It's worth mentioning one key feature of Doctor Who that I haven't mentioned for a while, and that is the Doctor, or to be more specific, the Fourth Doctor. This Doctor is well and truly into the swing of things, making himself stand out from his predecessors through several factors. One of these is the writing of Robert Holmes, the script editor for the series and occasional writer of serials, such as this one where he rewrote Terrance Dicks' original script so much that Dicks refused to have his name placed on it as he didn't want to take any of the credit. Holmes is able to inject humour into the proceedings, but also a large swath of darkness, making the Doctor seem like a beacon of light in dark places, but one is all to aware of how to become serious when the situation demands it.
This is helped by the wonder that is Tom Baker. He is a tremendous actor in the role of the Doctor, bringing equal quantities of lightness (such as in the scene where he is to be sacrificed to the Sacred Flame of the Sisterhood of Karn) and darkness (such as the scene where he bargains with Solon to help Sarah Jane regain her sight). The juxtaposition of both of these factors increase their impact and make the character far more enticing to watch. It's also worth mentioning the fact that Baker was known to improvise a lot on the set, and thus it is difficult to know where the writer ends and the actor begins, but one thing is perfectly clear: The Doctor is always there and always good.
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