@@jdb1478 For me it's been almost the opposite. Started actually getting some excercise in and putting more thought into how I spend my time and what food and drink I put in my body.
The definition of Bottle Episode that I'm more familiar with is one that's done only on existing standing sets. (So, the Chinese Restaurant episode wouldn't count by that definition. Because while they stayed in one location, they did have to sort out the one-off set for the restaurant.) And the footage shot specifically for this episode is shot entirely against the stock colored background that presumably wasn't set up just for this episode. So, yup. Cheddar is pretty much all bottle episodes -- including this one.
@@guaposneeze: In fact, "[b]ottle [e]pisode" itself isn't a brand, so if someone capitalizes it mid-sentence like that then that's just weird, and I haven't an idea of why they'd think it should be done. The same for "[r]estaurant" here, unless that episode's name is actually "Chinese Restaurant." And that random comma between "So" and "yup" kind of has me baffled too, haha! But other than that, you made a good point, but perhaps it still is a bottle episode but there are varying degrees of cheapness to them. I wondered about the parking garage episode. I don't remember their having used a set like that before, but I bet they didn't have to build that one. I bet that episode was pretty cheap in comparison to their others.
The one I hate the most they do to save money is the "let's reminisce about the past and show clips from old episodes". Oh how I hate when that crap starts. The line into an old clip is "Hey remember when Jeff....." Turn Channel Now!!
Youre totally right. Bottle episodes can be both budget decision, and also a brave artistic choice. Episodes that are just glorified highlight reels are just cost cutting measures, outdated, from a time when cartoons an tv shows couldn't have continuity because you didn't watch them week to week
@@WisperingD it’s because they’re cheap, and when the cast gets as powerful as Friends, they usually demand it in their contract. Less work for the same episode pay.
The Fly episode was not boring. It was highly unsettling. Walter definitely had a point about the place needing to be sterile, but he never was so fanatic before. It clearly showed a point where he became fully dedicated to being Heisenberg giving it the full 100% priority over everything else in his live. His pride, his joy, his everything.
He wasn't so fanatic before because he was written out of character. This episode stands out so much because it simply doesn't fit. It's the only episode of the series i dislike.
The fly episode was a lot of things, but boring was not one. It was a slow burning look into the deterioration of Walter White's mind by way of obsession with cleanliness after all the "dirty" things he'd done.
It was my favourite episode. I remembered getting to the end and being blown away that the entire episode was "about a fly". I told everyone who hadn't watched Breaking Bad about it and how great the writing was. Guess I was the odd person out there...
My biggest problem with fly is Walt seemed too out of character. He never acted this way after this particular episode. He kind of got on my nerves with his obsessiveness. One of the few occasions I took Jesse's side over Walt's side.
Fly is a great litmus test for if people are capable of appreciating character development and intense tension without being distracted by OOH SHINY. I feel sorry for people like the people who wrote this.
No, standard three-camera sitcom format, going back to when shows were actually shot before studio audiences. Almost all 3-cam sitcoms have very few main sets and fewer scene changes than something like The Office, a single camera format show.
@@rt0035 Many shows use location and new characters too much. Sometimes a bottle episoe allows more through exploration of your characters, in a few cases in very confrontational dramatic manner. or. idk, just do a clipshow. I guess.
"re-posting my original post". Bottle episodes is not the main reason "Why Every TV Show Has A Noticeably Boring Episode". Every season they assign episodes to writers in the writers room. The top writers get more episodes to write, while the less experience writers gets less. Every season show runners understand that there is one or two episodes that are going to be weak or "suck". So for their hard work and loyalty they assign this weak episode to newer/Up and coming writer in the write room so they can get a writing credit and experience plus the nice writing check.
Put those two concepts together and you've got the best second episode of a tv show ever. Clerks cartoon. Technically it wasn't a bottle episode because they had some new clips from different locations, but it's pretty dang close to being a bottle episode clip show. "One time me and silent Bob were by this metal thing with a knob... You's guys remember that?" "YES, you just did it!" Such a great show.
I totally agree...a few shows have done fake “clip” episodes, though (where it seems like a clip episode, but all the flashbacks they’re having are newly scripted). I don’t mind those.
@@FinanceDreaming Because it fills all the criteria for one. There's only two characters, one setting, and the cutaway gags are kept out keeping the comedy self-contained. It's basically what would happen if Fox ran out of money to pay the voice actors and Seth just decided to do it all himself.
Can filler be consdered the same thing as a bottle episode? I think the difference would be that filler is usually completely irrelevant and disconnected from the plot, while bottle episode is just a lower budget version.
@@iridium9512 similar, fillers are just as expensive as a regular episode to make though, the point being to help slow the anime down so they can pace it better in conjunction with the manga.
Between the funeral and the underwater episode, you either love it or hate it. I was able to listen to the funeral episode like a podcast as I was walking home, but other people hate watching it because they didn't feel there was a lot of visual storytelling. Everyone enjoys art differently
@@dannyboy4682 People who say there was no visual storytelling were not paying attention. The “and suddenly you remember you can swim” with Bojack remembering the music that played in his mother’s parties while her shadow dances is one of the most beautiful shots of the show.
@@soulreaverable I'm not saying it's wrong to enjoy it, or find it stimulating, but it's not universal, and it doesn't make people uncultured or ignorant to disagree. The visuals from the part you mentioned barely lasts seconds, and the rest of the episode was shot from the same 3-4 angles, with the same backdrop. That just isn't engaging for some people to watch. And that's ok
Disagree. Most bottle episodes are terrible because most shows are terrible. I will agree that the worst episode of a great show is better than the best episode of a terrible show.
I was surprised to hear it's the least popular episode. I find it to be one of the most memorable, for the reason that it tells a full story within the confines of its runtime. "The Fly" is one of the few episodes I can actually name. I can describe the rest of the show, but I'd need to research to pinpoint which exact episodes contain the scenes I'm referencing.
Everybody sees art differently and that’s a good thing. That being said, I can’t help but think that people who call Fly boring have totally misunderstood what makes Breaking Bad so great
Totally agree. A well written, well acted, well constructed bottle episode can be great. Plus, a massive, big budget, special effect filled episode can be crap (see basically any episode from GoT season 8)
@@NortheastGamer It shows how crazy to characters have become, mostly Walt, and it has alot flashbacks scenes we didnt know about in it too, idk its a nice change of pace, and I love to watch it high.
Actually ("Umm, Actually ..." LoL), the STAR TREK cast called those episodes "Ship in a Bottle"-episodes. The industry shortened it to 'Bottle Episodes.'
Bojack Horseman and his twenty minute monologue at his mother’s funeral. I love these episodes because they’re explorative and revealing of the characters
The Seinfeld episode was just like showing real life. Larry David wanted to show A real life long wait at a restaurant trying to make time go by. Not exactly to make a cheap episode. It’s a show about nothing.
exactly! the chinese restaurant is literally just "jerry, elaine and george wait for a table at a restaurant" and the episode was so fun! i love it so much and it is hilarious.
I've noticed this and a lot of the time I like those episodes the best since they often involve philosophy and allow you to better know the characters.
Exactly what I was saying in another comment. Character depth reaches another level these times. And also, a group of friends might converse in a certain way but when only just 2 friends are talking in another room, the dynamics may be different.
In high school AP English, one assignment was to do something creative based on something we had read that semester. I did Abbott and Costello Wait for Dontknow as a one-person play and got an A, I had such corny jokes in there while still maintaining the spirit of the play, such hings such as Ducky reciting the Star Trek opening (then just TOS) sounding a bit like Daffy Duck, some Airplane jokes ("He did what?" "He died, that's what happens when you stop living. But, that's not important."), awful puns ("be it ever so humble there's no place like Nome" and standing on top of a star-like structure to make their request because "you know what they say about Wishing Upon a Star"). Proving any bottle episode, with enough comedy, can be great.
Fun fact: Beckett actually wanted Godot to show up in the end, but no theatres were willing to pay for an actor that could properly portray Godot's magnificence. That's the same reason Shakespeare had for using a skull to play Yorick, instead of just having the retired but still living jester show up in the graveyard. True story.
No way is an average BB episode 9.5 million! It's around 3million. An average GOT episode (pre season 6) is 6.5 million and its the most expensive TV show
The series Terra Nova by Steven Spielberg had a 20 million dollar first episode. It was really good, but the budget had to be so big due to all the SFX that it got cancelled after the first season. Based on what you said it's more expensive than GOT.
yeah, that reasoning is opposite of what the reality of a bottle episode actually is. then again, the whole video started off by calling them 'kinda boring' when in reality bottle episodes are usually some of the best episodes of a series because it hones in on great writing and acting and depth instead of flashy nonsense. unfortunately, the masses are like dumb little children who can't be bothered to pay attention through a whole episode (heaven forbid) so they whine about it being boring
How do you figure, @@jonasdash? If the whole set is just one location, like one room or one garage or restaurant, etc., then why wouldn't it be like being stuck in one "bottle"? And how do you figure that just because regular episodes have more than one location, they have "flashy nonsense"? Would you like to see a whole series of just nothing but scenes in one little location? It's actually _your_ logic that doesn't make sense.
Is it still considered to be a bottle episode when the entire episode consists of nothing but flashbacks to previous episodes? I’ve seen that strategy a lot spanning several decades of television. It almost seems as if the writers had writers’ block, and gave up on any form of creativity by just piecing together fragments of previous episodes.
I think there was a writer's strike in the late 80's and many sitcoms had half their season as flashback episodes. I just remember the Cosby Show, Growing Pains, etc., the family would be sitting around the living room, and the entire episode was; "Remember the time dad set the grill on fire" "Or the time mom got mad at dad for vacuuming the house."
In the 50s there was a show called THE MILLIONAIRE that consisted of nothing but flashbacks of this guy who worked for a multimillionaire who anonymously would give a million dollars to people he’d never met and watched to see how the gift impacted their lives.
@@katitax508 Originally they were done for budgetary reasons, but the price is not the defining feature (Breaking Bad's _The Fly_ was actually one of the more espensive episodes)
Actually, the show was being wound down to an ending a year sooner. At the last minute - part way through that now penultimate season, the network wanted one extra year to line up their planned replacement show. HIMYM's final season was cobbled together (on the back of an old envelope practically) into a half dozen quick summary points they banged out to address the main story arc having been a non-surprise revelation that was hidden in plain sight from the pilot episode onwards. All of this helped make the scripted ending seem cruelly protracted to loyal fans. It was like they took 22 extra episodes to poke at a fresh emotional scab. Not at all like killing a fly. The replacement show was quite forgettable and failed anyway.
Best bottle episode of all time: "Free Churro" - BoJack Horseman It's literally at 22 minute monologue, set in one place, a funeral and the script well since it's a 22 minute monologue it has to carry the entire episode....
I actually find myself weirdly enjoying bottle episodes. I like it when shows can dig deep into the main characters and just keep it basic, its kind of a calm in between storms for some shows. I can think of quite a few episodes of supernatural like this, and I recall enjoying them because I liked episodes with just Sam and Dean and maybe one other character. It goes back to the beginning of the story, gives an in depth look at the characters that you might not get in an action packed episode.
Ninja Tony or just a great example of exception to the rule. Also don’t forget that Cheers had guest stars all of the time. Also I do remember an episode where Ted Danson was stuck in a supply closet with maybe Diane? It’s been decades since I’ve seen the show.
They had Sam's office, pool room and Melvilles. Plus main set was so large that smaller subsets within the main set were common....So, I dunno about true bottle episodes.....6 pack maybe
Friends' "The One Where No One's Ready" is actually my favourite episode of that show. And yeah I love Friends. What's to say against a chamber play? The episode was not boring at all. Actually, it's kind of impressive how stressful it got, even though nothing earth-shattering happened (except maybe for Monica's phone call). And I love that it actually goes by in real-time. Plus: the Chandler/Joey back and forth is simply hilarious. I watched a compilation of Friends-scenes in early 2015 and some of those back-and-forths were included, which were one of the main factors of why I wanted to start watching that show. I don't think I had seen even one whole episode in my life before that.
One of the best bottle episodes is in Frasier where Frasier and Niles are getting together their invitation list for their dinner party. Super simple premise, hilarity ensues.
No, I'm not sure that would count as a bottle episode. Paul and Jamie were trapped in the bathroom but there are numerous cut away scenes of what the rest of the cast were doing while they were trapped. The Conversation was when they sat outside the bedroom and attempted to let Mabel cry herself to sleep in Season 6.
Get Frighten I loathed that episode and can’t watch it in repeats bc I can viscerally feel Ross’s tension and anxiety. I like to refer to it as, “The One Where Ross was Right.”
I love that one but didn't see it live. I can't help but think if I had watched it in real time I would have felt betrayed after half an hour of my evening and nothing happened.
@@larissatom6910 oh there are several episodes while characters are asking for Darwin award with their carelessness, they make people uncomfortable, but here at least Chandler/Joey antics were on point.
4:20 Pulling an episode out of a bottle? What? If it was used by the Star Trek writers to refer to an episode that was shot totally on the enterprise wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to refer to a ship in a bottle? Totally contained? Not going anywhere? Just a thought...
“The West Wing” features one of the great Bottle episodes, “17 People”. The entire story is set in three rooms and revolves around three conversations, yet plays a vital role in setting up the stakes of the season finale.
cant believe i had to scroll down this far to find this comment. twd blows it entire budget on a few episodes and does bottle episodes for the rest of the season. not watched it for maybe 2 years i assume its still boring as ever those few good episodes arent worth sitting through the rest of the season imo
I believe good writers and good actors like bottle episodes in which to show off their craft, and explore characters, in shows that are usually very plot heavy or story driven. When they are done just to save money, the laziness usually shows through, and are seldom good.
Me too. But using their strict definition, I haven't been able to think of any. There's always something that disqualifies it. I always though that bottle episodes are the ones that don't have any impact on the rest of the season (or series).
Excellent point! This "bottle episode" essay is total bs. John Ford's work was a complete ultra panoramic extravaganza of bottles etc.... this is a damn dumb excuse for a bad essay! Cheddar sucks bottles!
@@skronked I guess it depends on if you consider "one place" to be one room or one set of rooms which are close to eachother. I'd go more for the former than the latter, but given the budget considerations I can see an argument for the latter.
My favorite bottle episode is "My Coffee with Niles" from "Frasier". It was the last episode of the first season and the whole plot revolves around Frasier coming to terms with being away from Boston and Cheers.
I always figured it was because the characters are stuck in a small space, like they're bottled up. I'm more confused about the term now than before the video!
I would say that the name of a “bottle” episode comes from the fact that it’s almost as having the entire episode within a bottle and you look at it from the hole. Perhaps this is because in the past cameras were static and thus it feels like looking at one of those blotted ships from the bottles mouth.
There was a whole episode of Mary Tyler Moore where the lights went out, most of the episode was just one long shot of the blackened room with the characters talking and interacting in the black. Lol
I actually *really* like bottle episodes. I don't think I've watched one I didn't like. I feel like it forces writers to really bang out a special script and story. I like how they often give you a closer look at some of the characters in the show in a more intimate setting. Also, they're prone to be kinda wacky (like "Fly") and that's always fun.
@Ichabod Locust I like your sense of humor and you have some very interesting playlists. You might find the way I play with power tools to be entertaining: ua-cam.com/video/jFqNTizjCZ4/v-deo.html
Hearing “Fly” is the lowest rated bb episode is pretty upsetting because I think it my favorite episode. You see so much of Walters personality and motivation and get insight into why he can’t stop even if he wanted to
I loved The Fly, it was absolutely amazing character development done subtely at its best. I tend to think more bottle episodes make for better series. It's like what makes slice of life anime so good.
Indeed. British shows usually do 4-6 episodes per season and 1-2 seasons per show. Then they might do a Christmas special and wrap it up and move onto something else. They tell a story and move on, unlike American shows which milk the crap out of each show for every cent they can get, driving into the ground long, long after it's dead. 😒
@@solarplexus7 Wrong... some serial movies at my country have 500+ episodes or even (as example Tukang Bubur Naik Haji) 1013 episodes and ditching "season" system, which is really crazy
The funeral speech in Bojack Horseman. Yes, it was boring. But it was very important for Bojacks character coming to terms with his father. And it's impossible to forget.
I am currently living a real life bottle episode.
David Sky Walker my early 20s have been one long bottle episode
You mean something like waking up, gaming/watching UA-cam for 16 hours, then going back to bed? *Definitely* haven't done thaaaat before. ^^;
eugenides04 I was finally staring to overcome that period of my life and the Corona virus set me back a bit
@@jdb1478 For me it's been almost the opposite. Started actually getting some excercise in and putting more thought into how I spend my time and what food and drink I put in my body.
Except without the good writing...
Plot twist: THIS is a bottle episode from Cheddar.
And yours is a bottled comment 😁
Oh, crap, you beat me to it by just over half a day!
The definition of Bottle Episode that I'm more familiar with is one that's done only on existing standing sets. (So, the Chinese Restaurant episode wouldn't count by that definition. Because while they stayed in one location, they did have to sort out the one-off set for the restaurant.) And the footage shot specifically for this episode is shot entirely against the stock colored background that presumably wasn't set up just for this episode. So, yup. Cheddar is pretty much all bottle episodes -- including this one.
@@guaposneeze: In fact, "[b]ottle [e]pisode" itself isn't a brand, so if someone capitalizes it mid-sentence like that then that's just weird, and I haven't an idea of why they'd think it should be done. The same for "[r]estaurant" here, unless that episode's name is actually "Chinese Restaurant." And that random comma between "So" and "yup" kind of has me baffled too, haha! But other than that, you made a good point, but perhaps it still is a bottle episode but there are varying degrees of cheapness to them.
I wondered about the parking garage episode. I don't remember their having used a set like that before, but I bet they didn't have to build that one. I bet that episode was pretty cheap in comparison to their others.
Double plot twist, we're all living Bottle Episodes. Every now and then we get Disney episodes but those are special occasions.
“The breakfast club” is a Bottle Movie
If they were going to save money, they would have filmed in a library that already existed instead of turning a gymnasium into the library.
PieAl7 Happy yeah u right.
Jeff C ohhhh thats why the library was so big then again my high school had a big as library but not that big
@@jeffc5974 so that's why the library is so bog
Same with "The Man From Earth"
The one I hate the most they do to save money is the "let's reminisce about the past and show clips from old episodes". Oh how I hate when that crap starts. The line into an old clip is "Hey remember when Jeff....." Turn Channel Now!!
Tony Hogg Yeah Friends had a few of those. Very annoying and lazy.
Happy Days was notorious for this. They even included Fonzie "jumping the shark" in a retrospect episode.
Youre totally right. Bottle episodes can be both budget decision, and also a brave artistic choice.
Episodes that are just glorified highlight reels are just cost cutting measures, outdated, from a time when cartoons an tv shows couldn't have continuity because you didn't watch them week to week
@@WisperingD it’s because they’re cheap, and when the cast gets as powerful as Friends, they usually demand it in their contract.
Less work for the same episode pay.
Clip episodes usually happen when there is a writers’ strike. No writer would chose to do them.
The Fly episode was not boring. It was highly unsettling.
Walter definitely had a point about the place needing to be sterile, but he never was so fanatic before.
It clearly showed a point where he became fully dedicated to being Heisenberg giving it the full 100% priority over everything else in his live. His pride, his joy, his everything.
He wasn't so fanatic before because he was written out of character. This episode stands out so much because it simply doesn't fit. It's the only episode of the series i dislike.
It's one of the episodes I remember vividly - far more than any of the cuts where they said "remember that?".
@@frankvizen5480 then you’re a fool, this episode is brilliant in its storytelling and presentation
It’s my favorite.
My favorite episode thought the one where Gus got half his head blown off is up there as well.
Community introduced me to “bottle episodes” and I agreed that they did it so well, I re-watch that episode from time to time.
Im watching that episode right now and had to google it xD
@@rosesnknives haha me 2
They have multiple bottle episodes really.
We're doing a bottle episode!
The purple pen!
The fly episode was a lot of things, but boring was not one. It was a slow burning look into the deterioration of Walter White's mind by way of obsession with cleanliness after all the "dirty" things he'd done.
It was my favourite episode. I remembered getting to the end and being blown away that the entire episode was "about a fly". I told everyone who hadn't watched Breaking Bad about it and how great the writing was. Guess I was the odd person out there...
"It's a raisin".
My biggest problem with fly is Walt seemed too out of character. He never acted this way after this particular episode. He kind of got on my nerves with his obsessiveness. One of the few occasions I took Jesse's side over Walt's side.
Fly is a great litmus test for if people are capable of appreciating character development and intense tension without being distracted by OOH SHINY.
I feel sorry for people like the people who wrote this.
This video is what happens when people don’t get symbolism.
Aren't all Friends episodes, bottle episodes? I mean, the whole show takes room in like 2 rooms.
@@nlapa1 Whoosh...
BudgeThePutcher Nah, Friends just fuckin sucks
No, standard three-camera sitcom format, going back to when shows were actually shot before studio audiences. Almost all 3-cam sitcoms have very few main sets and fewer scene changes than something like The Office, a single camera format show.
@@oyuyuy: Was your first comma in your main post here a "bottle comma"?
@@davidhanson4909: Some still are, no?
"The Box" From Brooklyn 99 is a great example of a great bottle episode
That dentist episode?
Ee err
And that hacker episode.
The best episode of the whole show.
I immediately thought of this after learning what a bottle episode is. One of my favorite episodes of the series!
2020 is the first Bottle episode of the 21st century.
This comment is so underrated...
Now I know how a genie feels....only we don't even get to grant wishes.
Except that it’s been extremely dynamic and dramatic, which is the opposite of a bottle episode
@@rt0035 Many shows use location and new characters too much. Sometimes a bottle episoe allows more through exploration of your characters, in a few cases in very confrontational dramatic manner.
or. idk, just do a clipshow. I guess.
I hate how accurate this comment is
The writers of Big Bang Theory must be alcoholics because every episode is a bottle episode
And two and a half men
You may as well say that about every sitcom.
tshirt Conner isn't that just called "the sitcom starts off as cheap until the actors get famous enough were they are paid stupid amounts of money "
"re-posting my original post". Bottle episodes is not the main reason "Why Every TV Show Has A Noticeably Boring Episode". Every season they assign episodes to writers in the writers room. The top writers get more episodes to write, while the less experience writers gets less. Every season show runners understand that there is one or two episodes that are going to be weak or "suck". So for their hard work and loyalty they assign this weak episode to newer/Up and coming writer in the write room so they can get a writing credit and experience plus the nice writing check.
Not really. Most episodes have them go to the office or out to eat, the comic book store, or plenty of other places
Bottle episodes are better than "clip" episodes, hands down.
If Bottle episodes are the bottle episodes, clip episodes are the hangover episode where everyone was hung over and no one showed up for work
Clip episodes are bad if they are clips oyu have seen. Community's clip episodes were fucking amazing.
Put those two concepts together and you've got the best second episode of a tv show ever. Clerks cartoon.
Technically it wasn't a bottle episode because they had some new clips from different locations, but it's pretty dang close to being a bottle episode clip show.
"One time me and silent Bob were by this metal thing with a knob... You's guys remember that?"
"YES, you just did it!"
Such a great show.
Agreed.... good point.
I totally agree...a few shows have done fake “clip” episodes, though (where it seems like a clip episode, but all the flashbacks they’re having are newly scripted). I don’t mind those.
A better Family Guy example is the episode where Brian and Stewie are stuck in the bank vault.
That was the first episode that came to mind for me.
Same for me. The episode didn't even have music, and was basically Seth McFarlane voicing everything himself.
Out of curiosity, why was that a bottle episode? Was there some crazy episode later on that season?
@@FinanceDreaming Because it fills all the criteria for one. There's only two characters, one setting, and the cutaway gags are kept out keeping the comedy self-contained. It's basically what would happen if Fox ran out of money to pay the voice actors and Seth just decided to do it all himself.
@@FinanceDreaming there was actually a few really high budget episodes that season if I remember correctly.
Free churro, from BoJack Horseman. It's one of the best bottle episodes of all tv
Thought of this exactly, very glad to see this comment is not low down in the comments
@@alexcalaunan same
Hands down
One of my favorite episodes from that whole series honestly
I was literaly about to comment the same thing. I agree a 100%
I thought everyone loved bottle episodes? They’re often the most creative and nuanced episodes in a series.
Or the most laziest
(Like when they just show highlight clips fro previous episodes as a way if reminiscing of the past)
@@randomserbianguy5677 i kinda like that ngl... I'm emotional and love throwbacks, even if I just watched in 1 week ago
They ARE!! I love them
I liked the fly episode a lot
@@tatianadelgado4867You're one of the few. It was terrible!
So it’s basically how every anime has a beach episode
Can filler be consdered the same thing as a bottle episode?
I think the difference would be that filler is usually completely irrelevant and disconnected from the plot, while bottle episode is just a lower budget version.
@@iridium9512 similar, fillers are just as expensive as a regular episode to make though, the point being to help slow the anime down so they can pace it better in conjunction with the manga.
Maybe, if the anime is long enough, a recap episode?
@@carlamarquez9381 Sometimes also called a "clip show".
Naruto has some of the best filler content
My mind went immediately to the episode in Victorious where they’re stuck in an rv with no AC 😂
Yeah, same.
one of the best episodes, too!
i thought the same thing!
I haven’t thought of that episode for probably 6 years or more. It was one of the best.
Oh shit
When the term originated with Star Trek, it was actually "ship in a bottle" episode, later shortened to just bottle episode.
Why isn’t this the top comment
@@Burialofagod it's a conspiracy
Tv tropes!
Beat me to it!
Star Trek also had some amazing bottle episodes. Duet and The Drumhead are among the best episodes of the franchise.
My favorite episode of Drake and Josh is their bottle episode: Tree House
Drake, where’s the door?
Yes
You forgot to cut the door? And you left the saw outside.
“Oh do _yah_ ?!”
The "family guy" bottle episode is surely the one with Stewie and Brian in the bank vault. Also my favourite episode
no they exit the vault at some point
@@polski_dezerter That doesn’t make it not a bottle episode.
Who says an entire TV series can only have one bottle episode?
BoJack Horseman has an entire episode-long monologue by one character at his mother’s funeral. Incredible episode.
Also the underwater one is pretty damn painful. Literally like 3 lines of dialogue...
I thought it was fantastic. That one and the underwater one seemed so unique.
Between the funeral and the underwater episode, you either love it or hate it.
I was able to listen to the funeral episode like a podcast as I was walking home, but other people hate watching it because they didn't feel there was a lot of visual storytelling.
Everyone enjoys art differently
@@dannyboy4682 People who say there was no visual storytelling were not paying attention. The “and suddenly you remember you can swim” with Bojack remembering the music that played in his mother’s parties while her shadow dances is one of the most beautiful shots of the show.
@@soulreaverable I'm not saying it's wrong to enjoy it, or find it stimulating, but it's not universal, and it doesn't make people uncultured or ignorant to disagree.
The visuals from the part you mentioned barely lasts seconds, and the rest of the episode was shot from the same 3-4 angles, with the same backdrop. That just isn't engaging for some people to watch. And that's ok
Community bottle episode was amazing
which one was that?
@@richardsantanna5398 the one they mention in the video lol
@@philiphaney8858
Yeah idk which one that is
@@richardsantanna5398 cooperative calligraphy
@@chingizzhylkybayev8575
Thanks
Imagine thinking The Fly is a "boring episode." Most bottle episodes are usually really good
Same thought no love for the show.
One of the best standout episodes, very important for character exposition.
I agree the Family guy therapy session was actually quite interesting to listen to.
Leo Nguyen the fly episode showed Walter going through psychosis, he focuses too much on the little things
Disagree. Most bottle episodes are terrible because most shows are terrible. I will agree that the worst episode of a great show is better than the best episode of a terrible show.
Fly is severely underrated. Much needed for the pacing and had great character development
Completely agree and honestly it was a refreshing change of pace, and one of my favorite.
Masterpiece episode, but i always skip it when i rewatch the show
@@DamirMaatar understandable
I was surprised to hear it's the least popular episode. I find it to be one of the most memorable, for the reason that it tells a full story within the confines of its runtime. "The Fly" is one of the few episodes I can actually name. I can describe the rest of the show, but I'd need to research to pinpoint which exact episodes contain the scenes I'm referencing.
The fly wasn't paid enough for the performance..
I always thought bottle episodes were so called because the characters were “bottled up” in a single location.
Yup. Like a ship in a bottle.
The fly episode is one of the best: 1 location and 2 actors, they showed how good they are.
Worst rated episode
@@kekerosberg1654
So?
I still rewatch that episode the most till this day.
Keke Rosberg Yeah, well Friends is one of the highest rated shows of all time. Goes to show how much that means.
@@kekerosberg1654 I agree, the people making the ratings must be really shallow and easily distracted.
Community was genius and the bottle episode was perfection
Best one for sure
"Free Churro" on Bojack Horseman was one of the best bottle episodes!
You say what i was thinking, when i was watching the video
Thank you for reminding me the name
But imo it was one of the best episodes, it's the only episode I've watched it multiple times
100% what I first thought of! So good!
I was thinking the exact same thing throughout this entire video
When it ended I couldn't believe I watched an entire episode of a monologue, it was marvelous.
Doctor Who's 'Midnight' is a great example of how the creative constraints of a bottle episode can result in a spectacular script.
Yes. **AND** since it also featured the Doctor without a companion, it also highlighted just how much the Doctor needs his companions.
@@R.F.9847 Donna was in that episode. My favourite episode.
I actually usually love bottle episodes! I feel like the best interactions happen in those episodes and they end up being the funniest.
Everybody sees art differently and that’s a good thing. That being said, I can’t help but think that people who call Fly boring have totally misunderstood what makes Breaking Bad so great
Totally agree. A well written, well acted, well constructed bottle episode can be great.
Plus, a massive, big budget, special effect filled episode can be crap (see basically any episode from GoT season 8)
I honestly taught everybody else liked it when I finished watching it. I didn't know people hated the episode so much..
Ikr, the fly episode is usually the first episode I rewatch, before starting the show ever, I love that episode, im suprised its the most hated one.
@@user-gt6oh5jx6l I barely remember the episode. Only watched the series that far once. Remind me, what is to like about it specifically?
@@NortheastGamer It shows how crazy to characters have become, mostly Walt, and it has alot flashbacks scenes we didnt know about in it too, idk its a nice change of pace, and I love to watch it high.
Actually ("Umm, Actually ..." LoL), the STAR TREK cast called those episodes "Ship in a Bottle"-episodes. The industry shortened it to 'Bottle Episodes.'
Makes sense!!
Bojack Horseman and his twenty minute monologue at his mother’s funeral. I love these episodes because they’re explorative and revealing of the characters
The Seinfeld episode was just like showing real life. Larry David wanted to show A real life long wait at a restaurant trying to make time go by. Not exactly to make a cheap episode. It’s a show about nothing.
Yeah this kind of episode is the essence of the show .
BORING!!
exactly! the chinese restaurant is literally just "jerry, elaine and george wait for a table at a restaurant" and the episode was so fun! i love it so much and it is hilarious.
“Noticeably boring”? Watch your damn tongue
How's quarantine
@@Dabpss Still boring. I feel bottled up.
@@NortheastGamer Then unbottle
1:37 my dude Larry David pulling a classic Larry David move.
curb your enthusiasm
Pro Gamer Move
Would be perfect Larry David if he stormed out, saying he was done, then coming back the next week as if nothing had happened.
He feared success because God would kill him first...or was that George?
@@CurtisDensmore1 George was the amplified sadistic caricature Larry David saw himself as
As in a “ship in a bottle”...which doesn’t move.
Yeah, I think that's why they coined it this during Star Trek's bottle episodes since they were confined to being in the ship
I've noticed this and a lot of the time I like those episodes the best since they often involve philosophy and allow you to better know the characters.
Exactly what I was saying in another comment. Character depth reaches another level these times.
And also, a group of friends might converse in a certain way but when only just 2 friends are talking in another room, the dynamics may be different.
“Waiting for Godot”: the original bottle episode.
Yes!
In high school AP English, one assignment was to do something creative based on something we had read that semester. I did Abbott and Costello Wait for Dontknow as a one-person play and got an A, I had such corny jokes in there while still maintaining the spirit of the play, such hings such as Ducky reciting the Star Trek opening (then just TOS) sounding a bit like Daffy Duck, some Airplane jokes ("He did what?" "He died, that's what happens when you stop living. But, that's not important."), awful puns ("be it ever so humble there's no place like Nome" and standing on top of a star-like structure to make their request because "you know what they say about Wishing Upon a Star"). Proving any bottle episode, with enough comedy, can be great.
Fun fact: Beckett actually wanted Godot to show up in the end, but no theatres were willing to pay for an actor that could properly portray Godot's magnificence. That's the same reason Shakespeare had for using a skull to play Yorick, instead of just having the retired but still living jester show up in the graveyard. True story.
Fun fact: Godot is a play on the Irish word 'go deo' which means 'forever'
Nope. Doesn't count. Not an episode. Plays don't count. They are rarely 'episodes.'
"You never say thank you!"
"That's what the money is for!"
Honestly that's great writing
No way is an average BB episode 9.5 million! It's around 3million. An average GOT
episode (pre season 6) is 6.5 million and its the most expensive TV show
The series Terra Nova by Steven Spielberg had a 20 million dollar first episode. It was really good, but the budget had to be so big due to all the SFX that it got cancelled after the first season. Based on what you said it's more expensive than GOT.
@@channelMasterGuiGame looks like she's talking about averages while you're talking about a single episode
Wasn't Marco Polo the most expensive TV series of all times?
No it cost about a million idk where they god 9.5 million per episode.
Source:the breaking bad podcast
@@jordanjohnson979 Hahaha there is no way AMC could afford $9.5 million per episode.
They are a small network. It seemed out of place
"Pulling an episode out of a bottle"? Maybe instead, it's because it's more like they're _stuck in_ a bottle.
yeah, that reasoning is opposite of what the reality of a bottle episode actually is. then again, the whole video started off by calling them 'kinda boring' when in reality bottle episodes are usually some of the best episodes of a series because it hones in on great writing and acting and depth instead of flashy nonsense. unfortunately, the masses are like dumb little children who can't be bothered to pay attention through a whole episode (heaven forbid) so they whine about it being boring
How do you figure, @@jonasdash? If the whole set is just one location, like one room or one garage or restaurant, etc., then why wouldn't it be like being stuck in one "bottle"? And how do you figure that just because regular episodes have more than one location, they have "flashy nonsense"? Would you like to see a whole series of just nothing but scenes in one little location?
It's actually _your_ logic that doesn't make sense.
Or you have to return your bottles that you drank making the other episodes.
@@leifharmsen: Drank *from.... but yeah, heheh, maybe!
Yes they are all bottled up together.
3:00 - The bank-vault episode comes to mine before the therapy episode.
4:19 - Actually, it's because the whole episode is sealed in a bottle.
Such as it all takes place in one place seems about right
In the case of Star Trek it's "a ship in a bottle"
Is it still considered to be a bottle episode when the entire episode consists of nothing but flashbacks to previous episodes? I’ve seen that strategy a lot spanning several decades of television. It almost seems as if the writers had writers’ block, and gave up on any form of creativity by just piecing together fragments of previous episodes.
Anthony Langley
That’s just a clip show. But it’s also to save money.
I think there was a writer's strike in the late 80's and many sitcoms had half their season as flashback episodes. I just remember the Cosby Show, Growing Pains, etc., the family would be sitting around the living room, and the entire episode was; "Remember the time dad set the grill on fire" "Or the time mom got mad at dad for vacuuming the house."
In the 50s there was a show called THE MILLIONAIRE that consisted of nothing but flashbacks of this guy who worked for a multimillionaire who anonymously would give a million dollars to people he’d never met and watched to see how the gift impacted their lives.
@@randolpho- Little House On The Prairie where the characters would just sit around and smile at each other. The Waltons is another example. 😁😬😁😀😄😃
Is the episode in Brooklyn 99 where Holt and Jake interview that guy for a whole episode
a bottle episode?
Yep, “The Box”. One of my favorite episodes of the whole series!
Yeah but that was a Great episode to watch.
arguably the best episode of the series
I don’t think so because they brought in the guy from This is Us, that mustn’t have been cheap
@@katitax508 Originally they were done for budgetary reasons, but the price is not the defining feature (Breaking Bad's _The Fly_ was actually one of the more espensive episodes)
So the definition of a bottle episode is to spend less money.
Sounds practical
Don and PEGGY! Not Penny! Have you even seen Mad men...
Brandon Brooks I specifically scrolled the comments to make sure I didn’t mishear and was rightful in my tepid judgement.
I hit rewind a few times to make sure I was hearing it right.
Imagine crying that they mispronounced a name.
@@Choblow93 Imagine not knowing the difference between a mispronunciation and getting the name wrong.
@@Smileyqaz Imagine caring enough to write a youtube comment about it
HIMYM The entire last season. Specifically the one in which Marshall tells his son bedtime stories in rhyme.
Creators didn't want how I met to end as an awesome show, that's why they shot the last season... Destroyed the whole series
Actually, the show was being wound down to an ending a year sooner. At the last minute - part way through that now penultimate season, the network wanted one extra year to line up their planned replacement show.
HIMYM's final season was cobbled together (on the back of an old envelope practically) into a half dozen quick summary points they banged out to address the main story arc having been a non-surprise revelation that was hidden in plain sight from the pilot episode onwards.
All of this helped make the scripted ending seem cruelly protracted to loyal fans. It was like they took 22 extra episodes to poke at a fresh emotional scab.
Not at all like killing a fly.
The replacement show was quite forgettable and failed anyway.
Best bottle episode of all time: "Free Churro" - BoJack Horseman
It's literally at 22 minute monologue, set in one place, a funeral and the script well since it's a 22 minute monologue it has to carry the entire episode....
I always called them, "one room episodes" and they are my favorite. Like those really intense one set plays by Tennessee williams.
Short version: they're called "bottle episodes" and about saving money and production time by keeping to one location with existing set/props.
2:45 “Don and Penny”
*and Cheddar wonders why people criticize them*
They were *so* close! Haha
They had ONE job. Lol
Thank you for also noticing that
Who the fuck is Penny!?
@@ilford6x6 Peggy's less uptight cousin? I dunno...
Game of Thrones took this to the next level and had a bottle season
lmao so true
But...... A bottle episode is supposed to have less and be cheap. GOT was just bad but didn't lack "things" happening.
Brian Theuma totally agree with you. But this comment is just a joke
GoT is a bottle series
@@cheesebusiness it's not . it's just a really bad season
“The Suitcase” episode from Mad Men can easily be the best from the entire series.
I actually find myself weirdly enjoying bottle episodes. I like it when shows can dig deep into the main characters and just keep it basic, its kind of a calm in between storms for some shows. I can think of quite a few episodes of supernatural like this, and I recall enjoying them because I liked episodes with just Sam and Dean and maybe one other character. It goes back to the beginning of the story, gives an in depth look at the characters that you might not get in an action packed episode.
Isn’t the whole series of cheers a bottle episode?
Mostly, and it's a great example of why this video is wrong.
Ninja Tony or just a great example of exception to the rule. Also don’t forget that Cheers had guest stars all of the time. Also I do remember an episode where Ted Danson was stuck in a supply closet with maybe Diane? It’s been decades since I’ve seen the show.
They had Sam's office, pool room and Melvilles. Plus main set was so large that smaller subsets within the main set were common....So, I dunno about true bottle episodes.....6 pack maybe
There are bottle episodes, then there's Brooklyn Nine Nine's "The Box."
most of the episodes you mentioned are actually really good, calling them "Noticeably Boring Episodes" is wrong
The plots of these episodes sound boring but the episodes themselves are not.
She means not a lot of action at all
Friends' "The One Where No One's Ready" is actually my favourite episode of that show. And yeah I love Friends. What's to say against a chamber play? The episode was not boring at all. Actually, it's kind of impressive how stressful it got, even though nothing earth-shattering happened (except maybe for Monica's phone call). And I love that it actually goes by in real-time. Plus: the Chandler/Joey back and forth is simply hilarious. I watched a compilation of Friends-scenes in early 2015 and some of those back-and-forths were included, which were one of the main factors of why I wanted to start watching that show. I don't think I had seen even one whole episode in my life before that.
I like that episode too. It’s one of my favorite bottle episodes.
One of the best bottle episodes is in Frasier where Frasier and Niles are getting together their invitation list for their dinner party. Super simple premise, hilarity ensues.
I feel like this was a bottle episode
Hahaha
Mad About You's "The Conversation" is the ultimate bottle episode. It was shot in a single take from a single camera with only 2 actors.
Is that the one where they were trapped in the bathroom for some reason?
No, I'm not sure that would count as a bottle episode. Paul and Jamie were trapped in the bathroom but there are numerous cut away scenes of what the rest of the cast were doing while they were trapped. The Conversation was when they sat outside the bedroom and attempted to let Mabel cry herself to sleep in Season 6.
I was about to mention that episode! And the title scene where Paul comments about a movie shot in one take - brilliant!
"The One Where No One's Ready" is amazing
Get Frighten I loathed that episode and can’t watch it in repeats bc I can viscerally feel Ross’s tension and anxiety. I like to refer to it as, “The One Where Ross was Right.”
I love that one but didn't see it live. I can't help but think if I had watched it in real time I would have felt betrayed after half an hour of my evening and nothing happened.
@@larissatom6910 oh there are several episodes while characters are asking for Darwin award with their carelessness, they make people uncomfortable, but here at least Chandler/Joey antics were on point.
Kasumi Rina Gaming very true. What I most liked about FRIENDS was the characters’ baseline personalities stayed the same throughout the series.
The one with Claire in the airport waiting for her flight and they're all face timing in modern family
I love the friend’s one “the one where no ones ready”
4:20 Pulling an episode out of a bottle? What? If it was used by the Star Trek writers to refer to an episode that was shot totally on the enterprise wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to refer to a ship in a bottle? Totally contained? Not going anywhere?
Just a thought...
You're correct. I've heard as much said in interviews with the cast & writers
It's almost like the writers of this schlock don't care.
“The Box” from B99 was amazing
“The West Wing” features one of the great Bottle episodes, “17 People”. The entire story is set in three rooms and revolves around three conversations, yet plays a vital role in setting up the stakes of the season finale.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine's bottle episode with the interogation was ironically the best one in the series lol
'The Box' from Brooklyn Nine Nine, 'Free Churro' from Bojack Horseman, and Community's bottle episode are some of the best ever!
No one gonna talk about how she called Peggy “penny” at 2:45???
Sonya Wait it bothered me more than it should
the walking dead took this idea too far, made it 3 seasons
cant believe i had to scroll down this far to find this comment. twd blows it entire budget on a few episodes and does bottle episodes for the rest of the season.
not watched it for maybe 2 years i assume its still boring as ever those few good episodes arent worth sitting through the rest of the season imo
Agreed. What a terrible let down that show has become
@@stevenchaloner162 Ngl it's kinda picked up after season 9 (thankfully)
I believe good writers and good actors like bottle episodes in which to show off their craft, and explore characters, in shows that are usually very plot heavy or story driven. When they are done just to save money, the laziness usually shows through, and are seldom good.
Doesn't "chasing a fly for hours" go hand-in-hand with Meth ANYWAY??
I haven't once watched a "bottle" episode realising it's a bottle episode until after watching it or thinking that it's worse than other episodes.
Gosh, now that you've brought this to my attention, I can't stop thinking of different Bottle episodes in my favorite shows...
Me too. But using their strict definition, I haven't been able to think of any. There's always something that disqualifies it. I always though that bottle episodes are the ones that don't have any impact on the rest of the season (or series).
@@rowynnecrowley1689 I don't think they are meant to be that strict. If you think one episode is a bottle episode maybe it is one.
The Friends episode where no one is ready is actually my favorite one of all time.
Every episode of the office is a bottle episode 😂
Excellent point! This "bottle episode" essay is total bs. John Ford's work was a complete ultra panoramic extravaganza of bottles etc.... this is a damn dumb excuse for a bad essay! Cheddar sucks bottles!
@@skronked I guess it depends on if you consider "one place" to be one room or one set of rooms which are close to eachother. I'd go more for the former than the latter, but given the budget considerations I can see an argument for the latter.
Ahh yes The Office , i can only imagine that office space in Scranton is ridiculously cheep as they had a incredibly large amount of space.
@@stanleyhape8427 well they weren’t really in Scranton
@@rdsully1221 are you sure about that?
Have you even seen the show? They clearly show a big SCRANTON , Pa. in the opening credits.
The Edge Of Destruction in Doctor Who's first season (1963) is a bottle episode
My favorite bottle episode is "My Coffee with Niles" from "Frasier". It was the last episode of the first season and the whole plot revolves around Frasier coming to terms with being away from Boston and Cheers.
the Box in Brooklyn 99 was an amazing bottle episode
yeah it was my favourite episode
It’s not because the Enterprise would be a ship in a bottle?
I always figured it was because the characters are stuck in a small space, like they're bottled up. I'm more confused about the term now than before the video!
I would say that the name of a “bottle” episode comes from the fact that it’s almost as having the entire episode within a bottle and you look at it from the hole. Perhaps this is because in the past cameras were static and thus it feels like looking at one of those blotted ships from the bottles mouth.
There was a whole episode of Mary Tyler Moore where the lights went out, most of the episode was just one long shot of the blackened room with the characters talking and interacting in the black. Lol
I think your TV blew a tube. 😲
I actually *really* like bottle episodes. I don't think I've watched one I didn't like. I feel like it forces writers to really bang out a special script and story. I like how they often give you a closer look at some of the characters in the show in a more intimate setting. Also, they're prone to be kinda wacky (like "Fly") and that's always fun.
Every day of most people's lives is a bottle episode. That's why I refuse to take a job anymore where I always have to be at the same place.
@Ichabod Locust I like your sense of humor and you have some very interesting playlists. You might find the way I play with power tools to be entertaining: ua-cam.com/video/jFqNTizjCZ4/v-deo.html
Hearing “Fly” is the lowest rated bb episode is pretty upsetting because I think it my favorite episode. You see so much of Walters personality and motivation and get insight into why he can’t stop even if he wanted to
What is bb ?
@@Diana-0312 breaking bad
@@H432-v6w thanks
@@Diana-0312 no problem
I absolutely loved "The Fly," and it's probably one of my favorite episodes. The tone of it is just spot on
Free churro from Bojack Horseman was a masterpiece of a bottle episode
my favourite ep of friends is that bottle ep where they're all getting ready tbh
As soon as I saw the title I thought of the fly episode 😂
Me too!
I loved The Fly, it was absolutely amazing character development done subtely at its best. I tend to think more bottle episodes make for better series. It's like what makes slice of life anime so good.
Family Guy had another one but with Stewie and Brian locked in the bank safe!
Community's bottle episode was also one of their best episodes.
Y'all ever heard of classic theatre?
Thank you! I thought I was the only one! I also just referenced Black Box performances in my comments on this post.
Imagine this: LESS EPISODES. It's okay. I promise.
Yeah just like typical anime
@@KangJangkrik Typical ANYTHING outside of the US. Every other country has seasons that are 13 episodes MAX. Many much less.
Indeed. British shows usually do 4-6 episodes per season and 1-2 seasons per show. Then they might do a Christmas special and wrap it up and move onto something else. They tell a story and move on, unlike American shows which milk the crap out of each show for every cent they can get, driving into the ground long, long after it's dead. 😒
@@solarplexus7 Wrong... some serial movies at my country have 500+ episodes or even (as example Tukang Bubur Naik Haji) 1013 episodes and ditching "season" system, which is really crazy
@@KangJangkrik this situation is the same in my country LOL one of them even has 1477 episodes
Community have the best bottle episode in all the many series ive watched
Don and PEGGY*
Damn who's Penny?
Right?? Wtf, Cheddar...
At least, better if they would have said "Dog and Penny" compensation for the G
The funeral speech in Bojack Horseman. Yes, it was boring. But it was very important for Bojacks character coming to terms with his father. And it's impossible to forget.
a perfect example of an amazing bottle episode: the box from brooklyn nine nine (s05e14) one of the highest rated on imdb