There is nothing quite like a well-done Bottle episode. Even if you haven't heard the term before, you know what I mean - those small little standalone episodes that slip right in the middle of serialized TV and provide an hour of character drama, comedy, or suspense featuring only the main cast members with little or no extravagant production value. Bottle episodes, for better and worse, are relatively uncommon, even in modern Television. The reason is simple: there is no formula to make a great bottle episode. The only thread that unites this trope is the price tag - for often, Bottle episodes are made when a TV series finds itself with a tighter budget than expected, and must dial back on an episode or two. Because Bottle Episodes are so difficult to define in general, these are the criteria used to judge what makes a great bottle episode: A.) It should be at least as entertaining as the rest of the show, with a significantly lower budget, B.) It should develop a key relationship between one or more of the main characters, and C.) It MUST use only a handful of sets exceptionally well. So, without further ado, here are 8 of the most memorable Bottle Episodes in television history, many of which stand out as some of the best in their respective series. Enjoy! Are we missing a bottle episode you find particularly memorable? Let us know in the comments!
Self-evidently a man who writes for the Internet, Robert also writes films, plays, teleplays, and short stories when he's not working on a movie set somewhere. He lives somewhere behind the Hollywood sign.
