Fire by Nite

Originally, Fire By Nite was not filmed in front of a live studio audience. From the first episode, featuring Carman, in 1986, to episode #47, the end of FBN's fourth year, Fire by Nite segments were prerecorded in the Willie George Ministries television studio in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The show followed a Saturday Night Live-style variety format, and each episode opened in a similar fashion, with a cast member saying "Almost live on videotape, it's Fire By Nite." At first all musical guests performed their songs live, but FBN later began producing music videos for their guests.

A typical episode followed this pattern:

1. Introduction of Host and Show Theme
2. Introduction of Episode by Host
3. Skit 1
4. Performance by Guest Music Artist
5. "What's Hot?" with Ron Luce (until 1990)
6. Skit 2
7. Interview with Guest Music Artist or additional Guest
8. "Family First", a sitcom feature within the program
9. Message by Blaine Bartel

In the fall of 1990, producer and host Blaine Bartel implemented a major change in the show's format, giving the show an overall talk show look by filming from a new set that included a live band and studio audience. Churches that participated in the Fire by Nite video purchase club were invited to bring their youth groups to attend tapings of the show. In January 1991, the long running sitcom "Family First" ended its run. Several months later, in June '91, the new recurring story "Friends" premiered.

Occasionally FBN released two part series such as, "Sex: What Do You Pay to Play?", "Satanism Unmasked", and "The Evolution of the American Teenager". Each of the two part series featured a special set, no live band, and fewer skits. "Satanism Unmasked" purported to investigate the supernatural influence Satanism, witchcraft, and Dungeons & Dragons. "The Evolution of the American Teenager" was a docu-drama produced in the summer of 1992 that chronicled the changes in teenage culture from the 1950s to the then present, 1992. It also discussed the "counter-culture" of the Jesus Movement and how it changed the landscape of the contemporary Christian church.

Director/Editor, Eric J. Smith joined Fire By Nite in February 1992. Within three months, Smith and FBN writer Tony Leech were unsatisfied with what they saw as the antiquated Family First sitcom. Smith and Leech petitioned Bartel on what they considered a more sophisticated comedy concept for a new serial comedy they entitled, "God Save the Queen". Bartel, Smith and Leech led the crew to a new aesthetic, revamping the entire program. The old format was going to be retired after the "Evolution of the American Teenager" two-part series, after which the new format would be unveiled.

During the production of the premiere episode of "God Save the Queen", Executive Producer and Pastor Willie George and Bartel had a meeting about the new direction that FBN was taking. George thought it was straying from the direction he had originally envisioned for the show, and Bartel chose to quietly tender his resignation and pursue his ambition to become a lead pastor in Colorado Springs. Smith, Leech, and a few other key production staff members met with Pastor George to discuss the new direction. Tony Leech resigned, but Smith stayed on board to oversee the transition from Blaine Bartel to Eastman Curtis in the late summer of 1992. "God Save the Queen" was scrapped (never to be seen by Fire By Nite fans), and Eastman Curtis took over the lead role in yet another new concept. Smith resigned his position in March 1993. (Two years later, Smith returned to the staff of Willie George Ministries and was employed there for just over two years and continued to freelance for them until the late 1990s before moving back to his hometown). Willie George Ministries only produced three more episodes of Fire By Nite, after Smith left, before they ended production of the program.

It was well understood that before the prior incident, Executive Producer, Pastor Willie George, had kept a fairly laissez-faire approach to the Fire By Nite program, entrusting it to Producer and host Blaine Bartel. Under Bartel's leadership, the Fire by Nite subscription base had gone from 300 members when it started to more than 4,500 members at the time of his departure. Subscriptions dropped dramatically after the host and leadership changes and upheaval. After this incident, Pastor Willie George kept a close eye on this and every other production, including the very successful Oneighty program.

After Eastman Curtis took over hosting duties, parts of the show changed dramatically. The show was no longer filmed before a live audience, there was only one skit in addition to the main drama "The Halls of Highland", and all musical guest segments were music videos. Despite the format change, FBN continued to be a leader in its genre, and continued to be chosen for the "world premiere" of Christian music videos.

When production of Fire By Nite moved to Blaine Bartel's church in Colorado, the format of the show changed slightly again. Other than the new segment "The Adventures of Doug and Clarence", all other comedy sketches were recycled from previous episodes of the show. The program length was reduced from 60 minutes to 30 minutes, and followed this format:

1. Show intro/theme
2. "This Just In" (commentary on current events affecting young Christians) by Lee Wilson.
3. Music Video
4. Drama: "The Adventures of Doug & Clarence"
5. Message by Blaine Bartel

Blaine Bartel testified that during his time with Willie George Ministries, Church On The Move and Fire By Nite, he began an addiction to pornography by watching an adult movie in a hotel room in Pennsylvania. In 2006, years after he planted a church in Dallas, Texas, he confessed of an affair he had during that time and resigned as pastor of the church. He was restored and became a member of the staff at Gregory Dickow's Life Changers International Church in Chicago.[1] After trying to reconcile his 30-year marriage to his wife Cathy (who portrayed Connie Collins, Doug's sister, in the "Family First" serial), the couple would divorce that same year.[2] He has since sought counselling and has recovered from his addiction. In 2012, he returned to Tulsa where he began attending a new church and met his current wife Lori, who he said was "extremely important part in my recovery and journey back". He started his own church Resurrection Tulsa, but it did not last.[3] He has since started an online ministry to help men affected by porn addiction called ChoppingWood.org.[4][5] Bartel is also a Democrat and supported Joe Biden during the 2020 election and Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Bartel is pro-choice and supports the Black Lives Matter movement,

After Fire by Nite ended production in Tulsa in 1993, Curtis continued ministry in various ways. He also took his experience from hosting Fire by Nite to host a new teen-oriented Christian program This Generation.[6]