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Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse from 2003

The show kicks off with the Spooks team restricted as part of a simulation relating to a hypothetical terrorist attack, supervised by two Home Office agents. As events unfold, it becomes clear a real incident has taken place with a chemical weapon released. The suspense builds as incoming communications show a crisis unfolding beyond their walls, and gets worse as the superior shows signs of exposure, and the government agents endeavor to depart, compelling the character played by Matthew Macfadyen to choose between firing at them or allowing them to leave and risking contaminating the sealed MI5 offices. Given it’s Spooks, the outcome is expected.

Threads (1984)

The production was inexpensive but arguably the most terrifying series I’ve ever seen because of the stark reality and grim official statistics. Saw it not long ago following the initial broadcast; I frequently went to the Sheffield pub shown in the series that highlighted the truth and the casual, straightforward government details that were transmitted. Remaining completely frightening after three and a half decades.

Severance – The We We Are from 2022

The first season finale of Severance ranks highly as a tense chapter. I remained for the whole show quite literally on the edge of my seat, pushing alongside Dylan to hold the switches that allowed the Innies to remain active, while shouting to the Innies to reveal their realities. The ultimate peak – “she’s alive!” – resembled a outburst.

Industry – White Mischief from 2024

Installment five in Industry’s third series had my heart racing. I had to pause and get up and depart the area multiple times because of the sheer scale of the wanton self-destruction I saw. Rishi Ramdani is in major difficulty at work and home – buried in financial obligations to illegal creditors because of his compulsive gambling, taking such risks with a bet on sterling which could lose his company millions. Naturally, he embarks on a betting frenzy, consumes excessive substances and alcohol and experiences wins and losses, is severely assaulted. Each instance you believe things cannot decline more, it worsens. There’s hope of redemption at the end of the episode but he squanders the opportunity, resulting in dreadful effects in the season finale. Definitely needed a lie-down after that!

Peep Show – Holiday (2007)

Peep Show is not inherently a tense series. Yet the installment Holiday contains such levels of cringe that it will make you rise the whole episode, riddled with anxiety. It all ramps up as Jeremy and Mark discover needing to deceive regarding the dog they accidentally run over and later efforts to get rid 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 West Wing – The Two Cathedrals (2001)

No other viewing has been as gripping than the first time I watched the concluding episode of The West Wing’s second season. The show opens with the fallout of the death (in a traffic accident) of the president’s private assistant and builds to a peak involving a Haitian emergency, and the effects of the withheld information of the president’s MS diagnosis, with confirmation of his intention to run for another term. Excellent TV. Never bettered.

The 2018 Bodyguard premiere episode

The opening of the British series Bodyguard, featuring the main character on a train accompanied by his small son, ranks among the most gripping episodes I’ve seen. He notices a Muslim female going into the loo and realizes something is amiss. The bomb squad is alerted, enter the train, and endeavor to coax the woman to remove her explosive vest. Anxiety builds to an almost unbearable degree, until, finally, the vest is neutralized.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Body from 2001

Buffy arrives at her residence to discover her mother has died due to natural factors, which is the most unusual type of death in this paranormal series. The installment lacks any soundtrack, a gloomy atmosphere, and we witness the episode via the perspective of Buffy’s dismay upon uncovering her mother.

The Sopranos – Made in America (2007)

The final scene of the final episode of the show was pants-wettingly tense. And if you watched it when it originally aired, you – initially – were uncertain of the reason. Tony’s enemies, real and imagined, were all overcome. This seems similar to the first season’s finale, right? “Recall the minor details.” Yet the atmosphere is strangely foreboding. Approaching Twin Peaks-esque horror. The clan sits in an eatery. Meadow finds a parking spot. Tony gloomily informs Carmela difficulties are arising with another member of his team working with the government. Meadow parks the vehicle. 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. Can’t be Meadow, she’s still parking. Tony raises his gaze. Don’t stop. It stops. My heart dropped from my mouth roughly 20 minutes after.

The 2016 The Walking Dead episode The Last Day on Earth

I remained awake to view this installment in the early morning. It was incredibly tense after the buildup of bad guy Negan discovering the characters, mercilessly mocking his targets and then keeping the death a mystery (ended on a cliffhanger). The victim’s POV shot and the muffled sounds – argh! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season