Recap: We have not fallen. We are capable of standing.

I love that picture.

It's a still from this advertisement, for a product called Life Call (not "Life Alert," though there is an item by that name which has produced similar ads), seen in the Classic Commercial Quiz at tonight's Big Quiz Thing. And it prompted the crowd did a nice chant-along to "I've fallen…and I can't get up!" It's that kind of magical moment that makes the Big Quiz Thing so special.

And special it was, the first BQT of 2011, in a new venue, Drom. The place was great—a touch small, but warm and beautiful, and we'll be back on January 31 and hopefully beyond. (But please, drink and eat! We need to really make it worth their while.) Tonight we also debuted a slightly new format, with EDP in the DJ booth and the fantastic Claudia Cogan sidekicking (star of 50 First Jokes, this Wednesday at 92YTribeca), and we're still finding our swing. Plus we instituted the new prize regime, with $300 in cash, including $25 for tenth place. It is so not always about winning…

But it was a fine show nonetheless, thanks to you, an excellent crowd. We tested your geographic skills (yes, you can make it from Michigan to Iowa simply by passing through Wisconsin), your math acumen (545—the difference in hours between the titles of Danny Boyle's two temporally titled movies), and your knowledge of the social lives of our politicians (this is the first time ever that both the mayor of NYC and the governor of NYS are divorced). Though I totally underestimated how easily you smart, smart people would puzzle out the antonym for "patriot" that you get when you replace the "p" with a different consonant and mix up the letters. Bra-vo.

Weird coincidences abounded tonight: A question about Pee-wee Herman, with a team containing people who actually worked on Pee-wee's Broadway show; a query concerning Adam Smith, on the very night former BQT regulars Adam Smith's Invisible Handjob made their return. I'm in tune with the stars.

And of course, the Three-Way Finale. Gerard Depardouche vs. Jefferson Davis Starship vs. Birds of Ill Omen (first time in the finale), on the topic of people who died in 2010. Steven of the Douche opened strong, knowing which dead-in-'10 person was once played in a movie by Tom Hanks…
…then Anthony of JDS scored with the name of Gary Coleman's Diff'rent Strokes castmate who also died last year…

…but Anthony followed up with victory, naming the movie that Joely Fisher (daughter of Eddie, who died last year) saw when she was ten, and made her realize she had a sister:
And thus, your winners.
The standings:

1. Jefferson Davis Starship
2. Gerard Depardouche
3. Birds of Ill Omen
4. The Fantastic Fournicators
5. Strippers for Stephen Hawking/Sugah Titz (tie)
7. Cash Cab 4 Cutie
8. Oh Noah You Didn't 2011
9. Fat Kids Put the XXX in XXXL
10. Incontinental Drifters ($25!)

In two weeks, we're back at (Le) Poisson Rouge, at a special time: 7pm. Then, on January 31, it's more fun at Drom. Beyond that, we'll let you know when we know, you know?