Bonnie Langford’s Mel, who handed over the Companion spot to Sophie Aldred’s Ace in the final episode scrutinised by the 1988 report, Dragonfire, came in for a particular drubbing from the sample audience. Mel “can only be described as unpopular”, the report stated, adding “indeed, 56% of respondents who answered a questionnaire on the Paradise Towers story wished – as seemed likely at one point during the course of this adventure – that she had been eaten.”

Death-wishes weren’t the end of Mel’s ignominy. When respondents were asked to specify what, if anything, they disliked about season 24, almost one quarter chose Langford’s character. Her vocal chords appeared to be the main problem, with audience members being irritated by Mel’s shrieking ability. One wag, in reference to Langford’s youthful role as the fractious Violet in Just William, observed drily that “she can still scream and scream and scream until she’s sick”.

Sylvester McCoy fared somewhat better with this sample group, with only 9% answering that they disliked him in the role as the Doctor. Though his average personal index rating was 46, it had started at 44 with Time And The Rani (fair, perhaps) and risen ten points to 54 by the end of Delta And The Bannermen – still not however, reaching Colin Baker’s own, fairly modest itself, 66.

The report paints a picture of growing disenchantment with Who. “The popularity of Doctor Who has continued to decline”, it summarised, even amongst lifelong fans. “A core of loyal and enthusiastic fans of Doctor Who remains, although their number seems to be decreasing with each successive series.”

Why? You may well have your own views on that, but according to the report at least, the perceived increasingly “silly” tone and quality of serials judged “not as good as previous stories” played a part. Only 47% of the sample audience agreed that Doctor Who was an entertaining programme, and only 28% agreed with the statement that that season 24’s stories had been good, while 49% were in disagreement with that statement.