What Does It Take to Become an Art Dealer on the brand new The Big Deal

The opening episode of BBC Two's The Big Deal with Steph McGovern asks a fascinating question: what does it actually take to become a successful art dealer? Seven pairs of aspiring dealers are entering the world of contemporary art, where they must make decisions about which artists and artworks they believe have commercial potential.

Episode 1 quickly demonstrates that being an art dealer isn't simply about knowing whether you personally like a piece of art. The contestants need confidence, business sense and the ability to understand what buyers are looking for. They also need to take risks, because there is no guarantee that an artwork they believe in will actually sell.

As the series continues, viewers will also see Peter Staunton featured in Episode 2, adding another interesting personality to the developing competition. For now, Episode 1 has provided an intriguing introduction to a very different kind of business challenge