Shark Tank has been on air since 2009. In that time, it has gained a massive following. It is a kind of American Idol for entrepreneurs. The panel consists of venture capitalists who negotiate with aspiring entrepreneurs to fund their ideas and small businesses.
With all the excitement, tension, and drama that this creates, it is difficult to choose a single best season. It is better to review some of the best seasons and make a guess at the top one among them. Here we go!
1. Season 7
This season went live on September 25th, 2015. It contains 29 episodes featuring Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, and Kevin O’Leary. O’Leary, considered the fiercest investor takes the middle chair.
This season has a number of great episodes such as The Beebo, Shefit, and Rent Like a Champion. The season is not short of surprises. Film star Ashton Kutcher makes an appearance as one of the sharks and late night show host Jimmy Kimmel makes a pitch.
During the course of the season, the entrepreneurs received over $25 million in investment offers.
2. Season 3
This season went live on air in January of 2012. The season contains 29 episodes and features the usual panel of sharks. Some of the best episodes of the season include The Clean Bottle, Show No, and Cougar Energy.
Venture capitalist Lori Greiner makes her first appearance as a shark in this season.
Fans were especially taken by The Clean Bottle. It is a water bottle that can be unscrewed from the bottom and top ends, which makes it easy to clean. Dave Mayer is the inventor.
Lacking marketing money, he got someone to dress up in Clean Bottle outfit and jog along the side of the road during a Tour de France race. He managed to take in $750,000 as a result. Dave’s determination and inventiveness impressed Mark Cuban who offered him $60,000 for an 8% stake in the company.
3. Season 4
This season went live in September of 2012. It consists of 26 episodes, and it features Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, and Lory Greiner as the main sharks. Three Day Rule, Coat Check, and Cousins Maine Lobster are among the most memorable episodes.
In this particular episode, Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane tries to help his friend and horseback-riding instructor Bruce Gaither sell a new kind of fly trap known as The No Fly Cone.
Gaither brings his dog Biscuit to the show to demonstrate the efficacy of the product. He puts the flytrap over a dog poop case. Insects fly towards it and get caught inside the cone. Though the product appears to work, the sharks do not bite.
4. Season 6
This season premiered in September of 2014. It has 29 episodes and features Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, and Lory Greiner as the main sharks. Some of the more unforgettable episodes include Magic Cook, Kitchen Safe, Bottle Bright, Sleeping Baby, and Fresh Patch.
This season also includes fan favorite The Natural Grip. The latter is an organization owned by a couple in Kentucky. They came up with a fitness product that is meant to change the hand protection realm. Their product provides a comfortable way for people who work out to protect their hands. All the sharks thought the invention clever.
This season also stands out owing to an appearance by Jimmy Kimmel and the effort by Michelle Obama to promote a small business.
5. Season 5
This season went live in September 2013. It contains about 29 episodes, and it features Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, and Lory Greiner as the main sharks.
Postcard on the Run, Moberi, and Sunday Slow Jams are some of the best episodes of the season. Velocity Signs is another great episode in this season. Entrepreneurs Josh Faherty and Scott Adams invented it with the intention of helping small businesses prosper.
6. Season 1
The first season of Shark Tank went live in August 2009. It contains 14 episodes, and it features Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary, and Kevin Harrington as the main sharks. Pilot, Send a Ball, and Grill Chrams are among the best episodes.
The Push-up Machine was among the best pitches. Cactus Jack from Iowa presented what he called the Body Jac machine to the panel. It contains a series of bands that make doing push ups easier. Cactus claimed that he sold more than 10 million products and that he was a millionaire by the age of 32 and broke again by the age of 38. He then started over.
Kevin Harrington is impressed. He offers Cactus $90,000 for a 50% stake in the company. Barbara offers another $90,000 on condition that Cactus loses 30lbs by using the machine. The entrepreneur accepts both offers.
7. Season 2
This season went on air in March 2011. It contains 9 episodes, and it features Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond, Kevin O’Leary, and Kevin Harrington as the main sharks. Origuadio, Ride on, and Citikitty are among the best episodes.
Toygaroo is a fan favorite in this season. Entrepreneur Nikki Pope pitches Toygaroo as a website that lists more than 300 different types of toys. Parents can order toys for their kids through it.
Once the kids have gotten bored with the toys (as all kids do), they can send them back to Toygaroo for another batch. Nikki goes on to explain that they sanitize the toys before shipping them out again. There is a monthly membership fee of $35.
The panel is impressed. Kevin O’Leary offers $100,000 for a 35% stake. Mark Cuban and Robert Herjavec offer $100,000 each for a 40% stake. Nikki goes with Kevin’s offer since he as experience working with toys. However, Kevin convinces Mark to partner for half the amount. He agrees and the deal is done.
This is the first season in which Mark Cuban appears as a shark.
8. Season 9
This season went live in 2017. It has about 24 episodes, and it features Barbara Corcoran, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, and Lory Greiner as the main sharks. Resuable tape inventions, all-natural super beverage, and a life jacket invention were among the best episodes in the season.
Thrive, a product that is meant to reduce the effects of alcohol in a safe way, was also a fan favorite. There was also Bermies, which is a swimwear brand that combines adventure and style.
The Best of the Best
These were all truly wonderful seasons. But if I had to choose just one, I would have to go with season 2.
