Let's talk about the writers for this serial. Credited to Guy Leopold, it is actually the work of a collaboration between Robert Sloman and Barry Letts, Letts being the current producer of the series. The key thing to note then, is not so much how well the story is written (although it is certainly an admirable piece) but how well the regular characters are written. Letts has been working closely with each member of the regular cast for several months now and is thus able to write for the characters as played by the actors, instead of writing for just the characters and leaving the actors to put their own interpretation on the role that they have been given. It's wonderful to see this as it means that the actors are far more likely to be comfortable with the script at hand and they get a better experience out of making it, something which clearly comes across on screen.
Also, this shows once again the way in which Letts produces Doctor Who. As mentioned in Inferno and Terror of the Autons, Letts is not afraid to jump in and direct stories when needed. It's also now apparent that he's not afraid to write stories when needed as well, showing that this man is quite clearly a hands-on producer. This can be easily contrasted with, say, the Peter Bryant era, where there was very little influence that I could see that he had had on the programme itself. Letts is not afraid to allow his influence to be visible and so the programme will now forever have the stamp of Letts across it.
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