Sonic screwdriver
Encyclopedia
The sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who
and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor
. Its most common function is that of a lockpick
, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans, remotely controlling other devices and tracking alien life. It can, with the exception of a deadlock seal or wooden lock, open any type of lock and operate many computers, whether their origin is alien or human.
Like the TARDIS
, it has become one of the icons of the programme; spinoff media such as The Sarah Jane Adventures
and Torchwood
have replicated its functions in devices such as the sonic lipstick, sonic blaster, sonic pen and sonic modulator.
The sonic screwdriver was first introduced in 1968, and was used regularly throughout the Second Doctor
's tenure. It became less prominent from the beginning of the Third Doctor
's tenure until 1977. It was written out of the series in 1982 due to the limitations it caused when writing for the show. It then featured briefly in the 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie, before making a full return in the 2005 reboot of the series.
Throughout the series, there have been many different versions of the sonic screwdriver, as with subsequent Doctors the design of it was changed. It has also been destroyed on a number of occasions, thus leading to the introduction of the next model. Not all iterations of the Doctor have used the sonic on screen; the Fifth Doctor in fact opted not to replace his after it was destroyed.
The sonic screwdriver made its first appearance in the serial Fury from the Deep
, written by Victor Pemberton
. It was used thereafter by the Second Doctor
as a multi-purpose tool, with occasional variations in appearance over the course of the series. Ownership of the concept was retained by the BBC; Pemberton later told an interviewer for Doctor Who Magazine
, "I'm very cross that the sonic screwdriver—which I invented—has been marketed with no credit to myself. ... It's one thing not to receive any payment, but another not to receive any credit."
It is possible that the screwdriver had appeared before Fury from the Deep
without the Doctor referring to it by that name: the prop used there appears to be one used by the Doctor in many earlier stories, including the First Doctor
's sabotage of Dalek equipment as early as the second serial.
Its abilities and overall appearance varied greatly during the classic series. The name implies that it operates through the use of soundwaves to exert physical forces on objects remotely. During the Second Doctor's tenure, it functioned much as its name implied—using sonic waves to dismantle equipment or to bypass locks. In addition, it was used as a welding torch in Episode Five of The Dominators
. In the audio commentary for The Sea Devils
, Michael Briant
claims to have suggested it as a one-off gadget in 1968.
During the Third Doctor
's tenure, producer Barry Letts
was adamant that the device not become a cure-all for the series, and limited its use to avoid writers becoming over-reliant on it. During this time, the device underwent significant design changes. In The Sea Devils, the Doctor used it to detonate landmines; Michael E. Briant explains that this was feasible, stating that the sonic waves shook the mines. In The Three Doctors the sonic screwdriver is almost unrecognisable as a black grip and plastic spherical head have been applied to the device. In the DVD commentary, Letts himself cannot recognise the prop but remarks that this serial was produced out of transmission order; this explains why the sonic screwdriver reverts to its previous appearance for one story before receiving a more permanent refit thereafter.
During the first three years of the Fourth Doctor's tenure, producer Philip Hinchcliffe
further reduced the use of the sonic screwdriver. Exceptions include Robot
, where it was again used to detonate mines, and as a "miniature sonic lance"The Sixth Doctor uses a hand tool "sonic lance" in Attack of the Cybermen
to cut out a lock. Aside from unlocking doors, the device was greatly downplayed during the Fourth Doctor's second and third seasons. It saw a resurgence once Graham Williams
took over as producer in 1977. In the final story of season 15, The Invasion of Time
, the Fourth Doctor
conceded, "Not even the sonic screwdriver can get me out of this one."
It featured regularly in season 16 during the Key to Time saga. The Doctor's Time Lady
companion Romana
constructed a sonic screwdriver of her own similar to the Doctor's, first seen during the City of Death
. Later on we saw that it was smaller and sleeker than the Doctor's, and he was sufficiently impressed with her design that he attempted (unsuccessfully) to swap screwdrivers with her in Horns of Nimon. By season 18, both script editor Christopher H Bidmead and producer John Nathan-Turner
were eager to downplay the device as much as possible.
The sonic screwdriver was written out of the series late in season 19, in the Fifth Doctor
serial The Visitation. It is destroyed by a Terileptil to prevent the Doctor from escaping a holding cell; in response, the Doctor remarked, "I feel as if you've just killed an old friend." Eric Saward
later explained in a 2005 DVD interview that this was done on the instructions of producer John Nathan-Turner. Saward had written out the sonic screwdriver, believing that the Doctor had "a cupboard full of them" in the TARDIS
. On the basis that a device that could help in any situation was very limiting for the script, Nathan-Turner decided that it would not return. The Tenth Doctor joked about the Fifth Doctor's lack of sonic screwdriver in the mini-episode Time Crash
, commenting that he "went hands-free" and could "save the universe using a kettle and some string." The device did not appear again for the remainder of the original series.
In the Doctor Who TV Movie, the Doctor was seen to have a new sonic screwdriver with a telescopic design.
A redesigned sonic screwdriver appears in the new series, with a blue light in addition to the sound effect. In its first incarnation, the prop used in the new series was fragile and prone to breakage. The toy version (made by Character Options Ltd.) was slightly larger to accommodate a working soundchip. It also includes an ultraviolet light
and changeable invisible ink nib for viewing messages written in the ultraviolet ink. A common misconception is that the Doctor Who production team at BBC Wales
were so impressed by how much more resilient the toy sonic screwdriver was than the real prop, that they obtained moulds of the original prototype of the toy to use in the 2006 series, in fact, this was not the case. Over the course of the next two years, the props were continually repaired and modified, with some additions being a new thumb slider design and different colours of wires used in the clear channel when extended.
For Series 4 (2008), a new design of Screwdriver was commissioned by the BBC. Nick Robatto was hired to make two new props. These featured the final slider design, and redesigned body ridges, among other smaller changes. This design debuted in 2008's "Partners in Crime" and continued to be used until the Screwdriver's ultimate destruction in 2010's "The Eleventh Hour". This later design has gained the nickname "Series 3-4 Sonic" (relating to the fact that at the start of Series 3, in "Smith and Jones", the first Sonic Screwdriver was supposedly destroyed), even though strictly speaking it first appeared in Series 4.
In contrast with Nathan-Turner's attitude that the sonic screwdriver should not be used as a cure-all, the new production team gave it even more functionality than previous versions which has given the series some criticism as it seems to be a deus ex machina
, a literary device that is generally avoided. Some of the uses in the new series include: repairing electronic equipment; re-attaching materials such as barbed wire; detecting, intercepting and sending signals; remotely operating the TARDIS; burning, cutting, or igniting substances; fusing metal; scanning and identifying substances; amplifying or augmenting sound; modifying mobile phones to enable "universal roaming”; disabling alien disguises; resonating concrete. It is sometimes used to disassemble robotic enemies or turn other objects into weapons; healing cuts and wounds. In "The Parting of the Ways
" and "Utopia
" it is used to operate the TARDIS controls remotely; when the Doctor attempts to counteract the Master's theft of the TARDIS, it is used to limit the TARDIS' destination. In "Doomsday
", the Doctor states that the sonic screwdriver does not kill, wound or maim; however, it is sometimes brandished in a threatening manner, such as in "The Christmas Invasion
", "The Runaway Bride
", "The Lazarus Experiment
", The Infinite Quest
and The Impossible Planet
. In "World War Three
", when confronted by a group of Slitheen
, the Doctor threatens to "triplicate the flammability" of a bottle of port wine
with the sonic screwdriver, though one of the Slitheen realises he is bluffing. In "Closing Time
", ringed energy beams are seen emitted from the device, giving it a more weapon-like appearance, particularly when used to disable a weakened Cyberman
at a distance.
The sonic screwdriver has been the subject of jokes: in "The Doctor Dances
", Jack Harkness
mocked the concept by asking, "Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, 'Ooh, this could be a little more sonic'?", and later exclaims to the Doctor that "in a pinch, you could put up some shelves!" In "Smith and Jones
", Martha Jones asked if the Doctor also had a "Laser Spanner
", to which he replied that he had, until it was stolen by Emmeline Pankhurst
. In Day of the Moon
, during the fight with the Silence, the Doctor tries to help with the Sonic Screwdriver and River Song says 'You have a SCREWDRIVER! Go build a cabinet.'
In "Smith and Jones", the sonic screwdriver burns out after the Doctor uses it to amplify the radiation output of a hospital X-ray machine. In the "Series Three concept Artwork Gallery",http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/gallery/concept_2007/index.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/gallery/concept_2007/2.shtml when referring to the burnt out sonic screwdriver, Peter McKinstry says "the green crystal structure visible under the shattered dome refers back to the TARDIS console crystal. It's the same technology – the TARDIS's little brother." Though initially saddened at the loss of the screwdriver, the Doctor obtains a new one at the conclusion of the episode.
In "Partners in Crime" the alien nursemaid possesses a "Sonic Pen". In this episode it is shown that when you hold two sonic items together it creates harmful sound waves, which the doctor uses to escape.
The sonic screwdriver is unable to open a "deadlock seal", used as a plot device
to prevent an easy solution. Russell T Davies once mentioned that he would never make the sonic screwdriver the solution to an episode. In "Silence in the Library
", while trying to open a wooden door, the Doctor tells Donna that the sonic screwdriver won't work because the door is made of wood, a fact later restated in "The Hungry Earth
"; when Rory complains about this, the Doctor counters to not "diss the sonic." In "The Parting of the Ways
", the Doctor mentions that when Emergency Program One was activated, the sonic screwdriver would receive a signal from the TARDIS. In "Forest of the Dead
", he claims that a few hair-dryers can interfere with the device, though he states that he is "working on that".
We learn in Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead, that in the Doctor's future he will upgrade the sonic screwdriver, in addition to Mark VI settings, "red settings" and "damper settings". River has the Doctor's future screwdriver in Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead.
In "The Eleventh Hour
", the malfunctioning sonic screwdriver is destroyed when the Doctor tries to signal the Atraxi ships. The Doctor later receives a new one, which emerges from the newly-regenerated TARDIS console. The Eleventh Doctor
's sonic screwdriver is larger than its predecessor; it has a green light and metal claws that extend with a flick of the wrist. It is shown to have been created by the TARDIS as part of its automatic regeneration. A toy version of this (also by Character Options) is available. Curiously, this toy is stamped on its green "Crystal" infrastructure as having a copyright date of 2004. A metal version of the sonic screwdriver has also been produced that mounts a functional set of changeable flat and Phillips heads under a removable cover as well as providing light and sound effects.
In A Christmas Carol the Doctor advises a young Kazran Sardick to pursue romance while implying that in a similar situation in his own past he had instead gone to his room to "design a new kind of screwdriver."
Also in that episode, the sonic screwdriver gets split into two pieces, one of which ends up inside a flying shark. The remaining piece is said to be signalling its other half in an effort to repair itself. The Doctor uses this to send a signal through the half inside the sky shark to open up the clouds. Afterwards, the half not in the shark is left with Kazran Sardick. The Doctor had duplicates of this screwdriver, which he continued to use throughout his travels.
In "Let's Kill Hitler
", it's explained that instead of having settings, this version operates through a psychic interface, basicaly doing whatever the user thinks of while pointing and holding down the button.
, Sarah Jane Smith
uses a "sonic lipstick", which is a gift the Tenth Doctor
gave her alongside a new model of K-9
and her scanner watch. It functions much like the sonic screwdriver, used primarily for opening and closing locked doors, and for disabling and re-enabling machines. A toy version is available.
text adventure
game included tools such as the ultra-plasmic awl
, and the BBC Radio 4 science-fiction comedy Nebulous
offered the sonic crowbar.
Sonic screwdrivers appear in the 1980s Fighting Fantasy
book Sky Lord (although it is never used for anything in the book), the Iron Man
novel Femme Fatales, and the Red Dwarf
novel Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers. In the latter two, it is used largely as a highly advanced hand tool, that is to say it doesn't possess many of the additional qualities of the Doctor Who version. Similarly, the online game World of Warcraft
includes a item named "The Ultrasonic Screwdriver" which is used to reprogram robots in a quest.
There is also an alcoholic drink called a sonic screwdriver, made by combining
– 1 1/2 oz Vanilla Vodka
– 1 1/2 oz Blue Curaçao (liqueur)
– 6 oz Clear Lemon-Lime Soda
.
In Star Wars
, a Sonic Servodriver was a cocktail composed of Sullustan gin, Old Janx Spirit, and spicebrew. This drink has made appearances in Star Wars Expanded Universe
novels MedStar II: Jedi Healer
and Conviction
.
In Star Trek: Enterprise
episode ?
, Trip Tucker uses an advanced screwdriver aesthetically and functionally similar to the Doctor's while held captive by aliens.
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
. Its most common function is that of a lockpick
Lockpick
Lockpick may refer to:* A tool used in lock picking** Slim Jim ** Torsion wrench** Tubular lock pick** Paper clip...
, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans, remotely controlling other devices and tracking alien life. It can, with the exception of a deadlock seal or wooden lock, open any type of lock and operate many computers, whether their origin is alien or human.
Like the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
, it has become one of the icons of the programme; spinoff media such as The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
and Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
have replicated its functions in devices such as the sonic lipstick, sonic blaster, sonic pen and sonic modulator.
The sonic screwdriver was first introduced in 1968, and was used regularly throughout the Second Doctor
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
's tenure. It became less prominent from the beginning of the Third Doctor
Third Doctor
The Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....
's tenure until 1977. It was written out of the series in 1982 due to the limitations it caused when writing for the show. It then featured briefly in the 1996 Doctor Who TV Movie, before making a full return in the 2005 reboot of the series.
Throughout the series, there have been many different versions of the sonic screwdriver, as with subsequent Doctors the design of it was changed. It has also been destroyed on a number of occasions, thus leading to the introduction of the next model. Not all iterations of the Doctor have used the sonic on screen; the Fifth Doctor in fact opted not to replace his after it was destroyed.
1968–1982, 1996
Models/Marks in these years: 4 - the 1st model/mark, seen in seasons 5-7 and used by the First Doctor in the Virgin Missing Adventures series, on TV for the first time by the Second Doctor in Fury from the Deep, and shortly by the Third Doctor; the 2nd model/mark seen in seasons 7-11 and used by the Third Doctor; the 3rd model/mark seen in seasons 11-19 and used by the Fourth and Fifth Doctors until destroyed in The Visitation; and the 4th model/mark, seen in 1996 TV Movie and used by the Seventh Doctor at the end of his life and by the Eighth Doctor.The sonic screwdriver made its first appearance in the serial Fury from the Deep
Fury from the Deep
Fury from the Deep is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from 16 March to 20 April 1968...
, written by Victor Pemberton
Victor Pemberton
Victor Pemberton is a British writer and television producer.Victor Pemberton's scriptwriting work included BBC radio plays, and television scripts for the BBC and ITV, including Doctor Who, The Slide and The Adventures of Black Beauty.His television production work included the British version of...
. It was used thereafter by the Second Doctor
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
as a multi-purpose tool, with occasional variations in appearance over the course of the series. Ownership of the concept was retained by the BBC; Pemberton later told an interviewer for Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, "I'm very cross that the sonic screwdriver—which I invented—has been marketed with no credit to myself. ... It's one thing not to receive any payment, but another not to receive any credit."
It is possible that the screwdriver had appeared before Fury from the Deep
Fury from the Deep
Fury from the Deep is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from 16 March to 20 April 1968...
without the Doctor referring to it by that name: the prop used there appears to be one used by the Doctor in many earlier stories, including the First Doctor
First Doctor
The First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a...
's sabotage of Dalek equipment as early as the second serial.
Its abilities and overall appearance varied greatly during the classic series. The name implies that it operates through the use of soundwaves to exert physical forces on objects remotely. During the Second Doctor's tenure, it functioned much as its name implied—using sonic waves to dismantle equipment or to bypass locks. In addition, it was used as a welding torch in Episode Five of The Dominators
The Dominators
The Dominators is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in five weekly parts from 10 August to 7 September 1968.-Plot:...
. In the audio commentary for The Sea Devils
The Sea Devils
The Sea Devils is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from February 26 to April 1, 1972.-Synopsis:...
, Michael Briant
Michael E. Briant
Michael E. Briant is best known as a British television director, but he is also a producer and actor....
claims to have suggested it as a one-off gadget in 1968.
During the Third Doctor
Third Doctor
The Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....
's tenure, producer Barry Letts
Barry Letts
Barry Leopold Letts was a British actor, television director, writer and producer best known for his work on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, and for producing the BBC's Sunday Classic drama serials in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
was adamant that the device not become a cure-all for the series, and limited its use to avoid writers becoming over-reliant on it. During this time, the device underwent significant design changes. In The Sea Devils, the Doctor used it to detonate landmines; Michael E. Briant explains that this was feasible, stating that the sonic waves shook the mines. In The Three Doctors the sonic screwdriver is almost unrecognisable as a black grip and plastic spherical head have been applied to the device. In the DVD commentary, Letts himself cannot recognise the prop but remarks that this serial was produced out of transmission order; this explains why the sonic screwdriver reverts to its previous appearance for one story before receiving a more permanent refit thereafter.
During the first three years of the Fourth Doctor's tenure, producer Philip Hinchcliffe
Philip Hinchcliffe
Philip Hinchcliffe is a British television producer, who brought shows including Private Schulz and The Charmer to the screen, probably best known for the overseeing of British television series Doctor Who from 1974-1977...
further reduced the use of the sonic screwdriver. Exceptions include Robot
Robot (Doctor Who)
Robot is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 28 December 1974 to 18 January 1975...
, where it was again used to detonate mines, and as a "miniature sonic lance"The Sixth Doctor uses a hand tool "sonic lance" in Attack of the Cybermen
Attack of the Cybermen
Attack of the Cybermen is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts from 5 January to 12 January 1985. It opened Season 22 of the series...
to cut out a lock. Aside from unlocking doors, the device was greatly downplayed during the Fourth Doctor's second and third seasons. It saw a resurgence once Graham Williams
Graham Williams
Graham Williams was a British television producer and script editor, whose best known work was on the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who....
took over as producer in 1977. In the final story of season 15, The Invasion of Time
The Invasion of Time
The Invasion of Time is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 4 February to 11 March 1978...
, the Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
conceded, "Not even the sonic screwdriver can get me out of this one."
It featured regularly in season 16 during the Key to Time saga. The Doctor's Time Lady
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
companion Romana
Romana
Romana, short for Romanadvoratrelundar, is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
constructed a sonic screwdriver of her own similar to the Doctor's, first seen during the City of Death
City of Death
-Pre-production:Writer David Fisher had contributed two scripts to Doctor Whos sixteenth season – The Stones of Blood and The Androids of Tara – and was asked by producer Graham Williams for further story ideas...
. Later on we saw that it was smaller and sleeker than the Doctor's, and he was sufficiently impressed with her design that he attempted (unsuccessfully) to swap screwdrivers with her in Horns of Nimon. By season 18, both script editor Christopher H Bidmead and producer John Nathan-Turner
John Nathan-Turner
John Nathan-Turner was the ninth producer of the long-running BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, from 1980 until it was effectively cancelled in 1989...
were eager to downplay the device as much as possible.
The sonic screwdriver was written out of the series late in season 19, in the Fifth Doctor
Fifth Doctor
The Fifth Doctor is the fifth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison....
serial The Visitation. It is destroyed by a Terileptil to prevent the Doctor from escaping a holding cell; in response, the Doctor remarked, "I feel as if you've just killed an old friend." Eric Saward
Eric Saward
Eric Saward was born on 9 December 1944 and became a scriptwriter and script editor for the BBC, resigning from the latter post on the TV programme Doctor Who in 1986....
later explained in a 2005 DVD interview that this was done on the instructions of producer John Nathan-Turner. Saward had written out the sonic screwdriver, believing that the Doctor had "a cupboard full of them" in the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
. On the basis that a device that could help in any situation was very limiting for the script, Nathan-Turner decided that it would not return. The Tenth Doctor joked about the Fifth Doctor's lack of sonic screwdriver in the mini-episode Time Crash
Time Crash
"Time Crash" is a mini-episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on 16 November 2007, as part of the BBC One telethon for the children's charity Children in Need...
, commenting that he "went hands-free" and could "save the universe using a kettle and some string." The device did not appear again for the remainder of the original series.
In the Doctor Who TV Movie, the Doctor was seen to have a new sonic screwdriver with a telescopic design.
2005–2010
Models/Marks in these years: 3 - the 5th model/mark, seen in series 1 - 3, used by the Ninth and Tenth Doctors, and possibly the Eighth Doctor; the 6th model/mark, seen in series 3-5, used by the Tenth Doctor and shortly by the Eleventh Doctor; and the Future model/mark, seen in Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead and in future Doctor Who episodes, used by River Song, who said the future Doctor uses it and gave it to her.Flashlight
A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
and changeable invisible ink nib for viewing messages written in the ultraviolet ink. A common misconception is that the Doctor Who production team at BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
were so impressed by how much more resilient the toy sonic screwdriver was than the real prop, that they obtained moulds of the original prototype of the toy to use in the 2006 series, in fact, this was not the case. Over the course of the next two years, the props were continually repaired and modified, with some additions being a new thumb slider design and different colours of wires used in the clear channel when extended.
For Series 4 (2008), a new design of Screwdriver was commissioned by the BBC. Nick Robatto was hired to make two new props. These featured the final slider design, and redesigned body ridges, among other smaller changes. This design debuted in 2008's "Partners in Crime" and continued to be used until the Screwdriver's ultimate destruction in 2010's "The Eleventh Hour". This later design has gained the nickname "Series 3-4 Sonic" (relating to the fact that at the start of Series 3, in "Smith and Jones", the first Sonic Screwdriver was supposedly destroyed), even though strictly speaking it first appeared in Series 4.
In contrast with Nathan-Turner's attitude that the sonic screwdriver should not be used as a cure-all, the new production team gave it even more functionality than previous versions which has given the series some criticism as it seems to be a deus ex machina
Deus ex machina
A deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.-Linguistic considerations:...
, a literary device that is generally avoided. Some of the uses in the new series include: repairing electronic equipment; re-attaching materials such as barbed wire; detecting, intercepting and sending signals; remotely operating the TARDIS; burning, cutting, or igniting substances; fusing metal; scanning and identifying substances; amplifying or augmenting sound; modifying mobile phones to enable "universal roaming”; disabling alien disguises; resonating concrete. It is sometimes used to disassemble robotic enemies or turn other objects into weapons; healing cuts and wounds. In "The Parting of the Ways
The Parting of the Ways
"The Parting of the Ways" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 18 June 2005. It was the second episode of the two-part story that featured Christopher Eccleston making his last appearance as the Ninth Doctor...
" and "Utopia
Utopia (Doctor Who)
"Utopia" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 16 June 2007 and is the eleventh episode of series three of the revived Doctor Who series...
" it is used to operate the TARDIS controls remotely; when the Doctor attempts to counteract the Master's theft of the TARDIS, it is used to limit the TARDIS' destination. In "Doomsday
Doomsday (Doctor Who)
"Doomsday" is the thirteenth and final episode in the second series of the revival of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 8 July 2006 and is the conclusion of a two-part story; the first part, "Army of Ghosts", was broadcast on 1 July 2006...
", the Doctor states that the sonic screwdriver does not kill, wound or maim; however, it is sometimes brandished in a threatening manner, such as in "The Christmas Invasion
The Christmas Invasion
"The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute special episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is Christmas, but there is little cause for celebration as planet Earth is invaded by aliens known as the Sycorax...
", "The Runaway Bride
The Runaway Bride (Doctor Who)
"The Runaway Bride" is a special episode of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor...
", "The Lazarus Experiment
The Lazarus Experiment
"The Lazarus Experiment" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 5 May 2007 and is the sixth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. It stars David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones as his companion, played...
", The Infinite Quest
The Infinite Quest
The Infinite Quest is an animated serial based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was made by BBC Television, but does not share the same producers as the live-action series. It was aired in twelve weekly parts starting 2 April 2007 as a segment of the children's...
and The Impossible Planet
The Impossible Planet
"The Impossible Planet" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the first part of a two-part story, followed by "The Satan Pit". The TARDIS lands in a base on a planet orbiting a black hole, an allegedly impossible situation that stumps even the Doctor...
. In "World War Three
World War Three (Doctor Who)
"World War Three" is the fifth episode of the first series in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 23 April 2005. It is the second of a two-part story. The first part, "Aliens of London", was broadcast on 16 April...
", when confronted by a group of Slitheen
Slitheen
The Slitheen are a family of massive, bipedal extraterrestrials from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and they are adversaries of the Doctor. They first appeared in the 2005 series episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three", and subsequently recur in later episodes of...
, the Doctor threatens to "triplicate the flammability" of a bottle of port wine
Port wine
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
with the sonic screwdriver, though one of the Slitheen realises he is bluffing. In "Closing Time
Closing Time (Doctor Who)
"Closing Time" is the twelfth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One, BBC America and Space on 24 September 2011.-Plot summary:...
", ringed energy beams are seen emitted from the device, giving it a more weapon-like appearance, particularly when used to disable a weakened Cyberman
Cyberman
The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
at a distance.
The sonic screwdriver has been the subject of jokes: in "The Doctor Dances
The Doctor Dances
"The Doctor Dances" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 28 May 2005. It is the second of a two-part story and saw Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman, join the Doctor as a companion. The first part, "The Empty Child", was...
", Jack Harkness
Jack Harkness
Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. He first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappeared in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the...
mocked the concept by asking, "Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, 'Ooh, this could be a little more sonic'?", and later exclaims to the Doctor that "in a pinch, you could put up some shelves!" In "Smith and Jones
Smith and Jones (Doctor Who)
"Smith and Jones" is the first episode of the third series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 31 March 2007. It sees the debut of Freema Agyeman as new companion Martha Jones...
", Martha Jones asked if the Doctor also had a "Laser Spanner
Wrench
A wrench or spanner is a tool used to provide grip and mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn objects—usually rotary fasteners, such as nuts and bolts—or keep them from turning....
", to which he replied that he had, until it was stolen by Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst
Emmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement which helped women win the right to vote...
. In Day of the Moon
Day of the Moon
"Day of the Moon" is the second episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by show runner Steven Moffat, and directed by Toby Haynes, the episode was first broadcast on 30 April 2011 on BBC One in the United Kingdom and on BBC America in the...
, during the fight with the Silence, the Doctor tries to help with the Sonic Screwdriver and River Song says 'You have a SCREWDRIVER! Go build a cabinet.'
In "Smith and Jones", the sonic screwdriver burns out after the Doctor uses it to amplify the radiation output of a hospital X-ray machine. In the "Series Three concept Artwork Gallery",http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/gallery/concept_2007/index.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/gallery/concept_2007/2.shtml when referring to the burnt out sonic screwdriver, Peter McKinstry says "the green crystal structure visible under the shattered dome refers back to the TARDIS console crystal. It's the same technology – the TARDIS's little brother." Though initially saddened at the loss of the screwdriver, the Doctor obtains a new one at the conclusion of the episode.
In "Partners in Crime" the alien nursemaid possesses a "Sonic Pen". In this episode it is shown that when you hold two sonic items together it creates harmful sound waves, which the doctor uses to escape.
The sonic screwdriver is unable to open a "deadlock seal", used as a plot device
Plot device
A plot device is an object or character in a story whose sole purpose is to advance the plot of the story, or alternatively to overcome some difficulty in the plot....
to prevent an easy solution. Russell T Davies once mentioned that he would never make the sonic screwdriver the solution to an episode. In "Silence in the Library
Silence in the Library
"Silence in the Library" is the eighth episode of the fourth series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 31 May 2008. It is the first of a two-part story, followed by "Forest of the Dead", and is the second two-parter Steven Moffat contributed to...
", while trying to open a wooden door, the Doctor tells Donna that the sonic screwdriver won't work because the door is made of wood, a fact later restated in "The Hungry Earth
The Hungry Earth
"The Hungry Earth" is the eighth episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 22 May 2010 on BBC One. It was written by Chris Chibnall, who had previously written for Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood...
"; when Rory complains about this, the Doctor counters to not "diss the sonic." In "The Parting of the Ways
The Parting of the Ways
"The Parting of the Ways" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 18 June 2005. It was the second episode of the two-part story that featured Christopher Eccleston making his last appearance as the Ninth Doctor...
", the Doctor mentions that when Emergency Program One was activated, the sonic screwdriver would receive a signal from the TARDIS. In "Forest of the Dead
Forest of the Dead
"Forest of the Dead" is the ninth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast by BBC One on 7 June 2008...
", he claims that a few hair-dryers can interfere with the device, though he states that he is "working on that".
We learn in Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead, that in the Doctor's future he will upgrade the sonic screwdriver, in addition to Mark VI settings, "red settings" and "damper settings". River has the Doctor's future screwdriver in Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead.
2010 – Present
Models/Marks in this year: 1 - the 7th model/mark, seen in series 5 to the present, used by the Eleventh Doctor.In "The Eleventh Hour
The Eleventh Hour (Doctor Who)
"The Eleventh Hour" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 3 April 2010....
", the malfunctioning sonic screwdriver is destroyed when the Doctor tries to signal the Atraxi ships. The Doctor later receives a new one, which emerges from the newly-regenerated TARDIS console. The Eleventh Doctor
Eleventh Doctor
The Eleventh Doctor is the eleventh incarnation of the protagonist of the BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. Matt Smith plays this incarnation, replacing David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in the 2010 episode "The End of Time, Part Two"...
's sonic screwdriver is larger than its predecessor; it has a green light and metal claws that extend with a flick of the wrist. It is shown to have been created by the TARDIS as part of its automatic regeneration. A toy version of this (also by Character Options) is available. Curiously, this toy is stamped on its green "Crystal" infrastructure as having a copyright date of 2004. A metal version of the sonic screwdriver has also been produced that mounts a functional set of changeable flat and Phillips heads under a removable cover as well as providing light and sound effects.
In A Christmas Carol the Doctor advises a young Kazran Sardick to pursue romance while implying that in a similar situation in his own past he had instead gone to his room to "design a new kind of screwdriver."
Also in that episode, the sonic screwdriver gets split into two pieces, one of which ends up inside a flying shark. The remaining piece is said to be signalling its other half in an effort to repair itself. The Doctor uses this to send a signal through the half inside the sky shark to open up the clouds. Afterwards, the half not in the shark is left with Kazran Sardick. The Doctor had duplicates of this screwdriver, which he continued to use throughout his travels.
In "Let's Kill Hitler
Let's Kill Hitler
"Let's Kill Hitler" is the eighth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One, Space and BBC America on 27 August 2011. It is the second episode of a two-part story, continuing stories from "A Good Man Goes to War"...
", it's explained that instead of having settings, this version operates through a psychic interface, basicaly doing whatever the user thinks of while pointing and holding down the button.
BBC Books
- The Past Doctor AdventuresPast Doctor AdventuresThe Past Doctor Adventures were a series of spin-off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and published under the BBC Books imprint. For most of their existence, they were published side-by-side with the Eighth Doctor Adventures...
novel The Murder Game, set after The Power of the Daleks, has the Second Doctor escaping from a locked room with a box-shaped sonic device, in which he muses on the advantages of building a smaller model. The novel Dreams of Empire by Justin Richards, set after The Ice Warriors and before Fury from the Deep, features the Second Doctor utilising the device to break through a concrete wall. Stories with the device used by the Second Doctor before the screwdriver's first on-screen appearance are plausible as the Doctor in that story indicates that the machine "never fails", implying its successful use before that adventure. - The More Short TripsBBC Short TripsThe BBC Short Trips books were a series of short story anthologies published by BBC Books based on the television series Doctor Who, following a pattern established by Virgin Publishing's Decalog collections. Three volumes were published between March 1998 and March 2000, before the BBC decided to...
short story "Special Weapons", set late in season 24, indicates that the Seventh Doctor has a sonic screwdriver. - The Eighth Doctor AdventuresEighth Doctor AdventuresThe Eighth Doctor Adventures are a series of spin off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and published under the BBC Books imprint. 73 books were published overall...
novel, Father TimeFather Time (Doctor Who)Father Time is a BBC Books original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor and introduces the Doctor's adopted daughter Miranda.-External links:*...
, features an amnesiac Doctor attempting to recreate the sonic screwdriver with 1980s technology, eventually producing a bulky device nicknamed the "sonic suitcase". - In the Ninth Doctor AdventuresNew Series Adventures (Doctor Who)The New Series Adventures are a series of novels relating to the long-running BBC science fiction television series, Doctor Who. The 'NSAs', as they are often referred to, are published by BBC Books, and are regularly published in the spring and autumn of each year. Beginning and concluding with...
novel The Clockwise ManThe Clockwise ManThe Clockwise Man is a BBC Books original novel written by Justin Richards and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on May 19, 2005, alongside The Monsters Inside and Winner Takes All...
the sonic screwdriver is used to cauterise wounds, as a soldering iron, and to stop a clockwork mechanism. In The Monsters Inside it is used to provide light, but runs out of power in the process. In Winner Takes AllWinner Takes All (Doctor Who)Winner Takes All is a BBC Books original novel written by Jacqueline Rayner and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on May 19, 2005, alongside The Clockwise Man and The Monsters Inside...
the Doctor fails to open a lock with it and concludes that it "hints at alien involvement". It is used to examine electronic standing stoneStanding stoneStanding stones, orthostats, liths, or more commonly megaliths are solitary stones set vertically in the ground and come in many different varieties....
s in The Deviant StrainThe Deviant StrainThe Deviant Strain is a BBC Books original novel written by Justin Richards and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on September 8, 2005, alongside Only Human and The Stealers of Dreams. It features the Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler and...
. In Only Human it is used to restrain someone by welding wires to a chair; in the same novel the Doctor informs Quelly that the device contains 29 computers. - In the Tenth Doctor Adventures novel The Stone RoseThe Stone RoseThe Stone Rose is a BBC Books original novel written by Jacqueline Rayner and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on April 13, 2006, alongside The Feast of the Drowned and The Resurrection Casket. It features the Tenth Doctor, Rose and...
, the sonic screwdriver is used to sedate animals. In The Nightmare of Black IslandThe Nightmare of Black IslandThe Nightmare of Black Island is a BBC Books original novel written by Mike Tucker and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on September 21, 2006, alongside The Art of Destruction and The Price of Paradise...
it is used to provide light. In The Last DodoThe Last DodoNot to be confused with "The Last Dodo" character in the Warner Brothers cartoon Porky in Wackyland, or the musical play by Peter DizozzaThe Last Dodo is a BBC Books original novel written by Jacqueline Rayner and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features...
it is used to distract animals, and to liquefy and re-solidify tarmac. In PeacemakerPeacemaker (Doctor Who)Peacemaker is a BBC Books original novel written by James Swallow and based on the long running science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones...
, it is used to stop bullets and to dismantle guns.
Big Finish audio dramas
- In the Big FinishBig Finish ProductionsBig Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
audio drama Pier PressurePier Pressure (Doctor Who audio)Pier Pressure is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Plot:...
, Evelyn SmytheEvelyn SmytheDr. Evelyn Smythe is a fictional character played by Maggie Stables in a series of audio plays produced by Big Finish Productions based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A professor of history from the 20th century with a fondness for chocolate, she is a...
mentions that although the Sixth Doctor didn't possess a sonic screwdriver, he fondly remembered it as his "door key". The Sixth Doctor uses his fingernails as a stand-in for the screwdriver as an escape method in The Nowhere PlaceThe Nowhere PlaceThe Nowhere Place is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Plot:...
. - The Seventh Doctor uses the device in The Harvest and Dreamtime. His companions Ace and Hex use the device in the Doctorless audio drama, The Veiled Leopard.
- In Sword of OrionSword of OrionSword of Orion is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. This audio drama was broadcast on BBC 7 in four weekly parts starting from 3 September 2005, and was repeated in 2006...
, the Eighth Doctor reveals that his sonic screwdriver has a torchFlashlightA flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
built into the handle. In The Dying DaysThe Dying DaysThe Dying Days is an original novel written by Lance Parkin and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was last of that range to feature the Doctor and the only one of that range to feature Paul McGann's Eighth Doctor. Thereafter the series centred around...
he uses the device to reflect the sonic cannon of an Ice WarriorIce WarriorThe Ice Warriors are a fictional extraterrestrial race of reptilian-like humanoids in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The race originated on Mars, and first appeared in the 1967 serial The Ice Warriors where they encountered the Second Doctor and his...
back at his attacker. In Blood of the DaleksBlood of the DaleksBlood of the Daleks is an audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. This audio drama was produced by Big Finish Productions; the first of two 50-minute parts was broadcast on BBC 7 on 31 December 2006, and the second was aired on 7 January 2007...
he uses it to trace a transmission beam.
Doctor Who comics
- In an untitled story by Gary RussellGary RussellGary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...
featured in the first issue of IDW PublishingIDW PublishingIDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
's Doctor Who comic book (published February 2008), the Tenth Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to destroy a sword and later sacrifices it in order to defeat a SycoraxSycoraxSycorax is a character mentioned though not seen in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.Sycorax may also refer to:*Sycorax , a moon of Uranus, named after the fictional character...
hunter. Later, he indicates that he needs time to "grow" a new sonic screwdriver.
Virgin Adventures
- The Seventh Doctor regained his sonic screwdriver in the Virgin New AdventuresVirgin New AdventuresThe Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
novels, with its first reappearance in The PitThe Pit (Doctor Who)The Pit is an original novel written by Neil Penswick and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor and Bernice...
. - The Virgin Missing AdventuresVirgin Missing AdventuresThe Virgin Missing Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which had been cancelled in 1989, featuring stories set between televised episodes of the programme. The novels were published from 1994 to 1997, and...
novel Venusian LullabyVenusian LullabyVenusian Lullaby is an original novel written by Paul Leonard and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
established that the First DoctorFirst DoctorThe First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a...
had a sonic screwdriver.
Red Nose Day
- In the Red Nose Day special, The Curse of Fatal DeathDoctor Who and the Curse of Fatal DeathDoctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death is a four-episode special of Doctor Who made for the Red Nose Day charity telethon in the United Kingdom, and broadcast on BBC One on 12 March 1999...
, the final regeneration of the Doctor, played by Joanna LumleyJoanna LumleyJoanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...
, enthusiastically remarks that the sonic screwdriver "has three settings". - In a comic The Catherine Tate ShowThe Catherine Tate ShowThe Catherine Tate Show is a British television sketch comedy written by Catherine Tate and Aschlin Ditta. Tate also stars in all but one of the show's sketches, which feature a wide range of characters. The Catherine Tate Show airs on BBC Two and is shown worldwide through the BBC...
sketch, Catherine TateCatherine TateCatherine Tate is an English actress, writer, and comedian. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...
's teenage character Lauren CooperLauren CooperDame Lauren Alesha Masheka Tanesha Felicia Jane Cooper is a fictional character in The Catherine Tate Show. Lauren is one of the show's main characters and is played by Catherine Tate...
accuses her English teacher (played by David TennantDavid TennantDavid Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
) of being "the Doctor". After much provocation, the teacher uses the sonic screwdriver to transform Lauren into a Rose TylerRose TylerRose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
action figure.
Unlicensed media
- The unlicensed fan fictionFan fictionFan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
novel Time's ChampionTime's ChampionTime's Champion is a work of Doctor Who fan fiction, written by Chris McKeon on the basis of an original novel outline by the late Craig Hinton, and incorporating fragments of text by Hinton...
speculates that the Sixth Doctor has re-built the sonic screwdriver. He used a similar device in The Nightmare FairThe Nightmare FairThe Nightmare Fair is a story originally written for the 1986 season of Doctor Who, but never filmed. A novelisation based on the script was published in 1989 by Target Books, as the first volume of its Missing Episodes series...
, a script which was never produced for television but has been adapted twice. - In the video game Daleks (published for operating systems of the early 1980s), the Doctor can use the sonic screwdriver to teleport and to defend himself against the Daleks.
Public Appearances
- Matt Smith used the Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver to turn on the Christmas Lights in CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in November 2010. Its appearance was cheered by the crowd.
Doctor Who
- The Doctor has used other sonic devices similar to the sonic screwdriver, including the "door handle" of InfernoInferno (Doctor Who)Don Houghton came to Terrence Dicks with an idea for the story based on the real life Project Mohole. A smaller budget for the serial drove the idea of a parallel world, where the studio could use the same actors in multiple roles...
(Liz Shaw having one of her own) and a pen-sized white noiseWhite noiseWhite noise is a random signal with a flat power spectral density. In other words, the signal contains equal power within a fixed bandwidth at any center frequency...
generator in Four to DoomsdayFour to Doomsday*The working title for this story was Days Of Wrath.*Although Castrovalva was the first story aired which featured Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor, this story was the first in the season to be produced....
. - In the 1965 episode "Trap of SteelGalaxy 4Galaxy 4 is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 11 September to 2 October 1965.-Plot:...
", the Doctor uses an apparently ordinary screwdriver to examine the metal of the Drahvin spaceship and other tasks. - In the 1979 serial "City of DeathCity of Death-Pre-production:Writer David Fisher had contributed two scripts to Doctor Whos sixteenth season – The Stones of Blood and The Androids of Tara – and was asked by producer Graham Williams for further story ideas...
", Count Scarlioni's henchmen use a "sonic knife" to cut the glass in front of the Mona LisaMona LisaMona Lisa is a portrait by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. It is a painting in oil on a poplar panel, completed circa 1503–1519...
. - In the 2005 episodes "The Empty ChildThe Empty Child"The Empty Child" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 21 May 2005. It is the first of a two-part story. The concluding episode, "The Doctor Dances", was broadcast on 28 May...
" and "The Doctor DancesThe Doctor Dances"The Doctor Dances" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 28 May 2005. It is the second of a two-part story and saw Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman, join the Doctor as a companion. The first part, "The Empty Child", was...
", Jack HarknessJack HarknessCaptain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. He first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappeared in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the...
uses a "sonic blaster", referred to by Rose Tyler as a "squareness gun", capable of "digitising" structures by disintegrating them and then reversing the process, among other functions. The device resurfaces in "Silence in the LibrarySilence in the Library"Silence in the Library" is the eighth episode of the fourth series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 31 May 2008. It is the first of a two-part story, followed by "Forest of the Dead", and is the second two-parter Steven Moffat contributed to...
" and "Forest of the DeadForest of the Dead"Forest of the Dead" is the ninth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast by BBC One on 7 June 2008...
", now wielded by River SongRiver Song (Doctor Who)River Song is a fictional character played primarily by Alex Kingston in the British science-fiction series Doctor Who. River Song was introduced to the series as an experienced future companion of series protagonist the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time in his TARDIS...
. Steven Moffat confirmed in an episode of Doctor Who Confidential that the device was the same one. - In "Smith and JonesSmith and Jones (Doctor Who)"Smith and Jones" is the first episode of the third series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 31 March 2007. It sees the debut of Freema Agyeman as new companion Martha Jones...
", the Doctor claims to have once owned a "laser spanner" until it was stolen by Emmeline PankhurstEmmeline PankhurstEmmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement which helped women win the right to vote...
, described by the Doctor as a "cheeky woman". - In "The Sound of DrumsThe Sound of Drums"The Sound of Drums" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 23 June 2007, and is the twelfth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series...
", the MasterMaster (Doctor Who)The Master is a recurring character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is a renegade Time Lord and the archenemy of the Doctor....
reveals his laser screwdriver. Unlike the sonic screwdriver, it is used as a weapon that can kill as well as artificially age its target, using technology developed by Lazarus Laboratories originally seen in "The Lazarus ExperimentThe Lazarus Experiment"The Lazarus Experiment" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 5 May 2007 and is the sixth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. It stars David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones as his companion, played...
". It includes isomorphic controls, allowing only the Master to use the device. The design of the prop was meant to imply that the Master constructed it on Earth, and it was deliberately made larger than the Doctor's sonic screwdriver. Like the Doctor's screwdriver and Sarah Jane's lipstick, the Master's laser screwdriver was also created as a children's toy with sound effects. - In the series 4 episode "Partners in CrimePartners in Crime (Doctor Who)"Partners in Crime" is the first episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 5 April 2008. The episode reintroduced comedienne Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, who previously appeared in "The Runaway Bride"...
", the antagonist Miss Foster is shown using a sonic device identified by her as a sonic pen, which the Doctor describes as having identical functionality to his screwdriver. It could, however, open deadlocked windows and compartments in the Adipose building that the sonic screwdriver couldn't. After confiscating and briefly using it, the Doctor throws the sonic pen into a bin. - In "Silence in the Library", Professor River SongRiver Song (Doctor Who)River Song is a fictional character played primarily by Alex Kingston in the British science-fiction series Doctor Who. River Song was introduced to the series as an experienced future companion of series protagonist the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time in his TARDIS...
possesses a slightly bulkier sonic screwdriver, which she claims the Doctor gave to her in his future. The Doctor mentioned that he does not give his screwdriver to anyone. In the following episode, Professor Song mentions that her screwdriver is augmented with a "red setting" and "dampers". It also contains a hidden neural relay linked to River Song, saving her at the episode's conclusion—the purpose for which the future Doctor gave Professor Song the device. A toy version is available. Despite the Doctor's claim not to give his screwdriver to anyone, he gives one to his own doppelgänger in "The Rebel FleshThe Rebel Flesh"The Rebel Flesh" is the fifth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 21 May 2011 on BBC One and on BBC America in the United States...
", and either gives or loans one to Rory WilliamsRory WilliamsRory Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Having been introduced at the start of the 5th series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor as a companion in the middle of Series 5...
for use in "A Good Man Goes to WarA Good Man Goes to War"A Good Man Goes to War" is the seventh episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One on 4 June 2011...
", having previously loaned one to Rory in "The Big BangThe Big Bang (Doctor Who)"The Big Bang" is the 13th and final episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the second part of a two-part season finale started with "The Pandorica Opens", at the end of which The Doctor is trapped, the TARDIS destroyed, and Amy Pond has been shot...
". - In the Christmas special The Next Doctor, Jackson Lake, who believes himself to be the Doctor, carries a regular screwdriver which he claims to be sonic. When the Doctor asks "How is it sonic?", Lake replies, "It makes a noise," which he demonstrates by tapping it against a door frame
- In the series 6 episode "Let's Kill HitlerLet's Kill Hitler"Let's Kill Hitler" is the eighth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One, Space and BBC America on 27 August 2011. It is the second episode of a two-part story, continuing stories from "A Good Man Goes to War"...
", the Doctor has a sonic cane which appears to have the same functions as the sonic screwdriver. - In the series 6 episode "The Girl Who WaitedThe Girl Who Waited"The Girl Who Waited" is the tenth episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One and BBC America on 10 September 2011.-Synopsis:...
", future Amy PondAmy PondAmelia Jessica 'Amy' Pond is a fictional character portrayed by Karen Gillan in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
has a "Sonic Probe" that she made herself. She claims she calls it a probe and not a screwdriver because that's what it is, and to signify that she has come to hate the Doctor. Later after she has forgiven him, she calls it a sonic screwdriver.
The Sarah Jane Adventures
In the Doctor Who spin-off series, The Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
, Sarah Jane Smith
Sarah Jane Smith
Sarah Jane Smith is a fictional character played by Elisabeth Sladen in the long-running British BBC Television science-fiction series Doctor Who and its spin-offs K-9 and Company and The Sarah Jane Adventures....
uses a "sonic lipstick", which is a gift the Tenth Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
gave her alongside a new model of K-9
K-9 (Doctor Who)
K-9, or K9, is the name of several fictional robotic canines in the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who, first appearing in 1977...
and her scanner watch. It functions much like the sonic screwdriver, used primarily for opening and closing locked doors, and for disabling and re-enabling machines. A toy version is available.
- In Enemy of the BaneEnemy of the BaneEnemy of the Bane is a two-part story from the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures. It was broadcast on CBBC on 1 and 8 December 2008, and is the final serial of the second series...
, Mrs Wormwood (Samantha Bond) possesses a sonic device disguised as a ring called the "Phonic disruptor".
Torchwood
- In the Doctor Who spin-off series TorchwoodTorchwoodTorchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
episode "FragmentsFragments (Torchwood)"Fragments" is the twelfth and penultimate episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood, which was broadcast by BBC Three on 21 March 2008.-Synopsis:...
", genius Toshiko SatoToshiko Satois a fictional character from the television series Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood, played by Naoko Mori. After a one-off appearance in the Doctor Who episode "Aliens of London" , Toshiko is re-introduced as a series regular in the Torchwood 2006 premiere episode "Everything Changes"...
's backstory reveals that she stole faulty designs from the Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (United Kingdom)The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
and UNITUNITUNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
, which she used to construct a sonic device, referred to as a "sonic modulator", to trade to a terrorist organisation in exchange for her mother. The device is confiscated by UNIT, which imprisons Sato until she is pardoned and recruited into TorchwoodTorchwood InstituteThe Torchwood Institute is a fictional secret organization from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood. It was established in 1879 by Queen Victoria after the events of "Tooth and Claw". Its prime directive, is to defend the earth against...
by Jack Harkness. - In the episodes "Day OneDay One (Torchwood)"Day One" is the second episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. Written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Brian Kelly, the episode was first broadcast on the digital channel BBC Three on 22 October 2006 with the series pilot, "Everything Changes", and...
" and "End of DaysEnd of Days (Torchwood)"End of Days" is the thirteenth episode and the first series finale of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It originally aired on BBC Three on 1 January 2007, alongside the previous episode, "Captain Jack Harkness". The episode was written by Chris Chibnall and directed by...
", Captain Jack HarknessJack HarknessCaptain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. He first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappeared in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the...
uses a green device somewhat similar to a sonic screwdriver. Its origins and function are unknown. - In "Greeks Bearing GiftsGreeks Bearing Gifts (Torchwood)"Greeks Bearing Gifts" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It is the seventh episode of the first series, which was broadcast on 26 November 2006.-Synopsis:...
" a replica of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver can be seen on Toshiko SatoToshiko Satois a fictional character from the television series Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood, played by Naoko Mori. After a one-off appearance in the Doctor Who episode "Aliens of London" , Toshiko is re-introduced as a series regular in the Torchwood 2006 premiere episode "Everything Changes"...
's desk. Toshiko also uses a "lockpick" device in a number of episodes which replicates the door-opening function of the screwdriver. - In Children of Earth, Gwen CooperGwen CooperGwen Cooper is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off to the long-running show Doctor Who, portrayed by Welsh actress Eve Myles. The series' lead female character, Gwen has featured in every episode of the sci-fi programme to date as well as two crossover...
uses a similar device, which she refers to a Gizmo, to deactivate CCTV cameras.
BBC Books
- In the Eighth Doctor AdventuresEighth Doctor AdventuresThe Eighth Doctor Adventures are a series of spin off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and published under the BBC Books imprint. 73 books were published overall...
novel Alien BodiesAlien BodiesAlien Bodies is an original novel written by Lawrence Miles and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor and Sam. This story marks the first appearance of Faction Paradox, a time travelling Gallifreyan voodoo cult...
, the Time Lord Homunculette has a sonic monkey wrenchMonkey wrenchThe monkey wrench is an adjustable wrench, a later American development of eighteenth century English coach wrenches. It was popular in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries but is now used only for heavier tasks, having been mostly replaced by the lighter and sleeker shifting adjustable or...
.
In other media
The sonic screwdriver has appeared in a variety of media, particularly other British fiction and science-fiction in general, likely a tribute to Doctor Who's enduring place in both genres. Sometimes it appears as a genuine tool, but often it is parodied – for example, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (computer game)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an interactive fiction computer game based on the comedic science fiction series of the same name. It was designed by series creator Douglas Adams and Infocom's Steve Meretzky, and was first released in 1984 for the Apple II, Macintosh, Commodore 64, DOS,...
text adventure
Interactive fiction
Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, describes software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives and as video games. In common usage, the term refers to text...
game included tools such as the ultra-plasmic awl
Bradawl
A bradawl is a tool with a blade similar to that of a straight screwdriver and a handle made from wood or plastic. A bradawl is used to make an indentation in wood or other materials in order to ease the insertion of a nail or screw...
, and the BBC Radio 4 science-fiction comedy Nebulous
Nebulous
Nebulous is a post apocalyptic science fiction comedy radio show written by Graham Duff and produced by Ted Dowd from Baby Cow Productions; it is directed by Nicholas Briggs. The series premiered in the United Kingdom on BBC Radio 4...
offered the sonic crowbar.
Sonic screwdrivers appear in the 1980s Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
book Sky Lord (although it is never used for anything in the book), the Iron Man
Iron Man
Iron Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, first appearing in Tales of Suspense #39 .A billionaire playboy, industrialist and ingenious engineer,...
novel Femme Fatales, and the Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
novel Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers. In the latter two, it is used largely as a highly advanced hand tool, that is to say it doesn't possess many of the additional qualities of the Doctor Who version. Similarly, the online game World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
includes a item named "The Ultrasonic Screwdriver" which is used to reprogram robots in a quest.
There is also an alcoholic drink called a sonic screwdriver, made by combining
– 1 1/2 oz Vanilla Vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
– 1 1/2 oz Blue Curaçao (liqueur)
– 6 oz Clear Lemon-Lime Soda
Soda
- Food and beverages :* Soft drink, a beverage product* Carbonated water, also known as "soda water"* Ice cream soda, a dessert dish* Soda cracker, or saltine cracker* Soda bread, a variety of quick bread- Science, technology, and biology :...
.
In Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, a Sonic Servodriver was a cocktail composed of Sullustan gin, Old Janx Spirit, and spicebrew. This drink has made appearances in Star Wars Expanded Universe
Star Wars Expanded Universe
The Star Wars Expanded Universe encompasses all of the officially licensed, fictional background of the Star Wars universe, outside of the six feature films produced by George Lucas. The expanded universe includes books, comic books, video games, spin-off films like Star Wars: The Clone Wars,...
novels MedStar II: Jedi Healer
MedStar II: Jedi Healer
MedStar II: Jedi Healer is a Star Wars Del Rey book by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry set in the Star Wars galaxy during the Clone Wars. The book takes place two years after the Battle of Geonosis in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and 21 years before the Battle of Yavin in Episode IV:...
and Conviction
Conviction
In law, a conviction is the verdict that results when a court of law finds a defendant guilty of a crime.The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal . In Scotland and in the Netherlands, there can also be a verdict of "not proven", which counts as an acquittal...
.
In Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
episode ?
?
or is a letter derived from the Latin alphabet. Both glyphs of the majuscule and minuscule forms of this letter are based on the rotated form of a minuscule e; a similar letter with identical minuscule is used in the Pan-Nigerian Alphabet and some alphabets based on the African reference...
, Trip Tucker uses an advanced screwdriver aesthetically and functionally similar to the Doctor's while held captive by aliens.
