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bottle episode

(originally, US, television) An episode of a television series designed to be inexpensive and restricted in its use of sets, effects, cast members, etc.

ˈbɒtəl ˈɛpɪsəʊdDocumented since 1960s1960sGen Xhistorical54 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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Born ~1966 · no dated citations yet
1966BornToday, 2026
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#1·Apr 27, 2026

(originally, US, television) An episode of a television series designed to be inexpensive and restricted in its use of sets, effects, cast members, etc.

That's pretty much what a "bottle" episode is; one that uses minimal sets, guest stars, effects, etc, and/or uses lots of clips from past episodes, in order to make a much cheaper episode.
Origin: Said to be from the term “ship-in-a-bottle episode”, the nickname given by the cast and crew of the television series Star Trek (originally broadcast 1966–1969) to an episode set entirely on board the starship USS Enterprise. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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