I think that the reason why I got so much out of this story is that it's unabashedly just a fun story. Looking ahead to the next few stories, the series will be going to some dark places, so Battlefield ends up giving off the impression that they got all of their frivolous and funny moments out of the way in one little package.
And there are plenty of fun moments, like Mordred's penchant for laughing, as seen in the video above. This gives the feeling that the people involved were having fun with the adventure, and allowing things to be a bit lighter than usual, whether it be through writing, directing or acting their roles. This can also be seen in such things as the relationship between Ancelyn and Brigadier Bambera, who gently flirt with one another whilst fighting and generally being awesome, which not only helps to endear the characters to the audience, but also lightens the mood of the whole adventure.
But it wouldn't be worth anything were it not for the fact that the story will allow itself to be serious every once in a while. There's a scene, for instance, where the Doctor talks Morgaine Le Fay from setting off a nuclear missile is played well, and we feel Morgaine's sadness when she discovers that her long time foe: Arthur, King of the Britons, is dead, and she didn't get to have one final battle with him. These moments of contrast not only allow for the lighter scenes to appear just that bit more joyful, but also lend the story an air of respectability that keeps it from falling into the trap of just being a generic action-adventure story. And if there's anything that I've learnt over the past 685 days, Doctor Who is generally at its best when it's not a generic action adventure story.
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