Bottle Episode
A TV episode produced cheaply using limited locations and existing sets.
Definition
A bottle episode confines action to a single location or limited sets to reduce production costs. Often born of budget necessity, bottle episodes can become creative highlights that focus on character development and dialogue.
Showrunners strategically place bottle episodes within seasons to offset expensive action sequences or location shoots elsewhere.
Why It Matters
Understanding bottle episodes helps producers manage television budgets across a season. One expensive episode might require three cheaper ones to balance the books.
Writers often find bottle episodes creatively liberating, forcing character-driven storytelling.
Examples in Practice
A sitcom's bottle episode set entirely in an elevator becomes a fan favorite, proving constraints can spark creativity.
A drama budgets one ambitious two-part episode by planning two bottle episodes earlier in the season.
A showrunner pitches a bottle episode concept to the network as a character study, using budget savings to fund the finale.