Fourteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver

Fourteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver

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Fourteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver
Type:	Sonic screwdriver
Used by:	Fourteenth Doctor
First appearance:	The Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver
Appearances:	see list
Memorable moment

The Doctor's sonic screwdrivers
Widely accepted
Others

A sonic screwdriver was owned by the Fourteenth Doctor, which had similar design elements to previous models. (PROSE: Super Sonic ^[+]Paul Lang, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (Penguin Group, 2023). Pages 36-37.)

Appearance and technology

The sonic screwdriver had similar design elements to previous sonic screwdrivers and other devices: the wide area dispersal petals and the resonator cage were similar to the Eleventh Doctor's sonic screwdriver; the handle was similar to the Ninth and Tenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver, which was made from coral like the TARDIS; the frequency and intensity dials were similar to the Master's laser screwdriver; the cage around the central sonic cluster was similar to that of the Twelfth Doctor's second model (PROSE: Super Sonic ^[+]Paul Lang, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (Penguin Group, 2023). Pages 36-37.) and a Dalek gunstick; (TV: Dalek ^[+]Robert Shearman, adapted from Jubilee (Robert Shearman), Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)., AUDIO: Eye of Darkness ^[+]Error: Code 2 - no data stored in variables, cache or SMW., etc.) and the primary sonic emitter was similar to the bullet-shaped emitter on the sonic screwdriver belonging to the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Doctors and the sonic screwdriver belonging to (PROSE: Super Sonic ^[+]Paul Lang, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (Penguin Group, 2023). Pages 36-37.) the Seventh (TV: Doctor Who ^[+]Matthew Jacobs, Doctor Who Television Movie (Fox Broadcasting Company, 1996).) and Eighth Doctors. (PROSE: Super Sonic ^[+]Paul Lang, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (Penguin Group, 2023). Pages 36-37.) When used, the screwdriver had a "bright blue buzz". (PROSE: Under Control ^[+]Steve Cole, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (BBC Children's Books, 2023). Page 14.)

The activation button also had circular Gallifreyan embossed into it and the function access controls were located at the pommel, with a hexagonal cutout at the very base. (WC: The Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver ^[+]Doctor Who mini-episodes (BBC Studios, YouTube, 2023)., PROSE: Super Sonic ^[+]Paul Lang, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (Penguin Group, 2023). Pages 36-37.)

Uses

The Fourteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver had the uncommon ability to place shields. (TV: The Star Beast ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Doctor Who and the Star Beast (Pat Mills and John Wagner), Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).)

• Scanning the walls of a cave to identify the technology within. (PROSE: Under Control ^[+]Steve Cole, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (BBC Children's Books, 2023). Pages 12, 13.)
• Operating on a precise resonance to dislodge a chunk of rock from a cave ceiling, a pitch so high it was inaudible to even the Doctor with his Time Lord ears. (PROSE: Under Control ^[+]Steve Cole, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (BBC Children's Books, 2023). Page 12.)
• Adjusting a pulley to increase and decrease the height of a seemingly dangerous stalactites-spiked platform. (PROSE: Under Control ^[+]Steve Cole, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (BBC Children's Books, 2023). Page 14.)
• Unsecuring a fence panel. (TV: The Star Beast ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Doctor Who and the Star Beast (Pat Mills and John Wagner), Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023). Timestamp 00:07:03.)
• To unlock doors. (TV: The Star Beast ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Doctor Who and the Star Beast (Pat Mills and John Wagner), Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023). Timestamp 00:07:34, 00:21:54.)
• Creating a holographic screen and adjusting the dials to begin analysing data. (TV: The Star Beast ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Doctor Who and the Star Beast (Pat Mills and John Wagner), Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023). Timestamp 00:14:04.)
• To raise a soldier's visor. (TV: The Star Beast ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Doctor Who and the Star Beast (Pat Mills and John Wagner), Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023). Timestamp 00:25:26.)
• Generating shields to stop bullets and neural anesthetic shots. (TV: The Star Beast ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Doctor Who and the Star Beast (Pat Mills and John Wagner), Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023). Timestamp 00:26:05.)
• Resonating with mortar in a brick wall to break it apart. (TV: The Star Beast ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Doctor Who and the Star Beast (Pat Mills and John Wagner), Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023). Timestamp 00:28:02.)
• Intercepting Wrarth Warriors' teleportation beam. (TV: The Star Beast ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Doctor Who and the Star Beast (Pat Mills and John Wagner), Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023). Timestamp 00:31:27.)
• Reconfigure and initiate the TARDIS's regeneration when inserted into the ship's keyhole. (TV: Wild Blue Yonder ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023). Timestamp 00:04:00.)
• Changing multiple monitors and screens to display recordings of Stooky Bill. (TV: The Giggle ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).)

History

The Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver is destroyed. (COMIC: Liberation of the Daleks ^[+]Alan Barnes, DWM Comics (Panini Comics, 2022-2023).)

After the Thirteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver fell into the Fourteenth Doctor's possession following his regeneration, he used it for a short while to scan inside the Dalek Dome until it was destroyed by a fake Supreme Dalek. He later got an identical one made for him that he used to change the direction of the Daleks' escape rocket to hit the Mathematicians' Moon. It was then destroyed by the fake Golden Emperor. (COMIC: Liberation of the Daleks ^[+]Alan Barnes, DWM Comics (Panini Comics, 2022-2023).) He later replaced it. (WC: The Fourteenth Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver ^[+]Doctor Who mini-episodes (BBC Studios, YouTube, 2023)., PROSE: Under Control ^[+]Steve Cole, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (BBC Children's Books, 2023). Pages 10-15., Super Sonic ^[+]Paul Lang, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (Penguin Group, 2023).)

During his travels, the TARDIS brought the Doctor to a Sycorax spaceship piloted by the Queen of the Sycorax during Christmas, (COMIC: Into Control ^[+]Steve Cole, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (BBC Children's Books, 2023). Pages 48-53.) however he was unaware that he was in anything other than a cave. While exploring, the Doctor came across a Strombok lodged in a fissure, whereupon the Doctor pulled the screwdriver out from his coat to dislodge a slab of rock to prevent the fissure from closing. On several occasions, he used the screwdriver to scan the veins of silver embedded in the walls of the craft, but only got unclear readings each time. He also used the screwdriver to adjust a pulley to raise and lower a platform with stalactites facing down towards a group of humans, to demonstrate that the trap physically couldn't harm them as it was designed merely to provoke fear, as the craft was powered by psychic turbines that fed off pain. (PROSE: Under Control ^[+]Steve Cole, Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 (BBC Children's Books, 2023). Pages 10-15.)

During the November 2023 UFO incident, (PROSE: The Star Beast ^[+]Gary Russell, adapted from The Star Beast (Russell T Davies), 60th Anniversary Novels (Target Books, 2023).) the Doctor first used his screwdriver to unsecure a fence panel in the perimeter of the Millson Wagner Steelworks to sneak in past UNIT undetected, then, as he entered the steelworks facility itself by unlocking a door with the tool, he used it again to create a holographic screen and adjusted its dials to begin analysing the data about the Meep's ship.

Later, when the Soliders of the Psychedelic Sun demanded to enter the Nobles' home, the Doctor used the screwdriver again to raise their visors to see that their eyes bore the effects of solar psychedelia. After these soldiers and the Wrarth Warriors began to open fire upon each other at each end of the hallway spanning the length of the Nobles' home, the Doctor used the screwdriver to create shields to create a safe passageway to the stairs, handing Donna the screwdriver while he pushed them out. When they reached the attic, the Doctor used the screwdriver to weaken the walls dividing the attic between each resident, to create a path to exit another person's home away from the gunfire.

After escaping from the firefight in Shaun Temple's taxi and driving to a car park, the Doctor used the screwdriver to intercept the Wrarth Warriors teleport to hold an impromptu court. Within the trial, he used the screwdriver to gesture towards the evidence he gathered. The Doctor and the Nobles' were taken as captives back to the steelworks, but after freeing themselves from the soldiers and the Doctor and Donna ran to the Meep's ship to prevent the Meep from using the Dagger Drive, the former using the screwdriver to help himself do so. (TV: The Star Beast ^[+]Russell T Davies, adapted from Doctor Who and the Star Beast (Pat Mills and John Wagner), Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).)

After the TARDIS landed out of control in a spaceship at the edge of the universe, the Fourteenth Doctor used a "non-sonic screwdriver" to pry off the TARDIS's lock so he could insert the sonic screwdriver into the keyhole left behind, to reconfigure the time machine and initiate the its regeneration, to repair the damage caused when Donna spilt coffee over the console. After the TARDIS dematerialised due to the HADS, Donna asked the Doctor to use the screwdriver, but he reminded her that it was in the keyhole. When the TARDIS returned, the Doctor immediately took the screwdriver out of the keyhole. (TV: Wild Blue Yonder ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023). Timestamp 00:04:00, 00:46:25.)

When back in London in UNIT headquarters, the Doctor used the sonic screwdriver to download the footage of Stooky Bill and the audio file for his giggle arpeggio, proceeding to tap the sonic on several screens in the room, projecting the image and sound on every single one. He finished by flourishing the device at the largest screen in the room, projecting Bill's face for all to see. (TV: The Giggle ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).)

Despite having since replaced this sonic screwdriver with a new model, (TV: The Church on Ruby Road ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023 (BBC One and Disney+, 2023).) the Fifteenth Doctor used a copy of his previous incarnation's screwdriver to help pilot the Memory TARDIS. (TV: Empire of Death ^[+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 14 (BBC One and Disney+, 2024).)

Behind the scenes

This section's awfully stubby.

More information from DWM 594's Designated 'Driver article needs to be added.

• Some of the design choices of the sonic screwdriver were Easter Eggs; as revealed by props makers Michael van Kesteren and Barry Jones, some of the out-of-universe details included:
  • The "frequency and intensity dials" portion of the sonic contained a ball detent ratchet — as Phil Sims wanted "knurled" detail on the sonic — so the dials, when turned, made a clicking noise.
  • The hexagonal indentation in the pommel was designed to fit an ordinary screwdriver head.
  • The wide area dispersal petals resembled the officially-named "Eleventh Doctor's flippy-out petals"
  • The cage around the central sonic cluster resembles a Dalek's gunstick, and it was meant as a reference to Rusty the Dalek's "You would make a good Dalek" line spoken to the Twelfth Doctor. (TV: Into the Dalek ^[+]Phil Ford and Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 8 (BBC One, 2014).) The line itself originated even earlier, spoken by the Metaltron to the Ninth Doctor. (TV: Dalek ^[+]Robert Shearman, adapted from Jubilee (Robert Shearman), Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)
  • That the crackled coral effect on the screwdriver — like Nine and Ten's — was Raku.
• Furthermore, Van Kesteren revealed that the Fifteenth Doctor's screwdriver was a distinct model from the Fourteenth's.
• Rachel Talalay revealed during a Twitter Director's Breakdown that there was a deleted scene from The Star Beast, in which upon retrieving his screwdriver for the first time and activating it, he is surprised by the screwdriver's ability to generate a 3D screen in mid-air, indicating that the sonic is still fairly new to him. The scene was deleted for unknown reasons.

Merchandise

The Fourteenth Doctors Sonic Screwdriver.

A showcase of Rubbertoe Replicas' prop replica of the Fourteenth Doctor's screwdriver.

Several pieces of merchandise of the Fourteenth Doctor's sonic screwdriver have been released.

• Character Options released two toys based off the sonic, an online exclusive chrome-finished edition that retailed for £29.99 and a retail non-chrome version that retailed for £14.99. A third gold electro-plated version, exclusive to Forbidden Planet, was released in 2024 and retailed for £29.99.
  • Both versions sold out quickly leading to inflated prices on the second hand market.
  • The chrome version was also sold at San Diego Comic-Con on 19 July 2023.
  • The toy was reviewed in DWM 596.
• Rubbertoe Replicas sold a high-end replica of the sonic for £1198.
• Various pieces of merchandise released by Titan Merchandise has included promotional photographs of the Fourteenth Doctor and his sonic screwdriver being utilised.
• A stuffed accessory of the screwdriver was included in Build-A-Bear Workshop's Diamond Anniversary Fourteenth Doctor bear.
• Standees of the Fourteenth Doctor produced by Star Cutouts included the sonic screwdriver.