So far this list has covered more of the somewhat majestic and mystical treats that a Doctor Who Christmas Special can offer but here's where things get more serious with a truly heartbreaking moment which has affirmed itself as one of the defining scenes of Doctor Who to date. In the closing moments of what had been a truly remarkable two-part special, and after his desperate, but ultimately unsuccessful, attempts to fight off his unavoidable death for far too long, time finally caught up with the Tenth Doctor in his aptly-titled final adventure, The End of Time, when he regenerated in spectacular style to an audience of 12 million people on New Year's Day 2010. His final scene in particular conveys all of the bittersweet honesty and emotion that fans had come to expect from a coveted Russell T Davies script as the troubled Time Lord was seen alone and at his most vulnerable after a series of short but sweet final goodbyes with his nearest and dearest. The Tenth Doctor's era ended, as it was always going to, with a final encounter with Rose Tyler who he spoke to one last time in 2005, reassuring her that the year ahead was going to be her best yet. And as Ood Sigma appeared to mark the end of the Tenth Doctor's song, the fans were with him every step of the way as he ambled to the safety of the TARDIS for one final bow. The Tenth Doctor didn't want to go and the nation didn't want him to go either, but his final scene made for a climactic Christmas classic which none of the show's fans will ever forget.
Dan Butler is the Doctor Who Editor at WhatCulture.com. When he isn't writing his own articles or editing other people's, he can be found trawling the internet for gifs of Steven Moffat laughing. Contact him via dan.butler@whatculture.co.uk.
