The hat and incredibly long scarf of the Fourth Doctor probably conjures up the popular image of the show in the eyes of the British viewing public. Played by Tom Baker for a record-breaking seven seasons, this was a wild-eyed alien who stumbled around the galaxy in bohemian garb ever-ready to dispense the villains he encountered with his flippant wit.

Taking over in Season 12, the Fourth Doctor's stories instantly became much darker and more horrific than anything which had preceded them, fighting against the giant insect Wirrn, shape-shifting Zygons, ancient mummies, human-hating Robots of Death, knife wielding dummies in Victorian London as well as the evil creator of the Daleks - Davros. However, the new-found emphasis on terror brought the show to the attention of a foe he was destined to lose against - Mary Whitehouse and her powerful and deadly National Viewers and Listeners Association.

Being forced to tone down the gothic horror content, the show returned in Season 15 with a new emphasis on humour and a more exaggerated portrayal by Tom Baker. Season 16 saw the quest for The Key to Time - six stories linked together to form a whole season, while Season 17 saw the arrival of Douglas Adams (of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fame) as the show's new script editor. During this period the Doctor and Romana (played by Lalla Ward, who would go on to marry Tom Baker) enjoyed some of their most overtly over-the-top and comedic adventures.

After the excesses of comedy in the previous season it was felt that Doctor Who needed to get back on track again and new producer, John Nathan-Turner (who would oversee the series for the next nine years), and new script-editor, Christopher H Bidmead, attempted to take a clean broom to the show. Gone were the comedy elements in favour of more serious science-fiction ideas, with the emphasis on 'science'. Gone was Tom Baker's famous multi-coloured scarf and ramshackle appearance as a new burgundy costume was introduced. Gone too were Romana (with Lalla Ward marrying Tom Baker in real life) and the popular K-9, with the latter's departure sparking national newspaper campaigns to save him. Instead three new companions - Adric, Nyssa and Tegan - would be introduced. Of course, Tom Baker also left the show, ending his record-breaking seven year stint to hand over to a much a younger Doctor in the shape of Peter Davison. However, all this and the reintroduction of the Master as a regularly recurring villain didn't stop the show being trounced in the ratings by its flashy American counterpart, Buck Rogers In the Twenty Fifth Century, and from now on Doctor Who would always find itself competing against bigger-budgeted American imports.

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