Another inevitability, it might have actually been expected that the 50th anniversary special would have topped the list but it missed out by a cool million viewers. This was a homage to the show's past, as well as its future, returning familiar faces like David Tennant, Tom Baker and Billie Piper, and reviving iconic villains the Daleks and even the Zygons, who had been absent since 1975. The ambition of the episode was its chief virtue and its biggest success, and while there were accusations of pandering to the US audience (and newer fans in general) the episode remains a triumph. A suitable event for the milestone, the episode was shown on BBC One in both 2D and 3D, and was broadcast simultaneously in 94 countries, as well as in cinemas in 3D.
