Doctor Who: 10 Lessons It Could Learn From Other Shows

7. Learn Smallville's Mistakes €“No More Freak Of The Week For those who aren't familiar, Smallville was a US sci-fi show which survived ten seasons - no mean feat these days. It told the story of Superman's early life, from the teenage loves, the friends made and lost and the destiny revealed. The earliest episodes also relied on a technique known by fans as "freak of the week", a format which relied on a krypton fuelled villain just in time for the theme song to play and being destroyed ready for the closing credits. The theme song 'Save Me' was especially apt. When the show diversified, it improved immensely. Great depth was added to the characters and it was a lot more interesting too! In one way, it was very similar to our own Doctor Who. The 'freak of the week' format stunted Smallville and surely it could be argued that some of the best Doctor Who episodes are those which move away from the standard monster related themes. It cannot be denied that this format grows tired sometimes with Doctor Who's often single story format not always offering enough depth. Sometimes it is the big serials of the classic season or of Tennant's specials year that pull you in; the idea of a tale bigger than 45 minutes can allow.