneurs have told me that most of the time two or more Sharks are asking questions at the same time which creates some confusion. When edited, it appears as only one Shark is asking a question as they’re each individually “miked up.” Both the Sharks and the entrepreneurs pitching in the Tank will need to be very succinct for the show to have the same structure as viewers are used to.
Season 14 Premiere Stage Fright?
Some of the most memorable Shark Tank pitches feature entrepreneurs who stumble through their pitch. That’s when they’re taping in a studio setting. Will a live audience cause entrepreneurs to be affected by stage fright? And what about “colorful language?” There are many examples of the Sharks dropping “F-Bombs” or saying “bulls***” during segments. The actual words are bleeped out for the final edited product, but what if such language goes out live. The network censors will be very nervous on show night!
Audience voting of some kind will be a component of the Season 14 Premiere as well. In the ABC press release for this show, they state they “will allow home viewers to weigh in on whether the Sharks should take the plunge and make a deal.” What this will look like remains to be seen, but it should be interesting.
Who Are The Entrepreneurs?
Normally, before an episode is broadcast, I would create an “episode page” and a “business page” for each company appearing on an upcoming show. I get the names of the businesses from the ABC press release photos which are taken when a particular segment is taped. Since the show is live, there are no pre-show photos and I have no idea who is appearing. I will update everything after it airs, but it’s out of whack from my normal work flow.
Whatever happens, the Shark Tank season 14 premiere promises to be a lot of fun!
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.
I am not a fan of the live Shark Tank. The clapping is so annoying and don’t like the questions either.
Muting the clapping is the only way I am making it through this first show.
One of my favourite shows has now been ruined… what a shame.
If Shark Tank continues live, it’s the last time I watch. I’ve been a fan for years. It’s now a circus atmosphere.
The new format is incredibly chaotic. You’ve turned the tank into a game show and stripped the informative and interesting aspects of the show.
I just watched the Season 14 Premiere, and I didn’t like it. The live audience was a major distraction. Its presence made the Sharks try to entertain the audience members, when the most interesting aspect of the show has always been the eerie vibe of a council of business gods, where money talks and nonsense walks. The show tonight had the vibe of a show like The Price Is Right. It wasn’t conducive to strategizing about business and money. If they can’t change this format back to what it was, I’m out.
It was a one time deal.
Hey Rob,
Be safe from Ian! It looks like a monster,
Thanks. We’re good!