Fifty years ago today, the world was fully introduced to Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, and Doctor Who was never the same again. The series had seen a great deal of success already. We'd had three excellent Doctors and the show was about to enter its twelfth season.
But it was with Tom Baker's Doctor that the series would start to see an incredible level of success. His era gave us many iconic stories and monsters; a mix of styles that ranged from horror to humor, and some of the biggest ratings that Doctor Who has ever seen in the UK.
This success also translated to the US, as well. While Doctor Who never made quite the impact that it did in the UK, it became recognized enough that many US shows would reference it. More often than not, it was the Fourth Doctor that was directly referenced.
There's no doubt that the Fourth Doctor is incredibly iconic. In fact, I'd say he's the most iconic in the entire history of the show. And here are ten key reasons why.