Spooner worked on "Doctor Who" almost exclusively in the formative William Hartnell era. He served as script editor from "The Rescue" to "The Chase". By the time Spooner left, the only remaining original character was the Doctor himself and one of Spooner's major goals during this period was to prove that the programme could survive major cast changes. This was partly achieved through the gradual introduction of humour, as is evident in the scripts Spooner himself wrote. The BBC's episode guide notes that "it is for its innovative use of humour that "The Romans" will always be best remembered, and in this respect it represents a worthwhile attempt at finding new dramatic ground for the series to cover". It was a change that resounded with the public, helping an episode of "The Romans" to receive the highest-ever share in the history of the series.