The Best Of Shark Tank Season 3

What ever Mark Burnett needed to do in order to improve Shark Tank, he did it. The tweaks, the additions, the continuation of previous successes, and just about everything else really flowed throughout the third season of the show. So much so that not only was the show renewed for a fourth season, but they were renewed for a complete season, which will feature twenty-two episodes.

While the fourth season will not pop up until the fall, now would be a good time to look back on the fascinating things that the third season brought us...

Mark Cuban's Full Season Extension- In the second season of Shark Tank, the show experimented with having guest sharks Jeff Foxworthy and Mark Cuban on the show to sit in for Kevin Harrington a few times. While Jeff Foxworthy didn't prove to be memorable like he was on his redneck-themed shows and as host of Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?, Mark Cuban warmed up pretty quick and showed his aggression and ability to close deals with the entrepreneurs. While Kevin Harrington closed memorable deals such as that of CityKitty, a toilet training product for cats, he wasn't memorable or aggressive, and was removed from the panel. He had an appearance during the CityKitty update.

On this season, Mark was able to close several deals and continued to show that he was a very aggressive shark. He brought back the use of the twenty-four second clock, in which entrepreneurs are given twenty-four seconds to decide as to whether or not they would take his deal or the deal was off. He also matched a hypothetical offer to a person who taught people how to be a good sales rep if he took it right then and there, but dropped it when he gave another shark the opportunity to make an offer. Mark also showed that he could have fun by participating when need be, like most of the others had.

Lori Greiner- For four episodes this season, Lori Greiner of QVC sat in for Barbara Corcoran. During her appearances, she made several offers that included a towel-like poncho that goes over a kid while they change out of their wet bathing suit and a magnet that you can wear on your shirt that your glasses attach in to prevent from losing them. Lori showed that she was calm, slick, and highly intelligent when making offers and engaging in deals with the entrepreneurs. Next season, she should get a contract extension. Barbara shouldn't be taken off the show altogether, as she began to warm up later in the season, but Lori should get more time on the show. She showed that she is extremely worthy to the show.

I Want To Draw A Cat For You- The most memorable pitch from the entire show has to be from a guy who drew cats. Steve Gadlin was looking for $10,000 in exchange for 25% of his company in which he drew cats for different situations. These could include birthdays, special occasions, and anything and everything in between. For $9.95, Steve would draw a cat for what ever the occasion was, and it could simply fit the preference of the individual. For instance, Kevin O'Leary's cat was bathing in money and Mark Cuban's was a Dallas Mavericks champion photo. Another memorable part of the pitch was Steve's dancing and rap to present the product. He closed an offer with Mark Cuban, who gave him $25,000 in exchange for 33% of the company. Plus Mark was asked to draw one cat for every one thousand cats Steve drew. The two danced together after the confirmation of the deal.

Robert Gets Emotional- In the second episode of the show, Donny McCall came on the show with an Invis-A-Rack, which could carry large products on the back of a pickup truck. The key issue was the fact that Donny did not want to go overseas in order to manufacture the product. He wanted to instead stay in America. The sharks were uneasy about such a notion, but it hit Robert Herjavec the hardest. It reminded him of his father, who was a Croatian immigrant, and his days as a factory worker. Choking up, he mentioned how his father was picked on, but worked his way up to be highly successful. Having just died the year before, Robert mentioned how his father's fondest memories were not reaching the top, but instead when he was working in the factory. Donny McCall would leave the tank without a deal.

The Last Lid- Kevin and Melissa Kiernan, a New Jersey couple, came onto the show hoping to get an offer on their product. This product, The Last Lid, would a cloth, sack like product, that goes over the garbage can in order to prevent garbage from flowing out. It stays on and doesn't fall off like other lids when knocked over. Most of the other sharks felt it was an awful product and felt it was highly ridiculous. Kevin and Melissa, loudly expressing why this was the wrong projection, kept on fighting until just Daymond John remained. Thinking that $40,000 for 20% was asking too much, he get them one chance to give him a number that was worth investing in. When they offered $40,000 for 60%, a deal was made. The New Jersey stereotypes was fed to, but this was still an interesting pitch.

Sullivan Generator- The Sullivan Generator was the most fascinating product this season, and fascinating as in a strange, bizarre, but interesting invention. I couldn't stop laughing, whether it be Mark Sullivan's deadpan demeanor, his enormous offer, or simply the fact that his product can create electricity from salt water and gold from the waste. While it could turn into something, it was too extreme for the sharks to invest in and they all went out. The fact that such a product made the show really brings attention to the possibilities that lie in our future. It was genius, but also hilarious.

Billy Blanks Jr. Dance With Me- Billy Blanks Jr. is the son of Billy Blanks, creator of Tae Bo (which combines karate and kickboxing). Billy Jr.'s product is a program that combines exercising and dancing, and the dancing could range from hip-hop to disco and anything and everything in between. The program is also on the retail market in the form of video programs. The only offer that is made comes from Daymond and Mark, who offer $100,000 for 50% of the company, plus be approved by Zumba, which Daymond is close to. Billy Jr. feels uneasy about this deal, because he doesn't want to convert to being an offshoot of Zumba. Instead, he wants to be his own franchise that does all forms of dance and not just Latin. Not understanding that Zumba is simply a pipeline to his own success, Billy Jr. turns down the offer. Daymond, however, feels he didn't understand what they were trying to tell him and follows him out of the tank. Daymond explains that he's not trying to make him an offshoot of Zumba, and that Zumba is only going to help him promote the product, gain an audience, and he'll gain the recognition he needs. Billy Blanks Jr. accepts the offer. Billy Jr.'s appearance showed a good product and the emotion that strives behind it, and also a different dimension that the sharks have to give which was demonstrated by Daymond making that final push to get that offer.

UniKey Technologies- The most fascinating product I saw during the entire season of the show was for UniKey Technologies. This is a product that allows you to lock and unlock your door completely through your cellphone. On top of that, you can monitor who has access and when. This product got everyone's attention and every shark gave an offer of some kind. Robert, who's peak in business came through Internet security, offered $1,000,000 for 75% of the company, which was the largest offer during the entire season. Since he wanted grasp of the company, Phil Dumas, the creator, took a deal with Mark and Kevin for $500,000 (which he originally offered) for 40% (which was just 7% more than his original offer). The sharks stressed that the one thing Phil must do is that Black & Decker is in on this product as well. The fact that keys are being controlled in such a way really shows us how we are progressing as a society and how we're doing so in such a quick period of time. It is also just the second offer Kevin O'Leary got into the entire season (the other being Talbott Teas). Still, he is the key shark on the show.

While season three of Shark Tank has come to an end, it was indeed a highly memorable season, probably the most memorable. Now we simply have season four to look forward to. Things I ask myself are: Which sharks will participate? What kind of entrepreneurs will walk into the tank? What kind of offers will be made? Those kinds of things. The answer is simple: We'll just have to wait and see. Since the show has proven its worth on the Friday evening time slot, it is indeed worthy of the twenty-two episode season it's getting. It'll sure be an exciting one.