Yes, its obvious but really, what else could actually top this list? It seems so normal to us now, perhaps, but you sometimes have to take a step back and realise how weird the idea of a Sonic screwdriver actually is. What kind of person sat down and thought that the best way to improve a screwdriver was to make it sonic? Victor Pemberton, apparently. Fury from the Deep was where the sonic made its debut in 1969. Originally a small metal rod, not unlike a penlight, the sonic was originally used to get this unscrew a screw. Shocking! But it didnt take long for it to start having other functions. By the time of The Dominators, two stories later, it was already being used to cut through a wall. By the Fifth Doctors era it was becoming a get out of jail free card - and quite literally, too. So, sadly, in The Visitation, the screwdriver was destroyed. I feel as though you've just killed an old friend. The Fifth Doctor says. The Sixth Doctor had a brief affair with a Sonic Lance in Attack of the Cybermen but it wasnt until the 1996 TV Movie that the sonic would return triumphant. Although, it spent most of the story stolen. By Christopher Ecclestons era, the sonic had been upgraded again, and now in Peter Capaldis time, it has even more features, including a psychic link. All you have to do is point and think and the sonic does the rest. Back in >A Christmas Carol, the Eleventh Doctor hints that the screwdriver is of his own invention. It's this, or go to your room and design a new kind of screwdriver. Don't make my mistakes. Now, go. Fans may note how the design of the screwdriver has changed over time with its iconic circle-headed metal cylinder of the majority of the classic run turning to a light up pen in 2005. It was a nice touch that in the 50th anniversary special The Day of the Doctor, John Hurts War Doctor had a screwdriver that seemed to be an amalgamation of the Eighth Doctors (as seen in Night of the Doctor) and the Ninth Doctors screwdrivers. Everyone has been bored, had long nights, and had a lot of cabinets to put up so a sonic screwdriver would be everyones dream multi-tool. What do you think of this list? Is there anything else the Doctor has kept in his pockets? Share your comments below.
Joel Cornah, is an author hailing from a small isolated village in Lancashire.
Having told stories of dinosaurs, penguins and dragons to his younger siblings for nigh on two decades, it soon became apparent that these tales needed to be written down. Gathering the myriad of maps, family trees, illustrations and noted ideas, he began work on the world of dyngard. Having grown along with the audience from a collection of loosely related children’s stories, it became a whole world of adventure, magic and questions.
He was awarded a degree in Creative Writing from Liverpool John Moors University and spent seven years writing a comical newspaper for The Barrow Downs Tolkien discussion forum.
Currently running a charity café in Parbold village, Joel is often found deep in discussion of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, the long history of Doctor Who, and desperately trying not to frighten people away. Often with limited success.
