Editing Sonic screwdriver (section)

=== 1968–1982 and 1996 ===
[[File:1st sonic screwdriver.jpg|thumb|right|The first sonic screwdriver from Season 6, Episode 3 of ''[[The War Games]]'' (1969)]]
The sonic screwdriver made its first appearance in the serial ''[[Fury from the Deep]]'' (1968), written by [[Victor Pemberton]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Nicholas |first1=Stephen |last2=Tucker |first2=Mike |title=Doctor Who: Impossible Worlds |date=2015 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-240741-2 |page=200}}</ref> It was used thereafter by the [[Second Doctor]] as a [[multi-purpose tool]], with occasional variations in appearance over the course of the series.

Its abilities and overall appearance varied greatly during the classic series. The name implies that it operates through the use of sound waves to exert physical forces on objects remotely. During the Second Doctor's tenure, it functioned much as its name implied—using sonic waves to dismantle equipment or to bypass locks. In addition, it was used as a welding torch in Episode Five of ''[[The Dominators]]'' (1968). In the audio commentary for ''[[The Sea Devils]]'' (1972), [[Michael E. Briant|Michael Briant]] claims to have suggested it as a one-off gadget in 1968.<ref>Commentary on DVD of ''The Sea Devils''</ref>

During the [[Third Doctor]]'s tenure, producer [[Barry Letts]] was adamant that the device should not become a cure-all for the series and limited its use to avoid writers becoming over-reliant on it. During this time, the device underwent significant design changes. In ''The Sea Devils'', the Doctor used it to detonate landmines; Michael E. Briant explains that this was feasible, stating that the sonic waves shook the mines. In ''[[The Three Doctors (Doctor Who)|The Three Doctors]]'' (1972–73), the sonic screwdriver is almost unrecognisable, being a unique, one-use prop with a plastic red spherical head. In the DVD commentary, Letts himself remarks on the thickness of the prop and the fact that it belies the idea that it was the regular one, prompting [[Katy Manning]] to question whether it was indeed a sonic screwdriver.<ref>Commentary on DVD of ''The Three Doctors''</ref> This was due to the serial being produced out of transmission order: the original sonic screwdriver prop went missing during the recording of ''[[Carnival of Monsters]]'' (1973), requiring a new prop to be built for the rest of the season;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://doctorwho.org.nz/archive/tsv31/sonicscrewdriver.html|title = NZDWFC: TSV 31: Is that a Sonic Screwdriver in your Pocket, Doctor?}}</ref> ''The Three Doctors'' was recorded after ''Carnival'', but set before it, so the screwdriver could be seen to revert to its previous appearance for one story after ''The Three Doctors'' before receiving a more permanent redesign thereafter.

During the first three years of the [[Fourth Doctor]]'s tenure, producer [[Philip Hinchcliffe]] further reduced the use of the sonic screwdriver. Exceptions include ''[[Robot (Doctor Who)|Robot]]'' (which was the last story to be produced by Barry Letts), where it was again used to detonate mines, and as a "miniature sonic lance"<ref group="note">The Sixth Doctor uses a hand tool he calls a "sonic lance" in ''[[Attack of the Cybermen]]''</ref> to cut out a lock. Aside from unlocking doors, the device was greatly downplayed during the Fourth Doctor's second and third seasons. It saw a resurgence once [[Graham Williams (television producer)|Graham Williams]] took over as producer in 1977. In the final story of season 15, ''[[The Invasion of Time]]'', the Fourth Doctor conceded, "Not even the sonic screwdriver can get me out of this one."

It featured regularly in season 16 during the Key to Time saga. The Doctor's [[Time Lord|Time Lady]] companion [[Romana (Doctor Who)|Romana]] constructed a sonic screwdriver of her own similar to the Doctor's. It is depicted as being smaller and sleeker than the Doctor's, and he was sufficiently impressed with her design that he attempted to swap screwdrivers with her in ''[[The Horns of Nimon]]'' (1979–80). By season 18, both script editor [[Christopher H Bidmead]] and producer [[John Nathan-Turner]] were eager to downplay the device as much as possible.

The sonic screwdriver was written out of the series late in season 19, in the [[Fifth Doctor]] serial ''[[The Visitation (Doctor Who)|The Visitation]]'' (1982). It is destroyed by a [[List of Doctor Who monsters and aliens#Terileptil|Terileptil]] to prevent the Doctor from escaping a holding cell; in response, the Doctor sorrowfully remarked, "I feel as if you've just killed an old friend." [[Eric Saward]] later explained in a 2005 DVD interview<ref>Commentary on DVD of ''The Visitation''</ref> that this was done on the instructions of producer John Nathan-Turner. Saward had written out the sonic screwdriver, believing that the Doctor had "a cupboard full of them" in the [[TARDIS]]. On the basis that [[Deus ex machina|a device that could help in any situation]] was very limiting for the script, Nathan-Turner decided that it would not return.<ref>Commentary on DVD of ''Castrovalva''</ref> The Tenth Doctor joked about the Fifth Doctor's lack of sonic screwdriver in the mini-episode "[[Time Crash]]" (2007), commenting that he "went hands-free" and could "save the universe using a kettle and some string." The device did not appear again for the remainder of the original series.

In the [[Doctor Who (film)|''Doctor Who'' TV Movie]] (1996) and "[[The Night of the Doctor]]" (2013), the Seventh (TVM), Eighth (both), and the [[War Doctor]] ("The Night of the Doctor") were seen to have a new sonic screwdriver with a telescopic mechanism: similar to its predecessors but with subtle differences such as a gold/brass band on the handle, a flat base and a red emitter tip.