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{{short description|Form of television program}}
{{short description|Form of television program}}
In [[episode|episodic]] [[television]], a '''bottle episode''' or '''bottle show''' is an episode produced cheaply and restricted in scope to use as few regular cast members, effects and sets as possible. Bottle episodes are usually shot on sets built for other episodes, frequently the main interior sets for a series, and consist largely of dialogue and scenes for which no special preparations are needed. They are commonly used when one script has fallen through and another has to be written at short notice, or because of budgetary constraints.<ref name="10Great">{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/10-great-tv-bottle-episodes/ |title=10 great TV Bottle Episodes |date=2012-11-21|access-date=2022-05-10}}</ref> Bottle episodes have also been used for dramatic effect, with the limited setting and cast allowing for a slower pace and deeper exploration of character traits and motives.
In [[episode|episodic]] [[television]], a '''bottle episode''' or '''bottle show''' is an episode produced cheaply and restricted in scope to use as few regular cast members, effects and sets as possible. Bottle episodes are usually shot on sets built for other episodes, frequently the main interior sets for a series, and consist largely of dialogue and scenes for which no special preparations are needed. They are commonly used when one script has fallen through and another has to be written at short notice, or because of budgetary constraints.<ref name="10Great">{{cite web |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/10-great-tv-bottle-episodes/ |title=10 great TV Bottle Episodes |date=2012-11-21 |access-date=2022-05-10 |archive-date=2022-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510041845/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/10-great-tv-bottle-episodes/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Bottle episodes have also been used for dramatic effect, with the limited setting and cast allowing for a slower pace and deeper exploration of character traits and motives.


==Use==
==Use==
The term “'''bottle show'''” was coined by [[Leslie Stevens]], creator and executive producer of 1960s TV series ''[[The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]'', for an episode made in very little time at very little cost, "as in pulling an episode right out of a bottle like a genie". The earliest known use of the term "'''bottle ''episode'''''" dates from 2003.<ref name="merriam-webster">{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle+episode |title=Definition of BOTTLE EPISODE |website=Merriam-Webster |access-date=2019-04-23}}</ref>
The term “'''bottle show'''” was coined by [[Leslie Stevens]], creator and executive producer of 1960s TV series ''[[The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]'', for an episode made in very little time at very little cost, "as in pulling an episode right out of a bottle like a genie".<ref name="merriam-webster">{{cite web |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle+episode |title=Definition of BOTTLE EPISODE |website=Merriam-Webster |access-date=2019-04-23 |archive-date=2024-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806014503/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottle%20episode |url-status=live }}</ref>


Bottle episodes are sometimes produced to allow as much of the budget as possible to go to the more expensive episodes of the season. [[Scott Brazil]], executive producer of ''[[The Shield]]'', described bottle episodes as "the sad little stepchild whose allowance is docked in order to buy big brother a new pair of [[Sneakers|sneaks]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/the_shield_s4/weblog_ep9.html |title=Episode 410 "Back In The Hole" |publisher=FX Networks |date=2005-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051031125831/http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/the_shield_s4/weblog_ep9.html |archive-date=2005-10-31 |url-status=dead |access-date=2021-01-31 }}</ref> They can also be used to incorporate major current events into the flow of a long-running series, such as the episode of ''[[The West Wing]]'' following the [[September 11 attacks]], or the episode of ''[[Chicago Fire (TV series)|Chicago Fire]]'' in response to the [[impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]].<!-- Note to editors, both examples are referenced below -->
Bottle episodes are sometimes produced to allow as much of the budget as possible to go to the more expensive episodes of the season. [[Scott Brazil]], executive producer of ''[[The Shield]]'', described bottle episodes as "the sad little stepchild whose allowance is docked in order to buy big brother a new pair of [[Sneakers|sneaks]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/the_shield_s4/weblog_ep9.html |title=Episode 410 "Back In The Hole" |publisher=FX Networks |date=2005-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051031125831/http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/the_shield_s4/weblog_ep9.html |archive-date=2005-10-31 |url-status=dead |access-date=2021-01-31 }}</ref>


==Examples==
==Examples==
<!-- This is not a list article. Section should discriminate and give weight to the best and most important examples -->
{{Original research section|date=October 2018}}


''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' used bottle episodes so that it could spend on more special effects in other episodes.<ref>{{cite book| title=Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages| first1=Edward| last1=Gross| first2=Mark| last2=Altman| date=October 1995| publisher=Little Brown & Co| isbn=978-0-3163-2957-6}}</ref>
The BBC soap opera ''[[EastEnders]]'' has a [[List of EastEnders two-hander episodes|tradition of "two-hander" episodes]] stretching back to 1986, which consist of a dialogue between two characters, typically in a single location.


The ''[[Mad About You]]'' episode "[[The Conversation (Mad About You)|The Conversation]]" (season 6, episode 9) was a single-shot bottle episode, originally shown on broadcast TV in 1997 with no interruptions.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kurland |first=Daniel |date=3 March 2015 |title=How Mad About You Made One of the Boldest Bottle Episodes Ever |url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/03/how-mad-about-you-made-one-of-the-boldest-bottle-episodes-ever.html |access-date=November 28, 2023 |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |archive-date=16 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216174211/https://www.vulture.com/2015/03/how-mad-about-you-made-one-of-the-boldest-bottle-episodes-ever.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
The BBC sitcom ''[[One Foot in the Grave]]'' has a bottle episode in the fourth series, in February 1993, in which the only the main character [[Victor Meldrew]] ([[Richard Wilson (Scottish actor)|Richard Wilson]]) appears.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0785597/reference/ | title="One Foot in the Grave" the Trial (TV Episode 1993) - IMDb | website=[[IMDb]] }}</ref>


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The premiere of the [[The West Wing season 3|third season of ''The West Wing'']] was delayed by the [[September 11 attacks]] in the United States. When the series did return, "[[Isaac and Ishmael]]" offered a bottle episode where the main cast paid tribute to those affected by the attacks and informed viewers about what to expect from the delayed premiere. Set almost entirely in the [[White House Mess]] Hall, the main characters explore the motivations and nuances of terrorism.<ref name="DenofGeek10">{{cite web |last=Harrisson |first=Juliette |date=29 November 2012 |title=10 great TV bottle episodes |url=http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/bottle-episodes/23653/10-great-tv-bottle-episodes |access-date=10 May 2022 |work=[[Den of Geek]] |archive-date=13 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913130539/http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/bottle-episodes/23653/10-great-tv-bottle-episodes |url-status=live }}</ref>
''Solar Opposites'' "The Pupa's Big Day": Korvo and Terry find themselves in a line for the entire episode. This episode is also a carry over of the previous episode, which shows the two when they first enter the line. They even make reference to 'the lazy bottle episode' technique in the beginning of the episode.


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The popularity of the ''[[Friends]]'' bottle episode "[[The One Where No One's Ready]]" led the producers to create at least one bottle episode in each season.<ref name="TheRinger20"/><ref>Bright, Kevin S. (2005). Friends: Final Thoughts (DVD). New Wave DVD and Warner Home Entertainment.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=17 March 2015 |last=Kurland |first=Daniel |title=The One Where 'Friends' First Attempted a Bottle Episode |url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/03/the-one-where-friends-first-attempted-a-bottle-episode.html |website=Vulture |access-date=17 March 2021 |archive-date=12 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112035832/https://www.vulture.com/2015/03/the-one-where-friends-first-attempted-a-bottle-episode.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
The hospital drama series [[ER (TV series)|ER]] contains several bottle episodes. Season 3 episode 15, ''The long way around'', takes place in a convenience store, where nurse [[Carol Hathaway]] is a customer. An armed robbery takes place and after a shooting, the robbers take the customers and the owners hostage, killing one of the store owners. One of the robbers is later shot by the police. In season 8 episode 16, ''Secrets and lies'', five people ([[Luka Kovac]], [[Abby Lockhart]], [[Susan Lewis]], [[John Carter (ER)|John Carter]], and [[Cast of ER|Michael Gallant]]) are sent to a sexual harassment class after making fun in the trauma room about a dominatrix patient's bag of tricks. The mediator of the class is very late and the five kill time while waiting in the classroom, discovering hidden sides and important insights about each other.

''Seinfeld''{{'}}s "[[The Chinese Restaurant]]" was refused by NBC numerous times, almost causing [[Larry David]] to leave the show.<ref>{{cite web |date=7 July 2015 |last=Kurland |first=Daniel |title=How 'Seinfeld' Truly Embraced Nothingness in "The Chinese Restaurant" |url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/07/how-seinfeld-truly-embraced-nothingness-in-the-chinese-restaurant.html |website=Vulture }}</ref> The episode is viewed as a classic and said to have "[broken] new ground" for both the show and sitcoms.<ref name="TheRinger20"/>

The ''Mad About You'' episode "[[The Conversation (Mad About You)|The Conversation]]" (season 6, episode 9) was a single-shot bottle episode, originally shown on broadcast TV in 1997 with no interruptions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/03/how-mad-about-you-made-one-of-the-boldest-bottle-episodes-ever.html|title=How Mad About You Made One of the Boldest Bottle Episodes Ever|date=3 March 2015}}</ref> During the credits, Paul and Jamie are watching a TV show and he comments on how difficult it is to do a single-shot, 20-minute scene, and she insists that "It's their job!"

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The [[The West Wing (season 3)|third-season premiere of ''The West Wing'']] was delayed by the [[September 11 attacks]] in the United States. When the season did return, the first episode was a bottle episode titled "Isaac and Ishmael", in which the main cast paid tribute to those affected by the attacks and informed viewers about what to expect from the delayed premiere. Set almost entirely in the [[White House Mess]] Hall, the main characters explore the motivations and nuances of terrorism.<ref name="DenofGeek10"/>

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The popularity of the ''[[Friends]]'' bottle episode "[[The One Where No One's Ready]]" led the producers to create at least one bottle episode in each season.<ref name="TheRinger20"/><ref>Bright, Kevin S. (2005). Friends: Final Thoughts (DVD). New Wave DVD and Warner Home Entertainment.</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=17 March 2015|last=Kurland |first=Daniel |title=The One Where 'Friends' First Attempted a Bottle Episode |url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/03/the-one-where-friends-first-attempted-a-bottle-episode.html |website=Vulture }}</ref>

The bottle episode on ''[[Brooklyn Nine-Nine]]'', "[[The Box (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)|The Box]]", is rated as one of the best by its viewers.{{Better source needed|reason=[[WP:UGC]] and IMDB is not a reliable source|date=April 2020}}<ref name="TheRinger20"/><ref>{{cite web |date=2 April 2018 |last=Kurland |first=Daniel |title='Brooklyn Nine-Nine' Boils Down the Justice System in a Moving Bottle […] |url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/04/brooklyn-nine-nine-boils-down-the-justice-system-in-a-moving-bottle-episode.html |website=Vulture |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720213409/https://www.vulture.com/2018/04/brooklyn-nine-nine-boils-down-the-justice-system-in-a-moving-bottle-episode.html |archive-date=2018-07-20 |url-status=live}}</ref>


In a [[Parks and Recreation (season 7)|seventh season]] episode of the American comedy television series ''[[Parks and Recreation]]'' titled "[[Leslie and Ron]]", Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson are locked in a room together overnight to force them to deal with their rivalry.<ref name="TheRinger20"/><ref name="Rejects20"/>
In a [[Parks and Recreation (season 7)|seventh season]] episode of the American comedy television series ''[[Parks and Recreation]]'' titled "[[Leslie and Ron]]", Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson are locked in a room together overnight to force them to deal with their rivalry.<ref name="TheRinger20"/><ref name="Rejects20"/>


⚫
The third story of ''[[Doctor Who]]'', ''[[The Edge of Destruction]]'', was a bottle episode created in different circumstances from most. The series had been picked up for thirteen episodes by the [[BBC]], and the previous two stories had contained eleven episodes between them; hence, a two-part story was needed. It only featured the main cast of four.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/edgeofdestruction/detail.shtml |title=Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide - The Edge of Destruction - Details |website=BBC |access-date=2019-12-20 |archive-date=2019-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221213317/http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/edgeofdestruction/detail.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Doctor Who'' has also had occasional bottle episodes since then, most notably "[[Midnight (Doctor Who)|Midnight]]", which, apart from bookend scenes at a holiday resort, is set entirely on a shuttle bus, with a monster depicted only via sound effects and the acting of the guest cast.<ref name="DenofGeek10"/>
[[Family Guy]] season 10 episode 2, titled "[[Seahorse Seashell Party]]", is a bottle episode that takes place in the home of the Griffin's during a hurricane. [[Brian Griffin|Brian]] takes mushrooms and experiences a horribly bad trip. [[Meg Griffin|Meg]] gets so sick of the abuse and the bullying she's been put through all these years that she finally lashes out to almost everybody else. Other Family Guy bottle episodes include the [[Two-hander|two-hander]] episodes "[[Brian & Stewie]]" (Season 9, Episode 17) and "[[Send in Stewie, Please]]" (Season 16, Episode 12).


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The [[Breaking Bad (season 3)|third-season]] episode "[[Fly (Breaking Bad)|Fly]]" of ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' features only two members of the main cast (plus a few [[extra (acting)|extras]]) and takes place almost exclusively in the secret laboratory used to cook [[crystal methamphetamine]].<ref name="TheRinger20">{{cite web |date=2 September 2020 |title=The 20 Best Bottle Episodes, Ranked |url=https://www.theringer.com/tv/2020/9/2/21417513/bottle-episodes-ranking-tv-mad-men-breaking-bad-seinfeld |website=The Ringer |access-date=17 March 2021 |archive-date=22 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022200506/https://www.theringer.com/tv/2020/9/2/21417513/bottle-episodes-ranking-tv-mad-men-breaking-bad-seinfeld |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="DenofGeek10"/> Although widely acclaimed by critics,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Breaking Bad: "Fly" |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=24 May 2010 |url=https://www.avclub.com/breaking-bad-fly-1798165114 |access-date=2020-06-17 |archive-date=2021-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818181819/https://www.avclub.com/breaking-bad-fly-1798165114 |url-status=live}}</ref> this episode was the lowest rated episode of the series on [[IMDb]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Fly |website=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1615550/ |access-date=2020-06-17}}</ref> Series creator [[Vince Gilligan]] has referred to this as a bottle episode, noting that the limited setting and cast allowed for a slower pace and deeper exploration of character traits and motives.<ref>{{cite web |last=Murray |first=Noel |url=https://www.avclub.com/vince-gilligan-1798220441 |title=Vince Gilligan |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=2010-06-13 |access-date=2022-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718202629/http://www.avclub.com/articles/vince-gilligan%2C42064/ |archive-date=2011-07-18}}</ref>
Several early episodes of ''[[The X-Files]]'' were conceived as bottle episodes, including "[[Space (The X-Files)|Space]]", "[[Darkness Falls (The X-Files)|Darkness Falls]]" and the well-received "[[Ice (The X-Files)|Ice]]", although these ran over budget.<ref name="space bottle">Lowry, pp.121–122</ref><ref name="darkness bottle">Edwards, p.71</ref><ref name="ice bottle1">Goldman, p.94</ref><ref name="ice bottle2">Edwards, p.45</ref>


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[[Archer (2009 TV series)|''Archer'']]{{'}}s fifth episode of the sixth season, "Vision Quest", features seven of the eight major cast members stuck in an elevator in [[Real time (media)|real time]].<ref name="TheRinger20"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Framke |first=Caroline |url=https://www.avclub.com/archer-vision-quest-1798182639 |title=Archer: "Vision Quest" |website=The A.V. Club |date=2015-02-05 |quote=a classic bottle episode that traps everyone together in an elevator—in real time |access-date=2022-05-10 |archive-date=2022-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510041846/https://www.avclub.com/archer-vision-quest-1798182639 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Bottle episodes from ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''Star Trek: TOS'') are known for occasionally becoming popular with fans. Examples include "[[Charlie X]]", "[[Journey to Babel]]", "[[The Changeling (Star Trek: The Original Series)|The Changeling]]", "[[Elaan of Troyius]]" and "[[Is There in Truth No Beauty?]]". The phenomenon has persisted to a lesser extent in later incarnations, with "[[Duet (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)|Duet]]" (''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'') being celebrated as "[a]rguably one of the best episodes of ''Deep Space Nine'' and a jewel in the entire [[Star Trek canon|''Trek'' canon]]".<ref name="DenofGeek10">{{cite web | date=29 November 2012 |first=Juliette |last=Harrisson |url= http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/bottle-episodes/23653/10-great-tv-bottle-episodes |title=10 great TV bottle episodes |work=[[Den of Geek]]|access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/features/specials/article/3412.html#ds9-419 |title=Star Trek Database |publisher=Star Trek |access-date=2010-08-29 |archive-date=2010-07-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100703230317/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/features/specials/article/3412.html#ds9-419 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media |author=Tom Keogh |quote=Arguably one of the best episodes of Deep Space Nine and a jewel in the entire Trek canon |asin=6304489684 |title=Star Trek - Deep Space Nine, Episode 19: Duet }}</ref>


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The comedy-drama series ''[[Girls (TV series)|Girls]]'' features four bottle episodes. In "One Man's Trash" (season 2, episode 5), series lead Hannah Horvath ([[Lena Dunham]]) experiences a two-day romance with Joshua ([[Patrick Wilson]]), a handsome doctor whom she meets at her workplace, at his [[brownstone]] home. "Beach House" (season 3, episode 7) sees Hannah and friends Marnie Michaels ([[Allison Williams (actress)|Allison Williams]]), Jessa Johansson ([[Jemima Kirke]]) and Shoshanna Shapiro ([[Zosia Mamet]]) spending the weekend at Marnie's mother's friend's beach home on Long Island. "The Panic in Central Park" (season 5, episode 6) sees Marnie encounter her ex-boyfriend, Charlie ([[Christopher Abbott]], who was a series regular for the first two seasons), by chance. The two then go on a series of misadventures throughout New York City; the episode only features the two characters for much of the runtime. "American Bitch" (season 6, episode 3) takes place entirely in the home of famous writer Chuck Palmer ([[Matthew Rhys]]), the subject of an article written by Hannah which accuses him of sexual misconduct involving his female fans. Hannah and Chuck engage in a mental battle of wits over the article with the latter accusing the former of helping to damage his reputation. As with the previous example, they are the only two characters featured in nearly the entire episode.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Girls: A ranking of its bottle episodes |url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/02/24/girls-bottle-episodes-ranked/ |access-date=2021-08-24 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-date=2021-08-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824202839/https://ew.com/tv/2017/02/24/girls-bottle-episodes-ranked/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
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The third story of ''[[Doctor Who]]'', ''[[The Edge of Destruction]]'', was a bottle episode created in different circumstances from most. The series had been picked up for thirteen episodes by the [[BBC]], and the previous two stories had contained eleven episodes between them; hence, a two-part story was needed. It only featured the main cast of four.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/edgeofdestruction/detail.shtml |title= Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide - The Edge of Destruction - Details |work=BBC}}</ref> ''Doctor Who'' has also had occasional bottle episodes since then, most notably "[[Midnight (Doctor Who)|Midnight]]", which, apart from bookend scenes at a holiday resort, is set entirely on a shuttle bus, with a monster depicted only via sound effects and the acting of the guest cast.<ref name="DenofGeek10"/>


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A [[Meta (prefix)|meta]]-example is ''[[Community (TV series)|Community]]''{{'}}s eighth episode of its second season, "[[Cooperative Calligraphy]]". After the opening, characters Jeff Winger ([[Joel McHale]]) and Abed Nadir ([[Danny Pudi]]) both refer to the situation as a bottle episode.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2016/11/07/how-community-perfected-bottle-episode |title=How Community perfected the 'bottle episode' |website=[[SBS (Australian TV channel)|SBS]] Guide |date=7 November 2016 |access-date=2020-04-11 |archive-date=2020-04-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411035923/https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2016/11/07/how-community-perfected-bottle-episode |url-status=dead}}</ref> The entire episode is set inside a study room of the college with only the main cast. Its plot centers around the pen of the character Annie Edison ([[Alison Brie]]) going missing as she refuses to let anyone else leave the study room until they come forward with it.<ref name="DenofGeek10"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Kurland |first=Daniel |title=Inside 'Community's Meta Knockout of a Bottle Episode |url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/02/inside-communitys-meta-knockout-of-a-bottle-episode.html |website=Vulture |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425000759/https://www.vulture.com/2015/02/inside-communitys-meta-knockout-of-a-bottle-episode.html |archive-date=2019-04-25 |date=24 February 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=2021-03-17}}</ref>
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The [[Breaking Bad (season 3)|third-season]] episode "[[Fly (Breaking Bad)|Fly]]" of ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' features only two members of the main cast (plus a few [[extra (acting)|extras]]) and takes place almost exclusively in the secret laboratory used to cook [[crystal methamphetamine]].<ref name="TheRinger20">{{cite web |date=2 September 2020 |author=The Ringer Staff |title=The 20 Best Bottle Episodes, Ranked |url=https://www.theringer.com/tv/2020/9/2/21417513/bottle-episodes-ranking-tv-mad-men-breaking-bad-seinfeld |website=The Ringer |publisher=[[Vox Media]] }}</ref><ref name="DenofGeek10"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://paczkowski.tumblr.com/post/628778500/breaking-bad-fly-review |title=News & Reviews: - Breaking Bad: "Fly" Review |publisher=Tumblr |access-date=2011-07-31}}</ref> Although widely acclaimed by critics,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Breaking Bad: "Fly"|website=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=24 May 2010 |url=https://www.avclub.com/breaking-bad-fly-1798165114 |access-date=2020-06-17 }}</ref> this episode was the lowest rated episode of the entire series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fly|website=[[IMDb]]|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1615550/|access-date=2020-06-17}}</ref> Series creator [[Vince Gilligan]] has referred to this as a bottle episode, noting that the limited setting and cast allowed for a slower pace and deeper exploration of character traits and motives:


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The sitcom ''[[Frasier]]'' made use of bottle episodes, notably "My Coffee With Niles" (season 1, episode 24), an homage to the film ''[[My Dinner with Andre]]'' that consists almost entirely of a conversation between [[Frasier Crane|Frasier]] and [[Niles Crane|Niles]] at Cafe Nervosa, and "Dinner Party" (season 6, episode 17) which takes place wholly within Frasier's apartment.<ref name="Rejects20">{{cite web |date=July 31, 2018 |author=Sophia Stewart |title=The 20 Best TV Bottle Episodes Ever |url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/best-tv-bottle-episodes/ |website=Film School Rejects |access-date=March 18, 2021 |archive-date=February 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228130344/https://filmschoolrejects.com/best-tv-bottle-episodes/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
<blockquote>Even if financial realities didn't enter into it, I feel as a [[showrunner]] that there should be a certain shape and pace to each season, and the really high highs that you try to get to at the end of a season—the big dramatic moments of action and violence, the big operatic moments you're striving for—I don't think would land as hard if you didn't have the moments of quiet that came before them. The quiet episodes make the tenser, more dramatic episodes pop even more than they usually would just by their contrast.<ref>{{cite web |last=Murray |first=Noel |url=https://www.avclub.com/vince-gilligan-1798220441 |title=Vince Gilligan |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=2010-06-13 |access-date=2022-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718202629/http://www.avclub.com/articles/vince-gilligan%2C42064/ |archive-date=2011-07-18}}</ref></blockquote>


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The ''[[BoJack Horseman]]'' episode "[[Free Churro]]" features the title character giving a monologue in front of a static background for 20 minutes of the episode's 26-minute runtime. The entire episode was voiced by a single voice-actor.<ref>{{cite web |date=2018-09-21 |title=Bojack Horseman Creator Breaks Down the Devastating Funeral Episode |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/bojack-horseman-eulogy-bottle-episode-free-churro-raphael-bob-waksberg-interview/ |website=[[TV Guide]] |access-date=2020-08-07 |archive-date=2020-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030050246/https://www.tvguide.com/news/bojack-horseman-eulogy-bottle-episode-free-churro-raphael-bob-waksberg-interview/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
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[[Archer (2009 TV series)|''Archer'']]{{'}}s fifth episode of the sixth season, "Vision Quest", features seven of the eight major cast members stuck in an elevator in [[Real time (media)|real time]].<ref name="TheRinger20"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Framke |first=Caroline |url=https://www.avclub.com/archer-vision-quest-1798182639 |title= Archer: "Vision Quest" |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=2015-02-05 |access-date= 2022-05-10}}</ref>


Long running ABC drama ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'' had a bottle episode in its [[Grey's Anatomy (season 13)|thirteenth season]]. The episode "The Room Where it Happens" (season 13, episode 8) focused on Doctors [[Meredith Grey]], [[Stephanie Edwards (Grey's Anatomy)|Stephanie Edwards]], [[Richard Webber]] and [[Owen Hunt]] as they perform surgery. The episode remains in the operating room as each doctor remembers different moments in their lives.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 10, 2016 |title=Grey's Anatomy goes full bottle in a gimmicky but effective bottle episode |url=https://www.avclub.com/grey-s-anatomy-goes-full-bottle-in-a-gimmicky-but-effec-1798189446 |access-date=May 10, 2022 |website=The A.V. Club |archive-date=August 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806014505/https://www.avclub.com/grey-s-anatomy-goes-full-bottle-in-a-gimmicky-but-effec-1798189446 |url-status=live }}</ref>
⚫
The comedy-drama series ''[[Girls (TV series)|Girls]]'' features four bottle episodes. In "One Man's Trash" (season 2, episode 5), series lead Hannah Horvath ([[Lena Dunham]]) experiences a two-day romance with Joshua ([[Patrick Wilson]]), a handsome doctor whom she meets at her workplace, at his [[brownstone]] home. "Beach House" (season 3, episode 7) sees Hannah and friends Marnie Michaels ([[Allison Williams (actress)|Allison Williams]]), Jessa Johansson ([[Jemima Kirke]]) and Shoshanna Shapiro ([[Zosia Mamet]]) spending the weekend at Marnie's mother's friend's beach home on Long Island. "The Panic in Central Park" (season 5, episode 6) sees Marnie encounter her ex-boyfriend, Charlie ([[Christopher Abbott]], who was a series regular for the first two seasons), by chance. The two then on a series of misadventures throughout New York City; the episode only features the two characters for much of the runtime. "American Bitch" (season 6, episode 3) takes place entirely in the home of famous writer Chuck Palmer ([[Matthew Rhys]]), the subject of an article written by Hannah which accuses him sexual misconduct involving his female fans. Hannah and Chuck engage in a mental battle of wits over the article with latter accusing the former of helping to damage his reputation. As with the previous example, they are the only two characters featured in nearly the entire episode.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Girls: A ranking of its bottle episodes |url=https://ew.com/tv/2017/02/24/girls-bottle-episodes-ranked/ |access-date=2021-08-24 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref>


⚫
The ''[[Chicago Fire (TV series)|Chicago Fire]]'' episode "[[My Lucky Day (Chicago Fire)|My Lucky Day]]" was a bottle episode designed to cut higher costs because of the [[impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States]].<ref name="CB">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2562373/chicago-fire-may-have-just-delivered-televisions-most-epic-bottle-episode-so-what-comes-next |title=Chicago Fire May Have Just Delivered Television's Most Epic Bottle Episode, So What Comes Next? |last=Hurley |first=Laura |date=February 3, 2021 |website=Cinema Blend |access-date=February 10, 2021 |archive-date=August 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806014545/https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2562373/chicago-fire-may-have-just-delivered-televisions-most-epic-bottle-episode-so-what-comes-next |url-status=live}}</ref>
The comedy-drama series ''[[Leverage (American TV series)|Leverage]]'' had three bottle episodes. "The Bottle Job" (season 2, episode 11) uses only three locations: Nathan Ford's ([[Timothy Hutton]]) apartment; McRory's, the bar it sits over; and the bar's backroom. It also alludes to the concept by forcing the Leverage team to execute a [[late betting]] or "wire" con, which normally takes days or weeks just to set up, in only an hour and a half; Ford explicitly calls it "the wire in a bottle". (Ford, a recovering alcoholic, also reverts to drinking as part of the con; "hitting the bottle" is an expression for heavy drinking.) "The Cross My Heart Job" (season 4, episode 9) sees the team confined to an airport with no equipment or other resources, fighting to stop a transplant heart from going to a terminally ill defense contractor who's had it stolen from its intended recipient. And finally, "The Broken Wing Job" (season 5, episode 8) has Parker ([[Beth Riesgraf]]) working to foil a kidnapping while stuck at home with a broken leg, while the rest of the team is on a job in Japan.

⚫
A [[meta]]-example is ''[[Community (TV series)|Community]]''{{'}}s eighth episode of its second season, "[[Cooperative Calligraphy]]". After the opening, characters Jeff Winger ([[Joel McHale]]) and Abed Nadir ([[Danny Pudi]]) both refer to the situation as a bottle episode.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2016/11/07/how-community-perfected-bottle-episode|title=How Community perfected the 'bottle episode' |website=Guide |date=7 November 2016 |access-date=2020-04-11}}</ref> The entire episode is set inside a study room of the college with only the main cast. Its plot centers around the pen of the character Annie Edison ([[Alison Brie]]) going missing as she refuses to let anyone else leave the study room until they come forward with it.<ref name="DenofGeek10"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Kurland |first=Daniel |title=Inside 'Community's Meta Knockout of a Bottle Episode |url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/02/inside-communitys-meta-knockout-of-a-bottle-episode.html |website=Vulture |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425000759/https://www.vulture.com/2015/02/inside-communitys-meta-knockout-of-a-bottle-episode.html |archive-date=2019-04-25 |date=24 February 2015 |url-status=live |access-date=2021-03-17}}</ref>

Another [[meta]]-example is ''[[Teen Titans Go!]]''{{'}}s twenty-ninth third-season episode, titled "Bottle Episode". Its plot centers around the main characters being trapped in a literal glass bottle, and passing the time by reminiscing about previous episodes (making it also a [[clip show]]). The episode breaks the [[fourth wall]] multiple times with dialogue referencing the expense of television production, giving production staff a break, and the need to fill episodes that fall through.

In the animated series ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' there is a bottle episode named "Idiot Box" (season 3, episode 4). [[SpongeBob SquarePants (character)|SpongeBob]] and [[Patrick Star|Patrick]] play with their imaginations inside a cardboard box for the plot of the episode. Only 3 main characters are featured and the episode takes place majorly inside and outside Squidward's house and the cardboard box.{{Cn|date=February 2022}}

⚫
The sitcom ''[[Frasier]]'' made use of bottle episodes, notably "My Coffee With Niles" (season 1, episode 24), an homage to the film ''[[My Dinner with Andre]]'' that consists almost entirely of a conversation between [[Frasier Crane|Frasier]] and [[Niles Crane|Niles]] at Cafe Nervosa, and "Dinner Party" (season 6, episode 17) which takes place wholly within Frasier's apartment.<ref name="Rejects20">{{cite web |date=July 31, 2018 |author=Sophia Stewart |title=The 20 Best TV Bottle Episodes Ever |url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/best-tv-bottle-episodes/ |website=Film School Rejects }}</ref>

The ''[[Peep Show (British TV series)|Peep Show]]'' episode "Nether Zone" (series 7, episode 4) takes place almost entirely inside a block of flats, as Mark and Jez are locked inside, unable to get to Mark's baby's christening.<ref>{{cite web |date=20 October 2015 |last=Kurland |first=Daniel |title='Peep Show' Is Forced to Get Too Familiar With Itself in its Late Bottle Episode |url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/10/peep-show-is-forced-to-get-too-familiar-with-itself-in-its-late-bottle-episode.html |website=Vulture }}</ref>

⚫
The ''[[BoJack Horseman]]'' episode "[[Free Churro]]" features the title character giving a monologue in front of a static background for 20 minutes of the episode's 26-minute runtime. The entire episode was voiced by a single voice-actor.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-09-21 |title=Bojack Horseman Creator Breaks Down the Devastating Funeral Episode |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/bojack-horseman-eulogy-bottle-episode-free-churro-raphael-bob-waksberg-interview/ |website=TV Guide|access-date=2020-08-07 }}</ref>

The animated show ''[[Sealab 2021]]'' has an episode called "In the Closet" in the first season that takes place entirely in a tool closet where the crew has been locked in.

Long running ABC drama ''[[Grey's Anatomy]]'' had a bottle episode in its thirteenth season.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 10, 2016|access-date=May 10, 2022|title=Grey's Anatomy goes full bottle in a gimmicky but effective bottle episode |url=https://www.avclub.com/grey-s-anatomy-goes-full-bottle-in-a-gimmicky-but-effec-1798189446 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] }}</ref> The episode focused on Doctors Grey, Edwards, Webber and Hunt as they perform surgery. The episode remains in the operating room as each doctor remembers different moments in their lives.

⚫
The ''[[Chicago Fire (TV series)|Chicago Fire]]'' episode "[[My Lucky Day (Chicago Fire)|My Lucky Day]]" was a bottle episode designed to cut higher costs because of the [[impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States]].<ref name="CB">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2562373/chicago-fire-may-have-just-delivered-televisions-most-epic-bottle-episode-so-what-comes-next |title=Chicago Fire May Have Just Delivered Television's Most Epic Bottle Episode, So What Comes Next?|last=Hurley |first=Laura |date=February 3, 2021 |work=Cinema Blend |access-date=February 10, 2021 }}</ref>

Michelle Erica Green of [[TrekNation]] said of the episode [[Doctor's Orders (Star Trek: Enterprise)|Doctor’s Orders]] from the [[Science fiction on television|science fiction television series]] ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' "as bottle shows go, it's a beautifully done, satisfying episode, and a nice break from the Xindi action storyline while still moving the ship forward on its quest."<ref>{{cite web |date=February 19, 2004 |author=Michelle Erica Green |title=Doctor's Orders |url=https://www.trektoday.com/reviews/enterprise/doctors_orders.shtml |work=[[TrekNation|The Trek Nation]] |publisher=TrekToday.com |access-date=2023-09-01}}</ref> The episode focused on the ship’s doctor who was left alone to control the starship while the crew was put in a comatose state to prevent brain damage while crossing a dangerous area of space.

"Hold"<ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002r1h</ref>, the third episode of the second series of "[[Life on Egg]]" a [[BBC Radio 4]] comedy show starring [[Harry Hill]], consists entirely of a customer service phone call and explains what a bottle episode is in the dialogue.


==See also==
==See also==
Line 79: Line 47:


===References===
===References===
* {{Cite book |title=X-Files Confidential |first=Ted |last=Edwards |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |year=1996 |isbn=0-316-21808-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/xfilesconfidenti00edwa_0 }}
* {{cite book |title=X-Files Confidential |first=Ted |last=Edwards |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-3162-1808-5 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/xfilesconfidenti00edwa_0}}
* {{Cite book | year=1995 | last=Goldman |first=Jane| title=The X-Files Book of the Unexplained Volume I |publisher=HarperPrism |isbn=0-06-168617-4 }}
* {{cite book | year=1995 | last=Goldman |first=Jane| title=The X-Files Book of the Unexplained Volume I |publisher=HarperPrism |isbn=978-0-0616-8617-7}}
* {{Cite book |title=The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files |first=Brian |last=Lowry |publisher=Harper Prism |year=1995 |isbn=0-06-105330-9 }}
* {{cite book |title=The Truth is Out There: The Official Guide to the X-Files |first=Brian |last=Lowry |publisher=Harper Prism |year=1995 |isbn=978-0-0610-5330-6}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}


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[[Category:Television terminology]]
[[Category:1960s neologisms]]
[[Category:1960s neologisms]]
[[Category:Film and video terminology]]
[[Category:Film and video terminology]]
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[[Category:Television terminology]]

Revision as of 23:13, 2 September 2024

In episodic television, a bottle episode or bottle show is an episode produced cheaply and restricted in scope to use as few regular cast members, effects and sets as possible. Bottle episodes are usually shot on sets built for other episodes, frequently the main interior sets for a series, and consist largely of dialogue and scenes for which no special preparations are needed. They are commonly used when one script has fallen through and another has to be written at short notice, or because of budgetary constraints.[1] Bottle episodes have also been used for dramatic effect, with the limited setting and cast allowing for a slower pace and deeper exploration of character traits and motives.

Use

The term “bottle show” was coined by Leslie Stevens, creator and executive producer of 1960s TV series The Outer Limits, for an episode made in very little time at very little cost, "as in pulling an episode right out of a bottle like a genie".[2]

Bottle episodes are sometimes produced to allow as much of the budget as possible to go to the more expensive episodes of the season. Scott Brazil, executive producer of The Shield, described bottle episodes as "the sad little stepchild whose allowance is docked in order to buy big brother a new pair of sneaks".[3]

Examples

Star Trek: The Next Generation used bottle episodes so that it could spend on more special effects in other episodes.[4]

The Mad About You episode "The Conversation" (season 6, episode 9) was a single-shot bottle episode, originally shown on broadcast TV in 1997 with no interruptions.[5]

The premiere of the third season of The West Wing was delayed by the September 11 attacks in the United States. When the series did return, "Isaac and Ishmael" offered a bottle episode where the main cast paid tribute to those affected by the attacks and informed viewers about what to expect from the delayed premiere. Set almost entirely in the White House Mess Hall, the main characters explore the motivations and nuances of terrorism.[6]

The popularity of the Friends bottle episode "The One Where No One's Ready" led the producers to create at least one bottle episode in each season.[7][8][9]

In a seventh season episode of the American comedy television series Parks and Recreation titled "Leslie and Ron", Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson are locked in a room together overnight to force them to deal with their rivalry.[7][10]

The third story of Doctor Who, The Edge of Destruction, was a bottle episode created in different circumstances from most. The series had been picked up for thirteen episodes by the BBC, and the previous two stories had contained eleven episodes between them; hence, a two-part story was needed. It only featured the main cast of four.[11] Doctor Who has also had occasional bottle episodes since then, most notably "Midnight", which, apart from bookend scenes at a holiday resort, is set entirely on a shuttle bus, with a monster depicted only via sound effects and the acting of the guest cast.[6]

The third-season episode "Fly" of Breaking Bad features only two members of the main cast (plus a few extras) and takes place almost exclusively in the secret laboratory used to cook crystal methamphetamine.[7][6] Although widely acclaimed by critics,[12] this episode was the lowest rated episode of the series on IMDb.[13] Series creator Vince Gilligan has referred to this as a bottle episode, noting that the limited setting and cast allowed for a slower pace and deeper exploration of character traits and motives.[14]

Archer's fifth episode of the sixth season, "Vision Quest", features seven of the eight major cast members stuck in an elevator in real time.[7][15]

The comedy-drama series Girls features four bottle episodes. In "One Man's Trash" (season 2, episode 5), series lead Hannah Horvath (Lena Dunham) experiences a two-day romance with Joshua (Patrick Wilson), a handsome doctor whom she meets at her workplace, at his brownstone home. "Beach House" (season 3, episode 7) sees Hannah and friends Marnie Michaels (Allison Williams), Jessa Johansson (Jemima Kirke) and Shoshanna Shapiro (Zosia Mamet) spending the weekend at Marnie's mother's friend's beach home on Long Island. "The Panic in Central Park" (season 5, episode 6) sees Marnie encounter her ex-boyfriend, Charlie (Christopher Abbott, who was a series regular for the first two seasons), by chance. The two then go on a series of misadventures throughout New York City; the episode only features the two characters for much of the runtime. "American Bitch" (season 6, episode 3) takes place entirely in the home of famous writer Chuck Palmer (Matthew Rhys), the subject of an article written by Hannah which accuses him of sexual misconduct involving his female fans. Hannah and Chuck engage in a mental battle of wits over the article with the latter accusing the former of helping to damage his reputation. As with the previous example, they are the only two characters featured in nearly the entire episode.[16]

A meta-example is Community's eighth episode of its second season, "Cooperative Calligraphy". After the opening, characters Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) and Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) both refer to the situation as a bottle episode.[17] The entire episode is set inside a study room of the college with only the main cast. Its plot centers around the pen of the character Annie Edison (Alison Brie) going missing as she refuses to let anyone else leave the study room until they come forward with it.[6][18]

The sitcom Frasier made use of bottle episodes, notably "My Coffee With Niles" (season 1, episode 24), an homage to the film My Dinner with Andre that consists almost entirely of a conversation between Frasier and Niles at Cafe Nervosa, and "Dinner Party" (season 6, episode 17) which takes place wholly within Frasier's apartment.[10]

The BoJack Horseman episode "Free Churro" features the title character giving a monologue in front of a static background for 20 minutes of the episode's 26-minute runtime. The entire episode was voiced by a single voice-actor.[19]

Long running ABC drama Grey's Anatomy had a bottle episode in its thirteenth season. The episode "The Room Where it Happens" (season 13, episode 8) focused on Doctors Meredith Grey, Stephanie Edwards, Richard Webber and Owen Hunt as they perform surgery. The episode remains in the operating room as each doctor remembers different moments in their lives.[20]

The Chicago Fire episode "My Lucky Day" was a bottle episode designed to cut higher costs because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on television in the United States.[21]

See also

  • Clip show, an episode composed of excerpts from previous episodes; often a bottle-episode frame story in which characters reminisce about the earlier events.
  • Filler (media), material of lower cost or quality that is used to fill a certain television time slot
  • Two-hander, a drama with only two characters; includes a list of television episodes

Footnotes

  1. ^ "10 great TV Bottle Episodes". 2012-11-21. Archived from the original on 2022-05-10. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  2. ^ "Definition of BOTTLE EPISODE". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
  3. ^ "Episode 410 "Back In The Hole"". FX Networks. 2005-10-31. Archived from the original on 2005-10-31. Retrieved 2021-01-31.
  4. ^ Gross, Edward; Altman, Mark (October 1995). Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages. Little Brown & Co. ISBN 978-0-3163-2957-6.
  5. ^ Kurland, Daniel (3 March 2015). "How Mad About You Made One of the Boldest Bottle Episodes Ever". Vulture. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d Harrisson, Juliette (29 November 2012). "10 great TV bottle episodes". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d "The 20 Best Bottle Episodes, Ranked". The Ringer. 2 September 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  8. ^ Bright, Kevin S. (2005). Friends: Final Thoughts (DVD). New Wave DVD and Warner Home Entertainment.
  9. ^ Kurland, Daniel (17 March 2015). "The One Where 'Friends' First Attempted a Bottle Episode". Vulture. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  10. ^ a b Sophia Stewart (July 31, 2018). "The 20 Best TV Bottle Episodes Ever". Film School Rejects. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  11. ^ "Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide - The Edge of Destruction - Details". BBC. Archived from the original on 2019-12-21. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
  12. ^ "Breaking Bad: "Fly"". The A.V. Club. 24 May 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  13. ^ "Fly". IMDb. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  14. ^ Murray, Noel (2010-06-13). "Vince Gilligan". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  15. ^ Framke, Caroline (2015-02-05). "Archer: "Vision Quest"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2022-05-10. Retrieved 2022-05-10. a classic bottle episode that traps everyone together in an elevator—in real time
  16. ^ "Girls: A ranking of its bottle episodes". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  17. ^ "How Community perfected the 'bottle episode'". SBS Guide. 7 November 2016. Archived from the original on 2020-04-11. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
  18. ^ Kurland, Daniel (24 February 2015). "Inside 'Community's Meta Knockout of a Bottle Episode". Vulture. Archived from the original on 2019-04-25. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  19. ^ "Bojack Horseman Creator Breaks Down the Devastating Funeral Episode". TV Guide. 2018-09-21. Archived from the original on 2020-10-30. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  20. ^ "Grey's Anatomy goes full bottle in a gimmicky but effective bottle episode". The A.V. Club. November 10, 2016. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  21. ^ Hurley, Laura (February 3, 2021). "Chicago Fire May Have Just Delivered Television's Most Epic Bottle Episode, So What Comes Next?". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2021.

References

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