Doctor Who: Top 10 Moments Of The Fourth Doctor

4. "Next Time I Press That Switch, It Stays Pressed!" (Genesis Of The Daleks)

This scene, in which the Doctor debates Davros, has the air of two philosophy dons unravelling a thought problem. The casual way in which the Doctor asks him €œIf you had created a virus in your laboratory, a virus that would destroy all other forms of life, would you allow its use?€ sums up the appeal of early Tom Baker - his intelligence. So why would a character defined by his formidable intelligence - not an obviously populist attribute - rake in 10 million viewers a week? It has something to do with cultural differences in 1970s Britain. Higher education had been opened up by the Labour government and the nature of the economy in the pre-Thatcher era meant that university was less a straightforwardly vocational option. More people than ever had experience of academia and this was filtering into popular culture in novels like Porterhouse Blue and The History Man. There was clearly an appetite for a popular TV character who solved problems not just through physical force but also with reasoned debate. Tom Baker, having lived an extraordinarily rich life even before he played the Doctor, was perfectly placed to crest that wave. He brought his own cleverness to the role and you get the impression that he actually understands and even shares the Doctor's point of view. The sense of a powerful intellect at work is what made the Fourth Doctor such an unusual but enduring character to watch.