Doctor Who: Every Sonic Screwdriver Ranked Worst To Best

Original model aside, the design of the sonic remained fairly consistent throughout the classic series. It still took the form of a silver tube, but now with a defined handle and circular emitter on top.

Within this there were a handful of distinct models, each with unique decoration. By far the least inspired of these was the sonic used by the Fifth Doctor, which was simply the Fourth Doctor’s with a very minor paint job.

It failed to make much of an impact – and intentionally so. By this point the sonic had earned a reputation for being a get-out-of-jail-free card, so much so that producer John Nathan-Turner decided to ditch it entirely.

As such, the Fifth Doctor’s sonic only appeared in a couple of stories, and in a cruel twist of fate, its most memorable moment was its fiery destruction in The Visitation.

It’s not the ugliest sonic ever (the white thumb grip is a nice, if pointless touch), and given how short-lived it was, you can see why they didn’t go for something more bespoke.

Still, it’s too much of a footnote to be a contender for top spot.