Comments on: What’s the All-Time Best ‘Bottle Episode’ of a TV Drama?

By: Chuck Sutton

Chuck Sutton — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 11:33:34 +0000

sadly Andre Bruagher died at 61 of unamed illness.

By: Kelvin Childs

Kelvin Childs — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 04:16:31 +0000

Yes, “Three Men and Adena” is the best bottle episode ever.

A runner-up would be the Homicide: Life on the Street episode “Night of the Dead Living.” It was written specifically for the reason cited in the article, to try to avoid location shooting and save on the budget. But it did use the entire cast, to great effect.

The Baltimore Homicide cops are contending with the hottest day of the year. Munch comes in cranky because he was taking a shower and the water cut out on him AND his girlfriend called him to break up with him. There are two mini mysteries: a candle that stays lit although nobody knows who lights it, and a baby found in a cage inside the building.

Pembleton frustrates Giardello because he’s wearing a shirt and properly knotted tie and drinking coffee, despite the heat. Gee gets him for it in the end.

I loved that episode. It had a balance of drama and comedy few shows can pull off.

By: James

James — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 17:30:32 +0000

There was a DS9 episode that was entirely set on Empok Nor (sister station Terok Nor, aka DS9) titled, naturally, “Empok Nor.” I thought that was really clever, as it allowed them to completely reuse their standing sets while the action actually happened in a new location (the only external difference was that establishing shots of the station were rotated to signify the difference, though there’s really no up or down in space anyway).

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 22:34:00 +0000

In reply to Neil Blumengarten.

Oh yeah, “The Box” really only exists as a counterpart to “Three Men and Adena.” An EXCELLENT counterpart, of course.

By: Neil Blumengarten

Neil Blumengarten — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 21:32:13 +0000

“The Box” is a great episode on it’s own, but I couldn’t help pointing out its similarities to “Three Men and Adena.”

For sitcoms, I also have to mention Community for “Cooperative Calligraphy” which, in true Community fashion plays with the format and addresses it head on.

By: John King

John King — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 21:47:37 +0000

my number one choice would be “Once upon a time” from the Prisoner
An intense performance from Patrick McGoohan and Leo McKern (as a returning Number 2) locked together (along with the silent butler) in a room as Number 2 tries a form of regressive therapy known as Degree absolute to break Number 6

Runners-up include

U.F.O. Sub-Smash – despite his claustrophobia, Commander Straker takes direct command of SHADO’s submarine to investigate an underwater alien craft only be trapped underwater with a limited supply of Air.

Doctor Who – Midnight – The Doctor (without Donna) goes on a tour but there is something outside and the Doctor is trapped with people who do not trust him.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 12:16:46 +0000

In reply to Neil Blumengarten.

Great episode, Neil, and one of the examples (plus some Seinfeld ones) that jumped out to me as good sitcom examples, which is why I decided to do a sitcom version of this in the future, ya know?

By: Neil Blumengarten

Neil Blumengarten — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 11:15:32 +0000

I have to give a shoutout to Brooklyn 99’s “The Box” in which (and stay with me here), Holt (Andre Braugher) and Jake (Andy Sandburg), spend pretty much the entire episode just in the interrogration room trying to break Phillip Davidson (Sterling K. Brown) and get him to confess to killing a fellow dentist, Robert Rob Henry Tupper. There’s not enough evidence to arrest him for the crime, and they’re going to have to release him if they can’t get a confession.