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Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse from 2003

The episode begins with the Spooks team restricted as part of a simulation relating to a hypothetical terrorist attack, monitored by two government representatives. As events unfold, it appears that there really has been an attack with a chemical weapon released. The anxiety increases as messages indicate a crisis unfolding beyond their walls, and escalates as the superior shows signs of exposure, with the two officials trying to exit, 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. As this is Spooks, his decision is predictable.

Threads (1984)

Threads had minimal funding yet among the scariest shows I’ve ever seen owing to its grim authenticity and bleak government data. Saw it not long ago having watched the original; I frequently went to the Sheffield pub from the programme which emphasised the reality and the casual, straightforward government details which was broadcast. Remaining completely frightening decades on.

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 actually sitting tensely, exerting with Dylan to keep his hands on the levers that allowed the Innies to remain active, while shouting to the Innies to reveal their realities. The ultimate peak – “she’s alive!” – was like an eruption.

Industry – White Mischief from 2024

The fifth episode of Industry’s third season caused my heart to pound. I had to pause and get up and leave the room several times because of the sheer scale of the reckless self-harm I saw. Rishi Ramdani is in major difficulty professionally and personally – overwhelmed by debt to loan sharks owing to his uncontrollable gaming, assuming hazardous chances with a bet on sterling which may result in huge losses for his employer. Naturally, he embarks on a betting frenzy, consumes excessive substances and alcohol and experiences wins and losses, gets beaten to a pulp. Each instance you believe things cannot decline more, it worsens. There’s hope of redemption as the installment closes but he squanders the opportunity, with horrifying consequences in the season finale. Absolutely had to relax following that!

Peep Show – Holiday (2007)

Peep Show is not inherently a tense series. Yet the installment Holiday contains such levels of cringe that it’ll have you standing up the whole episode, riddled with anxiety. The situation intensifies when Jeremy and Mark realize having to lie about the dog they by chance collide with and later efforts to get rid of it. You then spend the rest 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 compared to my initial viewing the second season finale of The West Wing. The episode starts with the aftermath of the death (in a traffic accident) of the president’s private assistant and reaches a crescendo with a situation in Haiti, and the fallout from the non-disclosure regarding the president’s multiple sclerosis diagnosis, along with affirmation of his plan to pursue re-election. Superb programming. Never bettered.

The 2018 Bodyguard premiere episode

The start of the British program Bodyguard, with the protagonist on a train with his young son, is personally a top tense installment. He observes a woman in Islamic attire heading to the toilet and knows something is off. The bomb squad is alerted, get on the train, and try to persuade the woman to take off her suicide vest. Anxiety builds to a practically unendurable point, until yes, the vest is diffused.

The 2001 Buffy episode The Body

Buffy arrives at her residence to find her mum has passed away from natural reasons, which is the least common kind of passing in this mystical program. The installment lacks any soundtrack, a somber mood, and we see the episode through the experience of Buffy’s astonishment upon finding her mother.

The Sopranos – Made in America (2007)

The concluding moment of the last installment of the program was incredibly anxious. And if you viewed it when it first premiered, you – at the start – didn’t understand the cause. Tony’s foes, genuine and fictional, had all been defeated. Surely this has the feel of the season one ending? “Think about the small elements.” Yet the atmosphere is strangely foreboding. Approaching Twin Peaks-esque horror. The family sit in a restaurant. Meadow finds a parking spot. Tony gloomily informs Carmela difficulties are arising with another member of his team working with the government. Meadow parks. Unfamiliar individuals come into the diner. Look at Tony(?) Meadow parks. Tony selects a song on the jukebox. Meadow finds a spot. The bell sounds, an individual enters. Can’t be Meadow, she’s still parking. Tony glances upward. Continue. It stops. My heart dropped from my mouth roughly 20 minutes after.

The 2016 The Walking Dead episode The Last Day on Earth

I kept late hours to see this show at 2am. It was incredibly tense following the introduction of villain Negan finding the group, savagely teasing his prey and then leaving the victim unknown (finished with an unresolved situation). 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