10 Lies About Doctor Who You Probably Believe
7. Every Doctor Had A Sonic Screwdriver
It’s tempting to believe that, like the TARDIS and the Daleks, the sonic screwdriver has always been part of Doctor Who’s DNA. But this simply isn’t the case.
In fact, the sonic wasn’t introduced until the Second Doctor’s era, meaning that the First Doctor missed out on it completely. Even the Second Doctor only used it a handful of times, and only in the latter half of his era.
It wasn’t until the Third Doctor’s tenure that the sonic started appearing more regularly, becoming the stylish, multi-purpose gadget we know and love today.
Then, having enjoyed a number of appearances across the '70s, the sonic was seemingly destroyed in the 1982 serial The Visitation, leaving the Fifth Doctor without one for the majority of his era. The following two Doctors also went largely without – though the Seventh acquired a screwdriver again some time before his final story.
Notwithstanding the Twelfth Doctor’s brief rejection of the screwdriver in favour of sunglasses, the sonic has been a staple of the show ever since. Although some fans would no doubt welcome another '80s-style hiatus, it seems unlikely that the sonic will ever leave the Doctor’s side again – not least because it is now one of the show’s most merchandisable assets.