8 TV Bottle Episodes to Help You Through Self-Quarantine

There's not a lot to do in the era of self-isolation, as more and more people around the globe take part in the practice in order to slow down the spread of coronavirus. That means a lot of them are turning to streaming services to help pass the time while they're stuck inside.

It's a practice that isn't new to the world TV, either. In fact, there's a whole trope based around the idea: the bottle episode. It's rumored that the phrase was originally coined by writers of the original Star Trek series, who had to come up with low-concept episodes in order to stretch the show's budget for a full season, which they called "ship in a bottle" episodes.

What makes a TV episode a bottle episode boils down to having it take place entirely (or almost entirely) in one confined setting. If the show usually employs a lot of visual effects or grand locations, those are typically stripped away for a more intimate experience of actors playing off one another. It's also common that only a few of the show's characters will take part, although that isn't always the case.

With that in mind, here's a list of 10 of TV's best bottle episodes for you to stream in solidarity from the comfort of your home.