From the Network's Point of View: Bob Tuschman on Searching for Stardom

Hear from Food Network executive Bob Tuschman as he chats about his role on the Selection Committee and dishes on how the series has evolved since its earliest days.
Bob Tuschman

The Network's Bob Tuschman at the Star Challenge "Impressing the Network and FN Fans" as seen on Food Network Star, Season 9.

Photo by: Eddy Chen ©2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Eddy Chen, 2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved

Much like Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis, Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson are no strangers to the inner workings of Food Network Star. These Food Network executives know well what to look for as they discern glimmers of Star power among the hopefuls, and each year it's up to them to sit with the mentors on the Selection Committee and represent the network as it recruits its newest personality. Just in time for next weekend's Season 11 premiere, on Sunday, June 7 at 9|8c, Star Talk chatted with both Bob and Susie to learn more about what their roles at Food Network look like beyond the Selection Committee and get their takes on what skills contestants ought to have before beginning this ultimate job interview.

Read on below to get the dish from Bob and hear how the series has evolved since its earliest days, then click here to read an exclusive interview with Susie.

Beyond Food Network Star, what does your day-to-day job with the network look like?

Bob Tuschman: I'm the general manager of the network, and my main responsibility is overseeing the development, production and scheduling of all of our programming. I have an incredibly talented team of about 25 people who come up with ideas for shows, work with production companies and oversee every aspect of show production for Food Network to make sure that every show we do is up to the promise that we'll want to give our viewers. I also have another team that works strategically to schedule those shows in a way that ensures the most viewers can see the kind of programs they want to see when they want to see them. I'm lucky to say that I really get to be the conductor of an extremely talented orchestra that's ultimately responsible for creating everything that you see on our air.

How do you see your and Susie's role on the Selection Committee, and what's your favorite part of the job?

BT: There's so much I love about this part of my job; it's one of the most-exciting and most-fun things I do all year. Part of the fun is watching Bobby and Giada, who are such seasoned pros and know so much about what it takes to be a Food Network Star because they live it every day. To watch them mentor and develop these finalists ... it's something only they can do. I can give advice from an executive standpoint, but I haven't lived this, but Bobby and Giada have, so I love watching them at work. That really is exciting to me. And what I love most about my job in general is nurturing talent, and that happens on both sides of the camera. I get to nurture people who are creating the shows for us, and I get to nurture shows from when they're little germs of ideas until they are developed into full-blown series on our air. And I also get to develop talent that I see a spark of promise in; I get to fan those flames until they turn into a bright star for us. On Food Network Star, I get to do it in a very concentrated way, in an 11-week period.

Camera chops and the ability to hook an audience are, of course, essential requirements for a future Star. But what other skills should the finalists have in order to succeed?

BT: Probably the most-important thing they need is something that you can't learn, which is a spark of stardom; it's something that we screen for when we're doing casting for the show. It's so hard to define what it is, but it's the person who, when he or she walks into a room, is someone you can't take your eyes off of. There's something about the energy that comes through their eyes and their face, their passion and their excitement; it just excites you to watch them. That's something that they're born with, but they also need to be incredibly verbal, because a lot of what we do is describe food, since you can't taste food as you're watching television — they need to be able to bring food to life. They have to have authority, an expertise in food, whether they've been trained formally at culinary school or they've learned that knowledge on their own. They have to be commanding to our viewers who know an awful lot about food. And lastly, they have to be able to interact well with others because so much of what we do is with others; food is such a social, celebratory medium that almost every one of our programs involves the Star being surrounded by a lot of other people they have to interact with and help bring to life.

Comparing this year's competition to the first one, how do you think the series has evolved over 11 seasons?

BT: When we first started the season, the first season was almost experimental. We did it in our Studio B, which is about the size of your closet at home. It was with Gordon Elliot, who was both an on-camera personality and a behind-the-scenes producer for us, Susie Fogelson and myself; this was before Bobby or Giada got involved with the show. It was done in such a small way; I'm not sure we ever left that studio. The challenges were most cooking challenges. I think now it looks very quaint and tiny compared to the huge production we have now for Food Network Star. Now there are hundreds of members of production, we shoot throughout California, and the finalists are out in the field and doing huge challenges for big audiences. It's so exciting now, and it tests them in a more creative and interesting way than we used to be able to.

Get set for the season premiere of Food Network Star on Sunday, June 7 at 9|8c.

Next Up

Chatting With Food Network Star's Bob Tuschman

Read an exclusive interview with Food Network's Bob Tuschman to find out more about his job and learn his thoughts on the new season of Food Network Star.

From the Network's Point of View: Susie Fogelson on 11 Seasons of Star Power and Culinary POVs

Susie Fogelson dishes on working on the Selection Committee with Bob, and she shares her take on the all-important culinary POV for finalists.

Jury Duty: Q&A With Bob Tuschman

In the July/August issue of Food Network Magazine, television exec and Food Network Star judge Bob Tuschman answers viewers' most-asked questions about life as a cooking show judge.

WATCH: What Were the Judges Thinking? The Network Speaks Out

Hear from Food Network's Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson in an exclusive video as they dish on their first reactions to this year's finalists.

Caption It: The Brink of Stardom

We're challenging you, Food Network Star fans, to write your best captions for this moment.

The Early Days of Stardom — Bobby Flay

Learn about one of Food Network Star judge-mentor Bobby Flay's first show on Food Network, Iron Chef America.

WATCH: Comeback Kitchen Finalists' Early Days of Stardom

Relive the Comeback Kitchen finalists' first attempts at Stardom in seasons past.

The Early Days of Stardom — Giada De Laurentiis

Learn about Food Network Star judge-mentor Giada De Laurentiis' first show on Food Network, Everyday Italian.

Bob and Susie Are Listening!

In the comments, let Bob and Susie know what you think about who went home, who's still in and how the mentors are doing in their first season on the job.