The Big Idea Works: release date, premise, interview and everything we know

The Big Idea Works sees Dragons' Den star Sara Davies give ordinary people the chance to bring their inventions to life with the help of a crack team of engineers. Imagine a cross between Dragons’ Den and The Repair Shop and you won't be far off!

Filmed in a warehouse in North East England, each episode features people who have come up with a big idea for a new product but don’t know how to turn it into reality. That’s until the engineering experts get to work creating the prototypes.

"This show is very personal to me," says Sara. "My own business started from an invention. I had an idea for an envelope-making tool for crafters, but it would never have become a business without an engineer, which in my case was my dad. We thought there must be millions of people with ideas who never get to turn them into reality – and I love being able to help them with that!"

So here’s everything you need to know about The Big Idea Works on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer…

The Big Idea Works release date

The Big Ideas Works is a 16-episode series starting on BBC1 on Monday, February 3, 2025 at 2pm.

It will be shown at 2pm on Mondays to Thursdays for four weeks, while all the half-hour episodes will also be available on BBC iPlayer from February 3.

The Big Ideas Works premise

The Big Idea Works sees Dragons’ Den star and entrepreneur Sara Davies open up a one-stop ideas workshop in the North East for aspiring inventors to turn their ideas into working prototypes.

The series features ordinary people who think they’ve come up with an innovative idea for a new product but don’t know how to turn it into a reality. Sara and her team of highly skilled engineering experts meet the aspiring inventors and help turn their initial ideas into fully-functioning products.

Some of the clever inventions across the series include a bird feeder that stops the seeds from scattering everywhere, a shower aroma dispenser and heatie feeties, aka wellies that keep your feet warm!

Is there a trailer for The Big Idea Works?

Not yet, but as soon as one is released we will add it to this guide.

Interview: Sara Davies on her invention series The Big Idea Works

How would you describe The Big Idea Works?
Sara Davies says: "Loads of people say to me, I’ve had an idea for this or I’ve had an idea for that, and they never do anything with it. So we’ve got people with their inventions on this show as well as a team of the best engineers in the world to turn those inventions into reality. This is the first time I've done a show that’s my concept. So as much as I love Dragons’ Den, it’s the most exciting thing I've ever done on TV. It’s my baby!"

What sort of inventions do you have on the show?
"A real mix! In the first episode, we meet a woman who has invented a bird feeder that prevents the seeds from falling onto the lawn or patio. I’m sure loads of people watching will go, I need one of those! But not all the inventions are commercially viable. Later in the series we have a mum who has come up with an idea for a pushchair that sort of levitates up the stairs without waking her baby. Unfortunately, our engineers could only make one costing £6,500 and nobody’s going to pay that, even though it’s a fantastic idea!"

It sounds like the engineers have their work cut out…
"They do, but they’re the best in the world! And they’re not just brilliant engineers – they also really explain everything in simple terms for regular people like me! You get to learn a lot about engineering in this show but in a fascinating, bite-size way."

Has the series helped anyone get their invention to the production stage?
"Yes! In the green room during filming, I was constantly going, this is the patent attorney I use, go and get this made because I'd love to see this come to market. A lot of them have gone past the prototype into the production stage now, and a few have actually launched the products, including one brilliant woman who invented a bed partition that acts as a barrier against snorers!"

Were there any ideas that would encourage you to invest if they turned up on Dragons’ Den?
"Oh, absolutely. A few were very commercially feasible. And it would be a really lovely full circle for me if in a couple of series time, I saw one of my inventors come through the lift doors on Dragons’ Den having turned the invention I helped them with into an actual business!"

What would you say to people who have a big idea and don’t know where to go next?
"Apply to come on series two! My big aspiration is that when people watch this show, they’ll go, this is brilliant, I hope they make more! To get contributors for this series I went on BBC1’s Morning Live to talk about it and we had 700 ideas submitted in 48 hours. But I have a feeling we’re going to be inundated if there’s a series two!"