Sylvester McCoy's era had a bit of a rough start with his first season. The stories were more pantomime than what had come before, but there was also a clash of tone, too. For example, while the season seemed to be aimed more directly at children overall, it still featured cannibal grannies and shocking moments of violence. There were the occasional moments and hints of something more, particularly when it came to McCoy's Doctor. But overall, Season 24 might be one of the weakest seasons from the Classic Series, at least.
So to say that the following season was a breath of fresh air by comparison is a massive understatement. Season 25 isn't perfect, but it's much stronger overall, particularly in terms of its tone and presentation. Doctor Who was still a show that children could enjoy, something that should always be an important part of the series.
But at the same time, the stories were generally stronger and deeper. "Remembrance of the Daleks", along with being an incredibly ambitious story of two Dalek armies clashing in '60s London, also features racism as one of its key themes. "The Happiness Patrol", a story I genuinely believe is often misunderstood, comes across as light on the surface, but is an extremely vicious satire of UK politics at the time.
Light and dark
The season also handles its balance of light and dark much better than its predecessor. The best example of this is "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy". On the surface, it seems as pantomime as a story from Season 24. It features a circus, extremely colorful characters, clowns - it's even written by the writer of "Paradise Towers" from the previous season!
But the story also has a dark heart. The clowns are creepy, although perhaps not as creepy as the silent family always watching in the audience. Other characters that appear fun conceal dark motives or streaks of pure nastiness. It's a story filled with light and darkness. What really makes "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy" work is that the light and dark elements, rather than clash, magically work together. It's a great example of how to tell a solid, original Doctor Who story.
So it's a shame that, just when the show was beginning to be fresher and bolder than it had been in years, it was also on the way out. The following season would also be the show's last. (Well, the last for 16 years until the show's triumphant return in 2005. But of course, fans didn't know that at the time.) Season 25 may not be perfect ("Silver Nemesis", while not bad, does feel like it's doing too much at once). But it is an extremely strong season that still holds up, almost four decades later.
You can decide for yourself how well the season works by watching it for free on the YouTube channel Doctor Who: Classic right now. If you do enjoy the season, you can purchase it on Blu-ray and enjoy not only a large number of special features, but also brand new special editions of every story.