Time and the Rani has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Yeah it's silly, a little daft in places, but at the same time it's exciting, highly amusing and loads of fun to watch. I can understand why people have a disliking for this episode, but being placed almost 3 from the very bottom on the Doctor Who episode poll is a bit of an insult to Time and the Rani.
After Colin Baker's brutal firing by the BBC (a decision that was unfair to Colin Baker and sad because he was in reality a really awesome Doctor), Sylvester McCoy took over the role. McCoy is having an absolute blast playing the Doctor whose new incarnation has taken on a clown-like persona, which I find really entertaining.
The plot is nice and simple, there's a comet composed of 'Strange Matter' (couldn't think of a better heading towards Lakertya and the Rani plans to launch a missile towards it which will destroy it and turn Lakertya into a time manipulator. That's pretty much it!
Kate O'Mara who also played the Rani in The Mark of the Rani, is once again brilliant displaying the psychopath as well as the scheming sides of the Rani perfectly. The Lakertyians are also brilliant characters, and the acting from everyone is convincing enough, despite everyone being caked in endless make-up.
The Tetraps are interesting creatures although their design could've been a little more effective, instead they come across as just another sharp-toothed lumbering creature that doesn't play much of a role in the story, except to be a "oh no, it's them again" presence to get in everyone's way.
The Rani putting on a ginger wig and donning Mel's clothes pretending to be her is a bizarre concept that may come across as silly, but I find it quite a charming little idea, it adds a lot of comedic value to the first two episodes and is something that Doctor Who hadn't really done before.
As for the giant brain, well it might be the worst thing about the episode. The brain looks awful and the concept is ridiculous, although I do enjoy how the Doctor joins the other geniuses and does nothing but cause trouble for them. Classic Doctor.
The Doctor's new costume is much easier to look at then the 6th Doctor's technicolour monstrosity, with a nice mix of the classic Troughton costume and a more 80s style of design.
Overall, Time and the Rani is fun, silly, humorous, entertaining, daft, and exciting. The result: a episode that is highly underrated due to its silly concepts because that's all most people see. Many fans fail to see the excitement that this episode contains, and the fun that can be had when you're just looking for a good time.
Sometimes it's best not to look too deep.