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Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse from 2003

The show kicks off with the MI5 agents locked down during a training exercise relating to a hypothetical terrorist attack, supervised by two Home Office agents. As things progress, it appears that there really has been an attack with a chemical weapon released. The suspense builds as reports reveal a disaster happening externally, and gets worse as the superior shows signs of exposure, and the government agents endeavor to depart, forcing Matthew Macfadyen’s character to decide between shooting them or permitting their exit and potentially infecting the secure MI5 headquarters. This being Spooks, it is unsurprising which one he chooses.

Threads (1984)

The production was inexpensive but arguably the most terrifying series I have viewed due to its harsh realism and bleak government data. Viewed it recently following the initial broadcast; I often attended the bar in Sheffield from the programme that highlighted the truth and the offhand factual official statements which was broadcast. Remaining completely frightening decades on.

Severance – The We We Are (2022)

The season one finale of Severance has to be right up there as a tense chapter. I remained for the whole show actually sitting tensely, straining every sinew with Dylan to keep his hands on the levers that allowed the Innies to remain active, while screaming at the Innies to get their truths out there. The final climactic moment – “she is living!” – felt like an explosion.

Industry – White Mischief (2024)

Episode five of the third series of Industry caused my heart to pound. I needed to stop and stand and depart the area multiple times due to the immense extent of the reckless self-harm I was witnessing. Rishi Ramdani is in deep shit professionally and personally – buried in financial obligations from unscrupulous lenders owing to his uncontrollable gaming, taking such risks with a bet on sterling that might cost his firm millions. Inevitably, he starts a gaming binge, uses copious drugs and alcohol and wins, loses, wins, is brutally attacked. Every time you think the situation cannot deteriorate further, it deteriorates. There’s hope of redemption as the installment closes but he squanders the opportunity, leading to terrible outcomes in the season finale. Certainly required a rest afterward!

Peep Show – Holiday (2007)

Peep Show is not inherently a tense series. Yet the installment Holiday features such degrees of awkwardness that it’ll have you standing up the whole episode, permeated with worry. It all ramps up when Jeremy and Mark realize being compelled to falsify about the canine they accidentally run over and subsequent attempts to dispose of it. You then occupy the remainder of the episode wondering if it might be more awful than cremation, and it can be!

The 2001 The West Wing episode The Two Cathedrals

Nothing I’ve watched has been more intense 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 reaches a crescendo with a situation in Haiti, and the effects of the withheld information of the president’s MS diagnosis, along with affirmation of his plan to pursue re-election. Superb programming. Unsurpassed.

The 2018 Bodyguard premiere episode

The beginning of the UK show Bodyguard, with the protagonist on a train with his young son, is for me one of the most intense episodes ever. He notices a Muslim female heading to the toilet and senses something is wrong. The bomb squad is alerted, enter the train, and attempt to convince the woman to discard her bomb jacket. Tension escalates to a practically unendurable point, until, finally, the vest is neutralized.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Body from 2001

Buffy arrives at her residence to realize her mom has deceased of natural causes, which is the rarest form of demise in this paranormal series. The episode has no background music, a sullen tone, and we view the installment through the lens of Buffy’s dismay upon uncovering her mother.

The Sopranos – Made in America from 2007

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 foes, genuine and fictional, were all overcome. Doesn’t this resemble the season one conclusion? “Think about the small elements.” But the mood is bizarrely ominous. Nearly Twin Peaks-like fear. The clan sits in an eatery. Meadow parks. Tony gloomily informs Carmela there’s trouble afoot with yet another of his crew working with the government. Meadow parks. Strange people enter the restaurant. Gaze at Tony(?) Meadow parks. Tony selects a song on the jukebox. Meadow parks her car. The bell sounds, an individual enters. Can’t be Meadow, she’s still parking. Tony raises his gaze. Don’t stop. It halts. My heart sank about 20 minutes later.

The 2016 The Walking Dead episode The Last Day on Earth

I kept late hours to see this show during the night. It was so intense following the introduction of villain Negan discovering the characters, mercilessly mocking his targets then not knowing who he killed (ended on a cliffhanger). The victim’s POV shot and the muffled sounds – ugh! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season