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Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse from 2003

The episode begins with the MI5 agents locked down while undergoing a drill relating to a hypothetical terrorist attack, overseen by two Home Office officials. As things progress, it seems an actual attack has occurred and a chemical agent deployed. The suspense builds as incoming communications show a disaster happening externally, and gets worse when the leader seems contaminated, and the two Home Office officials attempt to leave, compelling the character played by Matthew Macfadyen to opt for either shooting them or permitting their exit and risking contaminating the sealed MI5 offices. This being Spooks, the outcome is expected.

Threads (1984)

The production was inexpensive but arguably the most terrifying series I have ever watched owing to its grim authenticity and grim official statistics. Viewed it recently after seeing the first airing; I frequently went to the Sheffield pub shown in the series which emphasised the reality and the casual, straightforward government details that were transmitted. Still absolutely terrifying 35 years later.

Severance – The We We Are from 2022

The season one finale of Severance has to be right up there as a tense chapter. I remained for the whole show literally perched nervously, exerting with Dylan to keep his hands on the levers that kept the Innies on overtime, while shouting to the Innies to reveal their realities. The ultimate peak – “she is living!” – felt like an explosion.

Industry – White Mischief from 2024

Episode five of the third series of Industry had my heart racing. I had to pause and get up and exit the space repeatedly because of the sheer scale of the wanton self-destruction I was witnessing. Rishi Ramdani faces serious trouble at work and home – overwhelmed by debt from unscrupulous lenders because of his compulsive gambling, assuming hazardous chances with a gamble on the pound which may result in huge losses for his employer. Naturally, he embarks on a betting frenzy, does tons of drugs and drink and alternates between success and failure, gets beaten to a pulp. Every time you think it can’t get any worse, it deteriorates. Redemption seems possible at the end of the episode yet he wastes the chance, with horrifying consequences in the season finale. Absolutely had to relax following that!

The 2007 Peep Show episode Holiday

Peep Show is not inherently a tense series. Yet the installment Holiday contains such levels of cringe that it’ll have you standing up for the full show, riddled with anxiety. It all ramps up when Jeremy and Mark realize needing to deceive regarding the dog they accidentally run over and following tries to eliminate it. You then spend the rest of the episode questioning whether it truly can be worse than incineration, and it turns out to be!

The 2001 The West Wing episode The Two Cathedrals

Nothing I’ve watched has been more intense compared to my initial viewing the second season finale of The West Wing. The installment begins with the consequences of the death (in a traffic accident) of the president’s confidential aide and escalates to a高潮 with a situation in Haiti, and the fallout from the non-disclosure regarding the president’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis, with confirmation of his intention to seek re-election. Superb programming. Unequaled.

Bodyguard – episode one from 2018

The start of the British program Bodyguard, with the hero aboard a train accompanied by his small son, is for me one of the most intense episodes ever. He spots a Muslim woman going into the loo and knows something is off. The bomb squad is alerted, enter the train, and try to persuade the woman to take off her suicide vest. Suspense rises to a practically unendurable point, until, finally, the vest is neutralized.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Body from 2001

Buffy enters her house to discover her mother has died of natural causes, which is the rarest form of demise in this supernatural show. The episode has no background music, a somber mood, and we view the installment through the lens of Buffy’s dismay upon uncovering her mother.

The 2007 The Sopranos finale Made in America

The concluding moment of the last installment of the series was extremely nerve-wracking. And if you watched it when it originally aired, you – at first – weren’t sure why. Tony’s enemies, real and imagined, were all overcome. Surely this has the feel of the season one ending? “Remember the little things.” But the mood is bizarrely ominous. Approaching Twin Peaks-esque horror. The family gathers in a diner. Meadow finds a parking spot. Tony sorrowfully notifies Carmela problems are brewing with an additional associate collaborating with the authorities. Meadow secures a parking space. Strange people enter the restaurant. Gaze at Tony(?) Meadow parks. Tony selects a song on the jukebox. Meadow parks. The door chimes, a person comes in. It isn’t Meadow, she remains parking. Tony glances upward. Keep going. It halts. My heart dropped from my mouth about 20 minutes later.

The Walking Dead – The Last Day on Earth from 2016

I kept late hours to see this show during the night. It was so intense after the establishment of antagonist Negan discovering the characters, savagely teasing his prey and then leaving the victim unknown (ended on a cliffhanger). The first-person perspective of the victim and the muted audio – argh! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season