Dragons' Den launches ninth season on CBC-TV

Dragon's Den, Canada's top-rated entertainment show, is exploding back onto television tonight for its hotly-anticipated ninth season.

The season kicks off at 8 p.m. (8:30NT) on CBC-TV with two feisty new dragons in the den of multimillionaire investors.

• Catch sneak peeks of the new Dragon's Den season 

Celebrated chef and restaurant magnate, Vikram Vij, and the fiery Porsche-driving rock star of Canadian finance, Michael Wekerle, will do battle with long-time dragons Arlene Dickinson, Jim Treliving and David Chilton​ for the best business ideas in the country, while Canada's aspiring entrepreneurs vie for the their investment capital with their products and ideas.

• Dragons' Den banker Michael Wekerle buys BlackBerry real estate
• Michael Wekerle's Porsche 918 Spyder burns at Caledon gas station

Dickinson, the renowned entrepreneur, author, and the den's only female venture capitalist, joined Dragons' Den in season two.

At an exclusive launch event today in Toronto, Dickinson described the very different energies that Wekerle and Vij bring to the show.

"Michael has a craziness that is actually pretty impressive," said Dickinson, smiling.

• VIDEO | Michael Wekerle on stepping into the Dragons' Den
• VIDEO | Tour Michael Wekerle’s sensational Toronto home

"He's off in some land that we don`t know, and then he just nails it, he comes back to reality and he's got great ideas, he's investing a lot of money [and he's an] incredibly talented broker."

When it comes to Vij, who built a food empire from his Indian restaurant in Vancouver, Dickinson​ said she learned a lot from his different way of appraching business. "[Vij] comes from a very different background, from a cultural perspective as well as a business perspective," said Dickinson.

"He brings a new flavour to the den—all puns intended."

• VIDEO | Arlene Dickinson on picking a winning pitch

When it comes to picking a winning pitch, Dickinson says she's noticed a common thread among successful entrepreneurs. 

"There's this kind of magic recipe: knowing your market, being true to who you are, working really hard and having great ambition."

See ambition in action tonight in the Dragons' Den season premiere. If you miss an episode, you can watch full episodes online.