Doctor Who: Every Doctor's BEST Episode
11. The Fourth Doctor - City of Death
Watching City of Death, it's tempting to believe that Tom Baker knew an ITV strike would make this the most watched Doctor Who story of all time - peaking with 16.1 million for part four. Baker is absolutely electric, perhaps powered by his burgeoning romance with Lalla Ward and a script by Douglas Adams and Graham Williams that practically fizzes with energy.
City of Death has an incredible plot - using time travel to mass produce Mona Lisas - that could easily have become a blockbuster movie. It's indicative of the ambition and high concept ideas that are emblematic of the Tom Baker era.
City of Death also epitomises everything that Tom Baker wanted to bring to Doctor Who - wit, humour, energy - and does so without sacrificing its supporting cast or the gravity of the drama.
It's perfectly balanced, just like a fine wine. Indeed, like wine or Paris in 1979, City of Death has a bouquet.