4. He Was Young
After four Doctors that were all 40+, it was certainly a shock to the system to have one that was only in his late 20s. I'm not saying I think that all the Doctors should be that young, but it worked with Peter Davison and created an interesting contrast from the previous actors. Because of his age, he wasn't an automatic authority figure. Without the face of an older man, people wouldn't always believe that he knew what he was talking about. He would have to show them that he was right, rather than immediately taking charge of the situation. He was willing to work with people, not just serve as the mighty Time Lord with all the answers. Following that line of thought, although he could be condescending to his companions, you see far more of a friendship relationship between them rather than a boss/assistant dynamic. After Tom Baker had such a long run on the show and was by all accounts pretty worn out, it was nice to have a young Doctor with an extra spring in his step. Who can play cricket. Say what you will about Black Orchid, but you have to love the cricket montage. At any rate, it was fun watching some of the villains enraged at being outsmarted by a young whippersnapper.