Food Network Star Welcomes Back ‘Dial of Doom’
Some of last season’s Food Network Star competitors were cooked by the “Dial of Doom”. What do Star mentors Bobby and Giada have dialed up for this year’s competitors? Tune in on Sunday to find out. Image courtesy of Food Network.
If you’re a Food Network Star-gazer, you won’t want to miss this Sunday’s Fourth of July Cookout (Season 11, Episode 4 for you DVR aficionados) as it hearkens the return of a challenge that’s become a fan favorite but strikes fear in the hearts of Star Finalists. That’s right, the Dial of Doom returns for a third straight year to separate the Star contenders from the pretenders.
For those that don’t know the history here, Food Network introduced the Dial of Doom three years ago, during Season 9, in a new challenge that required Star Finalists to present their culinary creations to a live-audience focus group. Dialsmith’s Perception Analyzer dials (aka the Dial the Doom) was used by live audience members to continuously ‘score’ the performances of the Finalists as they presented.
The focus group challenge gives Food Network fans another avenue to engage with, and weigh in on, the competition. The ability to collect continuous feedback, second-by-second, as focus group members view the performances of the competitors, adds a unique element to the competition. Feedback from the focus group is displayed in real-time as on-screen graphics and shows an aggregated approval rating for every second of each competitor’s performance.
The Perception Analyzer dials have the unique ability to capture continuous feedback each second as the competitors perform, capturing the instant, in-the-moment, impression from each focus group member. Additionally, the feedback from the dials show exactly where competitors peaked and where they bottomed out, setting the stage for engaging dialog between the competitors and the judges.
While the Perception Analyzer is used extensively in market and media research, it is no stranger to entertainment and news settings. The technology is a mainstay on CNN’s election and political coverage as well as being featured on CNBC, FOX News and reality shows such as The Apprentice.
Don’t forget to tune in this Sunday to see which of this season’s Star Finalists fall victim to the Dial of Doom.
