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Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse (2003)

This installment starts with the Spooks team restricted while undergoing a drill 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 weapon has been unleashed. The suspense builds as incoming communications show a disaster happening externally, and intensifies when the leader seems contaminated, and the government agents endeavor to depart, pushing the protagonist portrayed 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.

The 1984 production Threads

The production was inexpensive but one of the most frightening programmes I’ve ever seen because of the stark reality and dismal official figures. Watched it about a month ago having watched the original; I used to visit the pub in Sheffield from the programme which underscored the actuality and the glib matter-of-fact official information that aired. Still absolutely terrifying decades on.

Severance – The We We Are from 2022

The season one finale of Severance ranks highly as a tense chapter. I spent the entire episode 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 disclose their facts. The final climactic moment – “she’s alive!” – resembled a outburst.

The 2024 Industry episode White Mischief

Episode five of the third series of Industry made my pulse quicken. I had to pause and get up and depart the area multiple times due to the immense extent of the reckless self-harm I observed. Rishi Ramdani is in deep shit professionally and personally – up to his eyeballs in debt to illegal creditors due to his addictive betting, taking such risks with a gamble on the pound which could lose his company millions. Inevitably, he starts a gaming binge, consumes excessive substances and alcohol and experiences wins and losses, is brutally attacked. Every time you think the situation cannot deteriorate further, it does. There is a chance for salvation as the installment closes but he squanders the opportunity, leading to terrible outcomes in the concluding part of the season. Certainly required a rest afterward!

Peep Show – Holiday (2007)

The series Peep Show isn’t typically anxiety-inducing. However, the Holiday episode features such degrees of awkwardness that it will make you rise for the full show, permeated with worry. It all ramps up when Jeremy and Mark realize being compelled to falsify about the canine they by chance collide with and following tries to eliminate it. You then occupy the remainder of the episode wondering if it might be more awful than cremation, and it is possible!

The 2001 The West Wing episode The Two Cathedrals

Nothing I have seen has been as tense as when I first saw the concluding episode of The West Wing’s second season. The episode starts with the aftermath of the demise (in a car crash) of the president’s personal secretary and builds to a peak with a crisis in Haiti, and the repercussions of the secrecy of the president’s MS diagnosis, along with affirmation of his plan to pursue re-election. Excellent TV. Unsurpassed.

The 2018 Bodyguard premiere episode

The beginning of the UK show Bodyguard, with the hero aboard a train with his young son, is for me one of the most intense episodes ever. He notices a Muslim female going into the loo and senses something is wrong. The bomb diffuser experts are called, enter the train, and endeavor to coax the woman to remove her explosive vest. Tension escalates to a nearly intolerable level, until yes, the vest is diffused.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Body (2001)

Buffy arrives at her residence to realize her mom has deceased due to natural factors, which is the most unusual type of death in this paranormal series. The installment lacks any soundtrack, a sullen tone, and we view the installment through the lens of Buffy’s astonishment upon finding her mother.

The Sopranos – Made in America (2007)

The concluding moment of the last installment 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 foes, genuine and fictional, were all overcome. This seems similar to the first season’s finale, right? “Think about the small elements.” Yet the atmosphere is strangely foreboding. Approaching Twin Peaks-esque horror. The clan sits in an eatery. Meadow parks. Tony sorrowfully notifies Carmela problems are brewing with another member of his team working with the government. Meadow parks. Strange people enter the restaurant. Look at Tony(?) Meadow is parking. Tony selects a song on the jukebox. Meadow parks. The bell sounds, an individual enters. It isn’t Meadow, she remains parking. Tony glances upward. Keep going. It halts. My heart sank about 20 minutes later.

The 2016 The Walking Dead episode The Last Day on Earth

I remained awake to view this installment at 2am. It was extremely gripping following the introduction of villain Negan discovering the characters, savagely teasing his prey then not knowing who he killed (ended on a cliffhanger). The victim’s POV shot and the muted audio – oh no! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season