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The term “bottle episode” comes from the film industry. The term was created by the American author and producer Leslie Stevens.
“Bottle episode” – a small term with a big impact
Behind the term “bottle episode” lies something very elementary, especially for the film industry, namely a lot of money.
- The term “bottle episode” or “bottle show” was created in the 1960s by producer Leslie Stevens. There is a lot of money behind the film industry and most productions very quickly break the million mark. This is all the more true for elaborate shoots, such as Star Trek, James Bond or Spider Man.
- Stevens, who produced the successful TV series “The Outer Limits” at the time, was naturally interested in keeping costs in check. And so, in the spirit of maximizing profits, the name Bottle episode was born.
- The meaning of “bottle episode” is as follows: To simply pull a movie episode out of a bottle like a genie. Specifically, Stevens meant: That an episode is produced with the least possible effort, which accordingly results in comparatively very low costs.
- With the least possible effort means that scenes are produced with “only” a few actors as far as possible. For example, a “bottle episode” could look like this: the actors are in the kitchen. While they are preparing a meal for a meeting with friends, some problems are discussed. As the episode progresses, some friends join them to liven up the plot a little
- In short: “Bottle episode” is an attempt to achieve the best possible effect with very limited resources, such as money and time. There are hardly any costs for the scenes to be shot, as everything necessary is already available anyway. Neither expensive location shoots nor elaborate stunts or even special effects are necessary.
