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Spooks – I Spy Apocalypse (2003)

This installment starts with the MI5 agents restricted as part of a simulation relating to a hypothetical terrorist attack, supervised by two Home Office agents. As the situation develops, it becomes clear a real incident has taken place and a chemical weapon has been unleashed. The suspense builds as messages indicate a disaster happening externally, and escalates as the boss appears to be infected, 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 endangering the sterile MI5 environment. Given it’s Spooks, it is unsurprising which one he chooses.

Threads from 1984

Threads had minimal funding but one of the most frightening programmes I have ever watched because of the stark reality and bleak government data. Saw it not long ago having watched the original; I frequently went to the Sheffield pub featured in the show which emphasised the reality and the glib matter-of-fact official information which was broadcast. Remaining completely frightening after three and a half decades.

Severance – The We We Are from 2022

The concluding episode of Severance’s debut season deserves a top spot among intense episodes. I spent the entire episode literally perched nervously, pushing alongside Dylan to hold the switches that kept the Innies on overtime, while screaming at the Innies to get their truths out there. The ultimate peak – “she is living!” – was like an eruption.

The 2024 Industry episode White Mischief

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 deep shit professionally and personally – overwhelmed by debt to illegal creditors because of his compulsive gambling, taking such risks with a bet on sterling that might cost his firm millions. Naturally, he embarks on a betting frenzy, uses copious drugs and alcohol and experiences wins and losses, gets beaten to a pulp. Each instance you believe things cannot decline more, it does. There’s hope of redemption at the end of the episode but he squanders the opportunity, resulting in dreadful effects during the season’s final episode. Absolutely had to relax following that!

Peep Show – Holiday from 2007

Peep Show itself isn’t necessarily a stressful show. However, the Holiday episode contains such levels of cringe that it’ll have you standing up throughout the entire episode, riddled with anxiety. The situation intensifies when Jeremy and Mark realize needing to deceive regarding the dog they by chance collide with and subsequent attempts to dispose of it. You then spend the rest of the episode doubting if it can actually be more terrible than burning, and it can be!

The West Wing – The Two Cathedrals from 2001

No other viewing has been as gripping compared to my initial viewing the second season finale of The West Wing. The show opens with the fallout of the passing (in a road incident) of the president’s confidential aide and builds to a peak involving a Haitian emergency, and the repercussions of the secrecy about the president’s MS condition, with confirmation of his intention to seek re-election. Wonderful television. Never bettered.

Bodyguard – episode one (2018)

The opening of the British series Bodyguard, with the protagonist on a train accompanied by his small son, is for me one of the most intense episodes ever. 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 attempt to convince the woman to remove her explosive vest. Tension escalates to an almost unbearable degree, until, indeed, the vest is disarmed.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Body (2001)

Buffy enters her house to find her mum has passed away from natural reasons, which is the most unusual type of death in this supernatural show. The installment lacks any soundtrack, a somber mood, and we view the installment through the lens of Buffy’s shock of discovering her mother.

The Sopranos – Made in America (2007)

The ultimate sequence of the series finale 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 vanquished. Surely this has the feel of the season one ending? “Recall the minor details.” But the mood is bizarrely ominous. Approaching Twin Peaks-esque horror. The clan sits in an eatery. Meadow parks. Tony gloomily informs Carmela difficulties are arising with another member of his team cooperating with the officials. Meadow secures a parking space. Strange people enter the restaurant. Gaze at Tony(?) Meadow continues to park. Tony plays a track on the music machine. Meadow parks. The bell rings, someone enters the restaurant. It cannot be Meadow, she is still parking. Tony glances upward. Continue. It stops. 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 after the establishment of antagonist Negan locating the survivors, cruelly taunting his victims and then leaving the victim unknown (finished with an unresolved situation). The first-person perspective of the victim and the muffled sounds – oh no! {We then had to wait for season seven|We then needed to await season