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Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse from 2003

The show kicks off with the intelligence unit restricted during a training exercise concerning a fictional terrorist event, supervised by two Home Office agents. As events unfold, it becomes clear a real incident has taken place and a chemical weapon has been unleashed. The anxiety increases as reports reveal a catastrophe taking place outside, and escalates as the superior shows signs of exposure, with the two officials trying to exit, compelling the character played by Matthew Macfadyen to decide between shooting them or letting them go and endangering the sterile MI5 environment. Given it’s Spooks, his decision is predictable.

Threads from 1984

Threads was low budget but arguably the most terrifying series I’ve ever seen owing to its grim authenticity and grim official statistics. Viewed it recently having watched the original; I frequently went to the Sheffield pub featured in the show which underscored the actuality and the glib matter-of-fact official information which was broadcast. Remaining completely frightening after three and a half decades.

Severance – The We We Are (2022)

The first season finale of Severance deserves a top spot as a tense chapter. I was throughout the episode literally perched nervously, straining every sinew with Dylan to maintain his grip on the controls that kept the Innies on overtime, while screaming at the Innies to disclose their facts. The ultimate peak – “she survives!” – was like an eruption.

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 leave the room several times because of the sheer scale of the deliberate ruin I observed. Rishi Ramdani is in deep shit in his job and domestic life – overwhelmed by debt from unscrupulous lenders owing to his uncontrollable gaming, engaging in dangerous ventures on a wager involving sterling which could lose his company millions. So of course, he goes on a gambling spree, does tons of drugs and drink and experiences wins and losses, is brutally attacked. Whenever you assume it can’t get any worse, it does. There is a chance for salvation at the end of the episode yet he wastes the chance, resulting in dreadful effects in the concluding part of the season. Absolutely had to relax following that!

The 2007 Peep Show episode Holiday

Peep Show itself isn’t necessarily a stressful show. Yet the installment Holiday includes such amounts of embarrassment that it can cause you to stand the whole episode, filled with nervousness. The tension escalates once Jeremy and Mark find themselves needing to deceive regarding the dog they unintentionally hit and subsequent attempts to dispose of it. You then occupy the remainder of the episode doubting if it can actually be more terrible than burning, and it turns out to be!

The 2001 The West Wing episode The Two Cathedrals

Nothing I have seen has been as tense compared to my initial viewing the concluding episode of The West Wing’s second season. The episode starts with the aftermath 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 repercussions of the secrecy about the president’s MS condition, along with affirmation of his plan to run for another term. Superb programming. Never bettered.

Bodyguard – episode one (2018)

The opening of the British series Bodyguard, with the hero aboard a train alongside his juvenile boy, ranks among the most gripping episodes I’ve seen. He observes a woman in Islamic attire heading to the toilet and knows something is off. The explosive disposal specialists are summoned, get on the train, and endeavor to coax the woman to discard her bomb jacket. Anxiety builds to a nearly intolerable level, until, finally, the vest is neutralized.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Body (2001)

Buffy comes into her home to discover her mother has died from natural reasons, which is the most unusual type of death in this paranormal series. The show features no musical score, a somber mood, and we see the episode through the experience of Buffy’s shock of discovering her mother.

The Sopranos – Made in America from 2007

The concluding moment of the last installment of the show was pants-wettingly tense. And for those who saw it during its initial broadcast, you – at the start – didn’t understand the cause. Tony’s enemies, real and imagined, had all been defeated. Doesn’t this resemble the season one conclusion? “Recall the minor details.” Yet the atmosphere is strangely foreboding. Almost Twin Peaks levels of terror. The family sit in a restaurant. Meadow stops the car. Tony sorrowfully notifies Carmela there’s trouble afoot with another member of his team collaborating with the authorities. Meadow secures a parking space. Strange people enter the restaurant. Look at Tony(?) Meadow continues to park. Tony selects a song on the jukebox. Meadow parks her car. The door chimes, a person comes in. Can’t be Meadow, she’s still parking. Tony looks up. Keep going. It stops. My heart sank around 20 minutes subsequently.

The 2016 The Walking Dead episode The Last Day on Earth

I remained awake to view this installment at 2am. It was incredibly tense following the introduction of villain Negan locating the survivors, savagely teasing his prey and then keeping the death a mystery (ended on a cliffhanger). The first-person perspective of the victim and the subdued noises – argh! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season