Doctor Who’s new sonic screwdriver revealed
This is what Jodie Whittaker will be using in series 11
It only seems like yesterday that Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor picked up his new version of Doctor Who’s iconic sonic screwdriver, but with the series about to get a serious facelift the Time Lord’s trusty gadget will be changing all over again.
And now for the first time fans have been given a look at exactly how Jodie Whittaker's version of the new screwdriver will look, thanks the gizmo being unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con during the Doctor Who panel.
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Looking far more traditionally sci-fi and alien than recent versions of the sonic screwdriver, the new incarnation of the gadget has a curved handle that’s slightly separate from the main screwdriver, containing stripped lights to match the LED light on the end. It's coloured silver with dark cracks through it, and fits neatly in Whittaker's hand.
In another interesting change, the light on the new screwdriver is an orange-y colour – different from the lighter blues and greens of more recent versions of the gadget, though other colours have appeared in the series' run – while the LED itself appears more organic and crystalline, perhaps hinting at the source of the screwdriver's power.
“It’s a privilege to have been asked to redesign the iconic sonic screwdriver for the Thirteenth Doctor and a new generation of audiences," designer Arwel Jones said in a release.
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"I can’t wait for people to see how the Doctor acquires it!”
Both the style of the screwdriver and Whittaker’s actions in the new trailer – where she's seen trying to weld something in the series' first episode – suggest that the new version of the tool might be hand-crafted by the Doctor herself, a departure from previous incarnations who were usually gifted them by the Tardis.
Then again, this difference could have been born out of necessity. Based on the fact that Whittaker is still wearing the suit of Peter Capaldi’s Doctor in the pictures, we’re betting they’re from the first episode of the new series when the Doctor has just regenerated and the Tardis is still missing.
Without being able to just take one from her ship, perhaps the new Doctor HAS to make one by hand – or maybe she just prefers a DIY approach to her intergalactic gadgetry.
Whatever the truth, we’re sure fans will be excited to see the latest version of the sound-based sonic probe, which first appeared in 1968 and has been a popular and ever-changing part of the series ever since (even for that year where Peter Capaldi had sonic sunglasses instead).
Happily, even when Doctor Who changes it still stays the same – and that's making us pretty excited for these new episodes.
UK fans can pre-order the new Doctor's sonic screwdriver here.
Radio Times’ special Doctor Who preview issue, featuring exclusive interviews, pictures and behind-the-scenes secrets, is on sale now
