The sonic screwdriver is so much a part of Doctor Who mythology now. It’s hard to believe it didn’t even come into regular use until the Second Doctor’s tenure. It was devised by writer Victor Pemberton for the episode Fury from the Deep. After that it made occasional appearances when a tool was needed for getting out of trouble, until it was destroyed by the Tereleptils in the Fifth Doctor episode The Visitation. John Nathan Turner had decided that it was being used too often as a plot device and removed it. The Eighth Doctor had a new one which he used in the start of the 1996 movie and the Ninth Doctor had a completely revamped version. The Tenth Doctor had his sonic screwdriver destroyed in the episode Smith and Jones, but acquired a new one by the end.
In Fury from the Deep The Doctor take the sonic screwdriver from his pocket and uses it to unscrew the inspection hatch of a gas-pipe. Fury from the Deep is one of the lost episodes, so the closest image possible is of the screws unscrewing themselves.
Adjusting the Sonic Screwdriver
Close up on the Sonic Screwdriver
Sonic lance, burning through a wall
Mind your eyes. In The War Games the sonic screwdriver is used several times. It is first used to demonstrate that they are from an advanced civilisation by removing the screws from a revolver. Later it opens a wall panel in the War Chief’s alien HQ, and a control panel in General Smythe's office. This episode is rather rare in that it is mostly used as a screwdriver and not as anything else.
This is a Sonic Screwdriver
And it can do this.
Close up on the Sonic Screwdriver in action. In Inferno, The Doctor describes his sonic screwdriver as a door handle which he uses to get into his garage where he is working on the TARDIS console. Later, in the alternative world, it fails to work even as that. It is worth noting that the sonic screwdriver in this episode is in no way a central tool, and seems to be merely there to show off the fact that he still has it.
Just a Door handle
A door handle that doesn't work. In Colony in Space the sonic screwdriver is used as a scanner to find the alarm beam The Master has on the door of his TARDIS.
Stand back, Jo
The Sonic Scredriver detects the alarm. In The Sea Devils, The Doctor uses the screwdriver first as a mine detector and then to detonate landmines to scare off a sea-devil. Later he uses it to open the cell door in the Sea Devil base so that he and The Master can escape.
Detecting mines
There's one.
Walk this way, Jo.
Igniting the mines to scare off the Sea Devils
Opening the cell door. In The Mutants the sonic screwdriver is used first
to open the electronic door of the storage room where the TARDIS lands
in Sky Base One. It is later used to unlock manacles keeping Jo and
the others prisoner. When The Doctor and Jo return to the TARDIS at
the end of the adventure it has to be used again on the door of storage
room nine.
Getting out of the storage area
Getting back in again! In The Three Doctors the screwdriver is used as a 'Geiger-counter'
which detects antimatter in the sink of the UNIT laboratory.
Yes, there's antimatter here!
The antimatter is in the sink. In Carnival of Monsters the Doctor detonate marsh gas to scare away the Drashigs, much as he used it on the landmines against the Sea Devils.
Away with you, Drashigs
Close up on the sonic in this incarnation In Frontier in Space, The Doctor has to reverse the polarity of the screwdriver's ultra-sonic power source to make it into a powerful electro-magnet to open the steel bolts of a door. It is later confiscated from him when he is sent to the Lunar Penal colony.
The Sonic Screwdriver has regenerated
Well, is it going to work? The Doctor has a 'new' screwdriver on Spiridon - Planet of the Daleks - after losing the one he had in Frontier in Space, which was also a different model to the one he had in previous adventures. It fails to work to open the Dalek locks, but it does fuse a door shut to keep Daleks out.
No, it won't work.
But it does work on this.
Close up on the new, new look Sonic Screwdriver In The Green Death the Doctor operates the lift to BOSS's control centre with the sonic screwdriver. He later uses the sonic sound to ward off advancing maggots and rescues Jo and Cliff.
Lift operator
Scaring maggots with sonic sound
The noise is paintful to the ears. In Death to the Daleks The Doctor uses it to find a safe path over a booby-trapped floor in the Exxilon city, and later brings his friend Bellal out of a dangerous trance with it.
Finding the Safe Path
De-hypnotising Bellal In The Monster of Peladon, the sonic screwdriver is used to open the Refinery door. At this stage, door opening does seem to be the main use the Sonic Screwdriver is put to.
Another door to open In Planet of the Spiders The Doctor gives the sonic screwdriver to clairvoyant Professor Clegg, and he is able to project images of the Drashigs on the Doctor's IRIS machine scanner.
Professor Clegg is seeing Drashigs In Robot the sonic screwdriver is shown to have attachments. Without the head attachment The Doctor uses it to deactivate the mines around the Think Tank bunker. Clipping on the head attachment he them turns it into a sonic-lance which melts the lock off the bunker door.
Headless Sonic Screwdriver deactivating mines
Putting the head back on.
And it makes a great Sonic Lance In The Ark in Space the sonic screwdriver opens the
control panel and repair the severed cables that power up the oxygen
supply. Later he also unscrews the table that he and Harry are hiding
under to avoid the automatic guard.
Repairing the cables
The Doctor, suffering lack of oxygen, drops the Sonic Screwdriver In The Sontaran Experiment, the sonic screwdriver never
gets to cool down. First The Doctor uses it to repair the transmat
refractors. When he is captures Sarah finds it and later returns it
to him. He then uses it to melt the control panel of the force field
that has Sarah trapped, and then to deactivate Styre's robot. He gives
it to Harry to open the door to the Sontaran's ship.
Repairing the transmat reflector
Doctor, where are you?
Destroying the force field
close up on the operation
destroying the robot servant
Take the Sonic Screwdriver, Harry
Harry is wary about using it. In Genesis of the Daleks The Doctor short circuited the communications control, but he was unable to open Davros' study door with the sonic screwdriver.
Contents of The Doctor's Pockets - including Sonic Screwdriver
Short Circuiting the Communications Centre
But it won't open Davros's study In Revenge of the Cybermen the Doctor opens the airlock doors and the door to Kellman's cabin with the sonic screwdriver.
Opening doors! In Terror of the Zygons The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to heat up the fire sensor on the Zygon spaceship, thus distracting them from the control room.
Heating up the fire sensors In Planet of Evil the sonic screwdriver is used to open the door to Sorensen's cabin. We seem to be back to general door opening again.
Getting into another door. In Pyramids of Mars the Doctor deactivates the Eastern
generator loop control with the sonic screwdriver.
Deactivating the Eastern Generator Loop In The Android Invasion Sarah sets the sonic screwdriver to the Theta Omega setting, which melts the plastic vines holding the Doctor to the war memorial. It doesn’t work on the cell door, but is able to open one of the floor panels.
Sarah melts the plastic vines In the very last part of The Hand of Fear the sonic screwdriver was used to fix the TARDIS thermal couplings. Sarah was sick of hearing about it.
Here's the Sonic Screwdriver
Sarah is fed up of hearing about the Sonic Screwdriver In The Face of Evil The Doctor uses the Sonic Screwdriver to put together a dismantled laser gun, then later he de- hypnotises Leela by using it to vibrate some crystals.
Mending a gun - unusual for the Doctor and the Sonic Screwdriver In The Robots of Death The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to open doors around the Storm Mine – door opening again.
More door opening. In Image of the Fendahl the sonic screwdriver proves useless against the old-fashioned slide bolt of the cupboardlike room the Doctor is locked in.
Nope, this time it doesn't work. In The Sun Makers The Doctor first tinkers with the
Collector’s computer and then opens his safe with the Sonic
Screwdriver.
Nice glasses, Doctor
Yes, it opens the safe - even from here. In Underworld The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver
on the control panel in order to reverse the pumps in the tunnels
and suck back the gas that is choking him and others trapped there.
Sonic works in the smoke In The Invasion of Time the sonic screwdriver won’t
work on Borusa's voiceprint door lock.
Even The Sonic Screwdriver Won't Get Me Out Of Here In The Ribos Operation the Doctor uses the screwdriver to get into the relics' chamber, twice. He also opens the glass cabinets within the chamber – basic door opening again.
They don't teach lock-opening at the Academy
Watch and Learn, Romana
Won't Work
This time it does. In The Stones of Blood The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver to unlock the doors of the cell in which Romana is being held and then to release her from the manacles.
Rescuing Romana In The Armageddon Factor The Doctor uses the Sonic
Screwdriver to open the panels of the Mentalis computer – not
so much unscrewing the screws as blowing them up.
Opening up Mentalis - with a bang In Destiny of the Daleks The Doctor uses the Sonic
Screwdriver it to fix the Dalek explosive canisters, and then as a
detonator to blow up Davros's chair.
One Move and we both go
On the other hand, just Davros In City of Death the sonic screwdriver seems to be malfunctioning until Duggan gives it a whack on the table. It then works to unlock the cellar door. It also opens the door to Denise René's art gallery, where the TARDIS is located and Romana uses her own screwdriver to open the door of the café.
Now To Escape
Thanks, Duggan
Romana Breaks In In Nightmare of Eden the sonic screwdriver opens a locker, seals a door and is then used to repair the ship’s engines and the CET machine. Opening the locker
sealing the door
restoring power. In The Horns of Nimon the sonic screwdriver is used to open the spaceship's doors. Later it is used to trigger the gravitic anomalyser. Romana reveals that she has made her own sonic screwdriver and The Doctor is jealous of it, surreptitiously swapping his old one for hers.
Opening the doors
Two Sonics
Opening another door In The Keeper of Traken The Doctor is unable to reach the locks on their cell door, so the sonic screwdriver will not work properly, and Adric can’t just pop out and open them.
The Doctor can't open the door In Castrovalva The Doctor gives the sonic screwdriver to Nyssa to remove the doors from the Zero Room and build a Zero Cabinet from them.
What do I do with this?
Build a Zero Cabinet, obviously
Spy on me, would you?
A sonic charge and a lead pencil...
Very bad for androids In Kinda The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver as a power source for the Delta Wave Augmentor he builds to help Nyssa sleep. It is taped to the hand made machine.
Delta Wave Augmenter In The Visitation, the sonic screwdriver reaches its final end, destroyed by the Terileptil Leader destroys it. The Doctor likens it to killing an old friend.
Death of the Sonic Screwdriver The Third Doctor’s description of the sonic screwdriver as a ‘door handle’ proved true more often than not, but the sonic screwdriver was a useful and reliable tool for The Doctor most of the time, and despite John Nathan Turner’s insistence that it was too deus ex machine, I think the series did miss the sonic screwdriver through the Sixth and Seventh Doctor eras. It had a brief revival as the means of locking The Master’s casket in the start of the 1996 Movie
toolbox
There, that should do it
A job well done As for the future.... |
