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Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse from 2003

The episode begins with the Spooks team restricted during a training exercise about a potential terror incident, supervised by two Home Office agents. As the situation develops, it appears that there really has been an attack and a chemical agent deployed. The tension ratchets up as messages indicate a disaster happening externally, and intensifies when the leader seems contaminated, and the two Home Office officials attempt to leave, pushing the protagonist portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen to decide between shooting them or letting them go and risking contaminating the sealed MI5 offices. This being Spooks, the outcome is expected.

The 1984 production Threads

Threads was low budget but arguably the most terrifying series I have ever watched due to its harsh realism and dismal official figures. Saw it not long ago following the initial broadcast; I often attended the bar in Sheffield from the programme which underscored the actuality and the offhand factual official statements that were transmitted. Continuing to be utterly horrifying 35 years later.

Severance – The We We Are (2022)

The season one finale of Severance ranks highly in terms of gripping installments. I spent the entire episode actually sitting tensely, pushing alongside Dylan to keep his hands on the levers that kept the Innies on overtime, while screaming at the Innies to reveal their realities. The ultimate peak – “she’s alive!” – felt like an explosion.

The 2024 Industry episode White Mischief

The fifth episode of Industry’s third season had my heart racing. I had to pause and get up and exit the space repeatedly due to the immense extent of the reckless self-harm I saw. Rishi Ramdani is in deep shit at work and home – up to his eyeballs in debt to loan sharks because of his compulsive gambling, taking such risks on a wager involving sterling that might cost his firm millions. Inevitably, he starts a gaming binge, does tons of drugs and drink and experiences wins and losses, is severely assaulted. Every time you think the situation cannot deteriorate further, it does. Redemption seems possible at the end of the episode but he squanders the opportunity, leading to terrible outcomes in the concluding part of the season. Definitely needed a lie-down after that!

Peep Show – Holiday from 2007

Peep Show is not inherently a tense series. But the episode Holiday features such degrees of awkwardness that it can cause you to stand the whole episode, permeated with worry. The situation intensifies when Jeremy and Mark realize being compelled to falsify about the canine 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 season two finale to The West Wing. The episode starts with the aftermath of the passing (in a road incident) of the president’s confidential aide and escalates to a高潮 with a crisis in Haiti, and the repercussions of the secrecy about the president’s MS condition, coupled with verification of his aim to run for another term. Wonderful television. Unsurpassed.

Bodyguard – episode one from 2018

The beginning of the UK show Bodyguard, with the protagonist on a train accompanied by his small son, ranks among the most gripping episodes I’ve seen. He observes a woman in Islamic attire going into the loo and knows something is off. The bomb squad is alerted, board the train, and endeavor to coax the woman to remove her explosive vest. Anxiety builds to an almost unbearable degree, until yes, the vest is diffused.

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 supernatural show. The show features no musical score, a sullen tone, and we witness the episode via the perspective of Buffy’s dismay upon uncovering her mother.

The Sopranos – Made in America (2007)

The ultimate sequence of the series finale of the program was incredibly anxious. And if you watched it when it originally aired, you – initially – were uncertain of the reason. Tony’s adversaries, actual and perceived, had all been defeated. Doesn’t this resemble the season one conclusion? “Recall the minor details.” Yet the atmosphere is strangely foreboding. Approaching Twin Peaks-esque horror. The family gathers in a diner. Meadow parks. Tony sadly tells Carmela difficulties are arising with yet another of his crew working with the government. Meadow parks. Strange people enter the restaurant. Gaze at Tony(?) Meadow continues to park. Tony plays a track on the music machine. Meadow parks. The door chimes, a person comes in. It isn’t Meadow, she remains parking. Tony looks up. Keep going. It stops. My spirit fell about 20 minutes later.

The Walking Dead – The Last Day on Earth from 2016

I stayed up to watch this episode during the night. It was incredibly tense after the establishment of antagonist Negan discovering the characters, mercilessly mocking his targets then not knowing who he killed (ended on a cliffhanger). The first-person perspective of the victim and the subdued noises – oh no! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season