The sonic screwdriver, also called a sonic probe or simply "the sonic", was a highly versatile tool used by many people throughout the universe, the most prominent of them being the Doctor.

While almost always referred to as a sonic screwdriver, this device has on occasion been referred to as a sonic probe by people other than the Doctor, such as Dalek Sec (TV: Doomsday ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).) and a version of Amy Pond who had been stuck on Apalapucia for 36 years. (TV: The Girl Who Waited ^[+]Tom MacRae, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011).) The Tenth (TV: Doomsday ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).) and Eleventh (TV: The Girl Who Waited ^[+]Tom MacRae, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011).) Doctors openly disliked this and corrected those who did so. The Ninth (TV: The Doctor Dances ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) and Twelfth Doctors (TV: The Husbands of River Song ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2015 (BBC One, 2015).) also defended when others claimed it was inferior to other sonic devices like a sonic blaster or sonic trowel.

Technology and functions[]

Identified by the Daleks as a "sonic probe", (TV: Doomsday ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One, 2006).) the sonic screwdriver was considered to be very advanced Gallifreyan technology, (PROSE: Heart of TARDIS ^[+]Dave Stone, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 2000).) although the Doctor could make one by using resources found on 21st century Earth with help from Stenza technology. (TV: The Woman Who Fell to Earth ^[+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 11 (BBC One, BBCA, Space and Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2018).) During the Dalek-Movellan War, Davros dismissed the sonic screwdriver as a "simple" tool. (AUDIO: The Triumph of Davros ^[+]Matt Fitton, Dalek Universe (Big Finish Productions, 2021).)

The Doctor claimed to have either invented or designed the specific sonic screwdriver which they owned. In fact, the Seventh Doctor claimed to have filed a patent on the technology, (AUDIO: The Unknown ^[+]Guy Adams, The Diary of River Song: Series Two (The Diary of River Song, Big Finish Productions, 2016).) and to have copyright on the design. (AUDIO: The Quantum Possibility Engine ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

When Kazran Sardick was confused as to what to do when it looked like Abigail Pettigrew was about to kiss him, the Eleventh Doctor told Kazran to trust him and kiss Abigail, as "it's this, or go to your room and design a new kind of screwdriver. Don't make my mistakes." (TV: A Christmas Carol ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2010 (BBC One, 2010).) When Captain Jack Harkness asked the Ninth Doctor, "Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks 'Ooh, this could be a little more sonic'?", the Doctor defensively responded, "What? You never been bored? Never had a long night? Never had a lot of cabinets to put up?" (TV: The Doctor Dances ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)

Other individuals had similar devices, such as the sonic pen (which appeared to serve a near-identical function) used by Miss Foster (TV: Partners in Crime ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).) and the sonic blaster used first by Captain Jack Harkness (TV: The Empty Child ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)./The Doctor Dances ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) and later River Song. (TV: Silence in the Library ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008)./Forest of the Dead ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).) Sarah Jane Smith had her sonic lipstick, (TV: Invasion of the Bane ^[+]Gareth Roberts and Russell T Davies, The Sarah Jane Adventures New Year Special 2007 (BBC One, 2007)., etc.) and the Doctor himself once used a sonic cane. (TV: Let's Kill Hitler ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011).) Even Missy used a sonic umbrella. (TV: World Enough and Time ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 10 (BBC One, 2017)./The Doctor Falls ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 10 (BBC One, 2017).) River Song also had her own sonic screwdriver (TV: Silence in the Library ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008)./Forest of the Dead ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).) that the Twelfth Doctor gifted her. (TV: The Husbands of River Song ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2015 (BBC One, 2015).)

From time to time, the sonic screwdriver needed to be recharged. (PROSE: The Monsters Inside ^[+]Stephen Cole, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2005)., COMIC: Bizarre Zero ^[+]Stewart Sheargold, DWA comic stories (BBC Magazines, 2006).) It was self-repairing and could send out a homing signal to any parts that had been separated. (TV: A Christmas Carol ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2010 (BBC One, 2010).) One account held that a sonic screwdriver was powered by a type of crystal that was similar to the Metebelis crystals. (COMIC: The Forgotten ^[+]Tony Lee, IDW mini-series and one-shots (IDW Publishing, 2008-2009).)

Sonic screwdrivers and similar technology could not unlock a deadlock seal. (TV: School Reunion ^[+]Toby Whithouse, Doctor Who series 2 (BBC One|BBC One]], 2006)., The Night of the Doctor ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Specials minisode (BBC Red Button, 2013).) However, Miss Foster's sonic pen could open the deadlock seals that it was programmed to within her own facility when the Doctor's screwdriver could not. (TV: Partners in Crime ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).) It also couldn't unlock the doors to the TARDIS if they had been manually locked at the console. (TV: Utopia ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).) Some or all versions were ineffective against wood. (TV: Night Terrors ^[+]Mark Gatiss, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011)., The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2011 (BBC One, 2011)., The Time of the Doctor ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2013 (BBC One, 2013)., Empress of Mars ^[+]Mark Gatiss, Doctor Who series 10 (BBC One, 2017).) It didn't work in the presence of some models of hairdryers, although the Tenth Doctor stated he was working on it. (TV: Forest of the Dead ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008)., PROSE: Catastrophea ^[+]Terrance Dicks, BBC Past Doctor Adventures (BBC Books, 1998).)

Individual sonic screwdrivers[]

The Doctor's screwdriver[]

Main article: The Doctor's sonic screwdriver

The Doctor, throughout many of their lives, possessed a sonic screwdriver. They originally used a basic model in their first (PROSE: Venusian Lullaby ^[+]Paul Leonard, Virgin Missing Adventures (Virgin Books, 1994).) and second incarnations, (TV: Fury from the Deep ^[+]Victor Pemberton, Doctor Who season 5 (BBC1, 1968).) before upgrading in their third. (TV: The Sea Devils ^[+]Malcolm Hulke, Doctor Who season 9 (BBC1, 1972).) However, according to one account, the First Doctor was unfamiliar with the sonic screwdriver when he met the Twelfth Doctor. (TV: Twice Upon a Time ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2017 (BBC One, 2017).) Similarly the accounts depicting the Doctor's life as the Timeless Child prior to their first incarnation showed at least one of them as being unfamiliar with the sonic screwdriver and dismissive of it. (TV: Fugitive of the Judoon ^[+]Vinay Patel and Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 12 (BBC One, 2020).) The Doctor continued to use the model introduced during his third incarnation until it was destroyed in their fifth by a Terileptil leader. (TV: The Visitation ^[+]Eric Saward, Doctor Who season 19 (BBC1, 1982).) It wasn't until they were in their seventh incarnation before they began to use a screwdriver again, taking on various different models throughout the years. (TV: Doctor Who ^[+]Matthew Jacobs, Doctor Who Television Movie (Fox Broadcasting Company, 1996)., Rose ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)., The Eleventh Hour ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 5 (BBC One, 2010)., Hell Bent ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 9 (BBC One, 2015)., The Woman Who Fell to Earth ^[+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 11 (BBC One, BBCA, Space and Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2018)., WC: The Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver ^[+]Doctor Who mini-episodes (BBC Studios, YouTube, 2023)., AUDIO: The World Tree ^[+]Nick Slawicz, Short Trips (Big Finish Productions, 2022).)

Early versions of their sonic screwdriver were used mainly for the picking of locks and for projecting sound so as to, for example, detonate objects and fry circuitry. (TV: The Sea Devils ^[+]Malcolm Hulke, Doctor Who season 9 (BBC1, 1972).) By the time of the Ninth Doctor, the sonic was able to also be used as a sophisticated scanning device, with medical applications. (TV: The Empty Child ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).) Subsequent incarnations gave it even wider functionality, such as the ability to hack into computers, (TV: Smith and Jones ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).) provide geolocation (TV: Evolution of the Daleks ^[+]Helen Raynor, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One, 2007).) and actively defend against some types of assault weapons by frying their internal mechanics and causing the weapons to burst into flames and spark from the inside. (TV: Cold Blood ^[+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 5 (BBC One, 2010).) The tool could create powerful frequencies and signals, (TV: Partners in Crime ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008)., Thin Ice ^[+]Sarah Dollard, Doctor Who series 10 (BBC One, 2017).) as well as use sound to carry out its functions, even to the point where three of its latest incarnations where able to create a sonic force blast powerful enough to repel and destroy a Dalek while working together, (TV: The Day of the Doctor ^[+]Steven Moffat, 50th Anniversary Specials (BBC One, 2013).) as well as shoot green sonic energy waves to briefly incapacitate or stun a target. (TV: The Doctor Falls ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 10 (BBC One, 2017).)

All of these incarnations utilised the same core software, though they used different hardware. While it was different individual model, for all intents and purposes the War Doctor's sonic was the same as the Eleventh Doctor's some 400 years later. (TV: The Day of the Doctor ^[+]Steven Moffat, 50th Anniversary Specials (BBC One, 2013).) However, the Thirteenth Doctor, having lost the Twelfth Doctor's sonic screwdriver, created her own version. As such, hers used unique software, and was made from 21st century Earth components, as well as part of a Recall Circuit from the Stenza Homeworld. (TV: The Woman Who Fell to Earth ^[+]Chris Chibnall, Doctor Who series 11 (BBC One, BBCA, Space and Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 2018).) Although, by the time of the Fifteenth Doctor, his screwdriver featured the same software as previous models. (AUDIO: The World Tree ^[+]Nick Slawicz, Short Trips (Big Finish Productions, 2022).)

Romana's screwdriver[]

Main article: Romana's sonic screwdriver

Romana II constructed her own sonic screwdriver, which was so impressive that the Doctor attempted to substitute his own with hers, but she noticed the switch. (TV: The Horns of Nimon ^[+]Anthony Read, Doctor Who season 17 (BBC1, 1979-1980).) Her version also included a silencer. (AUDIO: Luna Romana ^[+]Matt Fitton, The Companion Chronicles (Big Finish Productions, 2014).) She later gave it to the Doctor. (PROSE: Lungbarrow ^[+]Marc Platt, adapted from Lungbarrow, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1997).) Nonetheless, during the final term of her presidency, her third incarnation used a sonic screwdriver. (AUDIO: Intervention Earth ^[+]Scott Handcock and David Llewellyn, Gallifrey (Big Finish Productions, 2015).)

River's screwdriver[]

Main article: River Song's sonic screwdriver

The Twelfth Doctor gave River Song another screwdriver before River's final date with him at the Singing Towers of Darillium. (TV: The Husbands of River Song ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2015 (BBC One, 2015)., Silence in the Library ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).) This version of the sonic screwdriver somewhat resembled the Ninth and Tenth Doctor's model, which was notable when she met the latter in the Library, though it looked elaborately decorated and modified, featuring increased and enhanced functionality, including "dampers" and a "red setting" that allowed it to work without interference from the Doctor Moon. The Doctor gave it to River so she would be ready when she met his tenth incarnation in the Library. (TV: Forest of the Dead ^[+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008)., PROSE: Time Lord Technology ^[+]Jonathan Green, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2010 (BBC Children's Books, 2009). Page 56.)

Other screwdrivers[]

Quadrigger Stoyn possessed a sonic screwdriver in his workcase aboard the Doctor's TARDIS, which he had been working on shortly before the First Doctor stole the ship. (AUDIO: The Beginning ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

A clone of the Second Doctor also possessed his own sonic screwdriver, which he used along with the Fourth Doctor's to send Hexford home. (AUDIO: Survivors in Space ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

Narvin had a sonic screwdriver made, based on the Doctor's design, after seeing its utility when carried by the Doctor. At first he objected, preferring to call it a sonic lockpick, but then admitted the nature of his new device. (AUDIO: The Quantum Possibility Engine ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

Ace had a sonic screwdriver which she took with her to Outpost Delta. (AUDIO: Enemy Lines ^[+]David Llewellyn, Gallifrey (Big Finish Productions, 2016).)

Doctor Ogron built his own sonic screwdriver. (AUDIO: Planet of the Ogrons ^[+]Guy Adams, The Eighth Doctor: Time War: Volume Two (The Eighth Doctor: Time War, Big Finish Productions, 2018).)

Jackson Lake carried a regular screwdriver from the 19th century which he claimed was sonic by virtue of it making a sound when it was struck against a surface. (TV: The Next Doctor ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2008 (BBC One, 2008).)

While trapped on Apalapucia for thirty-six years, Amy Pond cobbled together a sonic device from various pieces of technology, but insisted upon calling it a sonic probe. She later conceded that it was a "sonic screwdriver". (TV: The Girl Who Waited ^[+]Tom MacRae, Doctor Who series 6 (BBC One, 2011).)

Vastra had a sonic screwdriver that was a gift from the Doctor. She used it to shatter the glass of the Crystal Palace. It had a red tip, and was similar in design to that used by the Doctor's eleventh incarnation. (COMIC: The Crystal Throne ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW.)

Behind the scenes[]

According to the fiction source REF: Doctor Who: The Visual Dictionary, a sonic screwdriver was a common and basic Time Lord device. If needed, a Time Lord could make one from scratch in very little time.

External links[]

• "Is That A Sonic Screwdriver in your Pocket, Doctor?" article by Jon Preddle
• Sonic screwdriver at the Fallout Who Vegas wiki