Doctor Who: 10 Best NuWho Guest Stars Ever

Occasionally a whole episode will hinge around the performance of the guest star and that's definitely the case with the 2008 Christmas special The Next Doctor. It all hangs around David Morrissey's performance; partly because the joke of the title - teasing fans about who would be the Doctor after Tennant - needed him to be good, and partly because he is the heart of the story.

His performance really takes two parts; when he's playing the Doctor (as his character thinks he is the Time Lord) and when he's playing Jackson Lake. He's charismatic, entertaining and just the right level of over the top for the former instance. In fact, his performance was so good that he was a favourite with bookmakers to play the Eleventh Doctor right until the point Matt Smith was announced.

However, he really shines once his character, Jackson Lake, learns that he isn't the Time Lord after all. The trauma through loss of identity and loss of his family is played to perfection, making Lake a hugely sympathetic and memorable character. His later joy at rediscovering his son is also played brilliantly and made viewers root for the character. It also made David Morrissey a bright spot in a story often derided for its use of a huge stompy Cyberman in Victorian London.