Doctor Who: 10 Secrets Of The Sonic Screwdriver You Need To Know
4. It Originally Didn’t Exist
Imagine a world where the sonic screwdriver never became a thing.
Think about how many classic moments wouldn't have happened, how many scrapes the Doctor would've got stuck in, and how many toys wouldn't have been sold! Oh, the horror!
As it turns out, you don't need to imagine too hard, as this was very nearly the case.
The script for 1968's Fury from the Deep initially called for Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor to use a regular old screwdriver to inspect the metal box attached to the pipeline. But when production assistant (and later Doctor Who director) Michael Briant saw this, he decided that it was far too boring.
Briant pitched the idea of a special tool that operated using soundwaves, and so visual effects designer Peter Day created a new bit of hardware to add to the Doctor's arsenal. Thanks to one crew member and their great suggestion, one of the most recognisable pieces of Who mythology was born.
This story gets even weirder when you find out that Troughton didn't even use this new prop for the episode. He kept dropping the screwdriver due to some cold weather, so the whistle from Deborah Watling's lifejacket was used instead.
Simpler times, eh?