For those curious about the stats: 2nd Doctor: 6 uses 3rd Doctor: 43 uses 4th Doctor: 74 uses 5th Doctor: 12 uses 6th Doctor: 14 uses (Sonic Lance only) 7th Doctor: 1 use 8th Doctor: 1 use War Doctor: 6 uses 9th Doctor: 90 uses 10th Doctor: 308 uses 11th Doctor: 509 uses 12th Doctor: 234 uses 13th Doctor: 213 uses In the entire Classic series (up through the 8th Doctor), it was used a total of 151 times; the New Series has used it over *a thousand* (1360 to be exact). That makes for 1511 uses in all. Also, here's how much of the video each Doctor's era takes up: 2nd Doctor: 0.4% 3rd Doctor: 3.1% 4th Doctor: 5.1% 5th Doctor: 0.7% 6th Doctor: 0.8% 7th Doctor: 0.1% 8th Doctor: 0.1% 9th Doctor: 6.3% 10th Doctor: 19.7% 11th Doctor: 33.6% 12th Doctor: 15.4% 13th Doctor: 14.6% Which means the New Series takes up *89.6%* of the entire video! With the 11th Doctor far and away using it the most.
Remember in Day of the doctor where the war doctor complained about the overuse of the 11th and 10th doctors sonic? The doctor seems to have remembered that.
@Douglas Howe Minisodes aren't included in my compilations for consistencies sake. Other Doctors counts would go up to if you wanted to start counting minisodes.
Well this guy was crazy enough to do all sonic screwdriver uses and I was equally crazy enough to collate all the title sequences and TARDIS materialisations together. But it's rather enjoyable for the most part. But I don't think I'd have the willpower to create a video like this.
@@blah7983 That method has certainly helped me loads in the past! But the transcripts aren't nearly as thorough with action as dialogue, only documenting select uses of the sonic, so I had to skim through the episodes manually instead.
I love how the Tenth Doctor alone had more sonic screen-time than the entire 27 seasons prior, and then the Eleventh comes damn close to doing the same ON TOP OF the Tenth’s. The sonic screwdriver really went from “here’s a quirky little tool for unlocking doors and running computer diagnostics, you’ll see it maybe 10 times in a Doctor’s run” to “this thing can do damn near everything as long as it’s not wood, it’s used every three minutes.”
Yep, what's crazy is since the 11th Doctor's era began, there's only been 4 episodes where the sonic screwdriver (or shades) haven't been used at all - 2 of which are within the last 8 episodes!
I have one of two theories Matt smith had too much fun with it Or Because of how much Matt smith merchandise there was his era (ranging from good and bad) the writers were told to use the sonic more?
I also felt that Moffat wanted to just "outdo" or "1-up" the RTD Era in general. Sometimes it's really blatant. "Oh? David's regeneration blew up the TARDIS? Well, Matt's regeneration is going to blow up AN ENTIRE PLANET FULL OF DALEKS!"
I think it’s because they don’t have as much time in a 45-minute episode compared to a serial, so they use the screwdriver to help propel the plot from one set piece to another. I think if they had more time to stop and breathe we’d see it used less.
This really emphasises that the way that Jodie got mad criticised for holding her sonic: high up and out-stretched like a Harry Potter wand; pretty much every Nu Who Doctor did too, especially Matt, so, so much for that.
The War Doctor even makes fun of 10 and 11 for just that in The Day of the Doctor! It's something I've noticed over my years of being a Who fan, the fandom loves to criticize whatever's current down to the smallest detail - regardless of how hypocritical they have to be to do it. No doubt when Jodie leaves they'll stop being annoyed at how she used it, and start being annoyed at the next Doctor for something similarly trivial...
I'm not particularly a fan of any Doctor over-brandishing the sonic, and New Who definitely uses it too much. However I do feel Jodie makes it look the least natural. At least the other Doctors had a little more variety in how they held it, with smaller tasks often utilizing a more precise grip. Jodie almost always does that dramatic arm maneuver and pose, regardless of the task. But ultimately it's a relatively unimportant detail.
You've made a very important point here. You see it with anything generally considered to be "bad" - the smaller details, which may not even be important, get blown out of proportion. Thing bad, so everything in that thing bad, right? It's like how people were angry Luke called a lightsaber a "laser sword" in The Last Jedi. George Lucas used the term, and it's clearly used in a mocking way. But film bad so everything bad! I think a lot of it's down to second-rate 'critique' channels which are just someone whinging about stuff without much - if any - critical thinking
I absolutely love the Sonic Sunglasses. Not to mention how if kids wanted to copy it they didnt need to buy a toy they could just grab any old pair of shades
@@tennumb Actually, that's not really true. She currently uses it 9-10 times per episode, whereas Smith used it 11-12 times per episode. At this point, she'd have to use it 13-14 times per episode from here on out to catch up with Smith in the same number of episodes - otherwise, if she continues at the same rate she used it in Series 11 and 12, she'd still end up with nearly 100 less total uses.
Care to provide any examples? I can't say I recall a single instance where I'd say that was the case. Certainly not in any way that's more egregious than what any other Doctor's done with it. The *amount* she uses it is problematic, yes (though still not as bad as Smith) but what it's been used *for* hasn't been an issue.
I felt like Eleven really did use his screwdriver more like a smartphone/computer with the way he looks at it like there's a screen giving him information.
@@Raftors, yeah, but at least it was used for great purposes in the plot, like in a Christmas carol when half of it was in the shark, unlike the 13th doctor, who very unfortunately uses it for useless reasons.
I've only just realised the modern sonic screwdriver sound effect was used in the Tom Baker era which is a nice touch. I assumed it was a completely new sound, but I'm glad quite a few of the sounds were revived.
4th Doctor had easily the longest run out of anyone in the show's history, and (not counting the movie) the 9th Doctor had the shortest, yet the 9th Doctor still used his sonic more times
I love how people get on to the 13th Doctor for using her Sonic too much, but the 11th, (Which is a well respected Doctor remind you) used the Sonic Screwdriver more times that both his successors (12 and 13) combined.
However if you divide the numbers up 13 uses the sonic just two times less per episode than 11 and given her track record depending on the next series she could overtake him
While it is *possible* she'll use the screwdriver enough in Series 13 to overtake his average per episode, I'd imagine her average usage is unlikely to change much. I'd honestly be pretty surprised if she did overtake 11.
To be honest, had she had the same number of episodes as 11 (13 as opposed to 10 and now 6 for S13) she probably would have equalled his total I'd say.
That's unlikely - I haven't totalled its use in Series 13 (though given it's complete absence from Survivors of the Flux it's unlikely to increase the average that much, if at all), but based off the pre-Flux numbers she's used the sonic an average of 9.7 times per episode, vs 11's 11.6 per episode. If she had the same number of episodes as Smith, she'd likely end up with around 430 total uses - which is well above any other Doctor, but still 80 uses behind Smith's total of 509.
To be fair with the exception of Power of Three and Nightmare in silver it's not actually solving any plot points, it's usually just scanning things or turning them off or on
Thank you so much for this video. I watched it in one go. And I am amazed by your incredible work. Although it scares me a little how often this video has been useful to me… I love all sonic screwdrivers. But I'm incredibly excited about the 13th Doctor's design and how she uses it. It's cool and logical that the screwdriver has become more like a scanner, whose luminous body is a display element. It looks like a real device. It is beautiful and functional. And another interesting element that I wanted to check and for which I watched the video is that the crystal rotates only in screwdriver mode, but in scanner mode it is static.
"EXTERMINATE!" "Nope! Wooweewoo!" *Confused Dalek* "What is the purpose of this device?" *Sticks Sonic Screwdriver in gun arm, blocking it up* "It's a cockblock! Haha! Gotcha!" "EXTERMI- oh bugger..."
I think it's telling that in this 23 minute video, the entire classic series is done in the first two. Massive over-reliance on the bloody thing these days.
@@vullord666 for 13 though it isn’t a tool and sometimes for 11. For those it’s used often as a plot solving device that can do anything the writer wants
Wow. Less then 3 minutes the Sonic Screwdriver was used in the Classic Series and this compilation 23 minutes long. That’s 20 minutes of Sonic Screwdriver uses in the new Series alone with shorter episodes, stories and No. of years used!
Well, “shorter stories” is exactly why it’s used more. The faster pacing can’t really accommodate long scenes of being locked up or tinkering with machinery.
The device in "Curse of Peladon" is not a Sonic Screwdriver. It's a simple spinning mirror with a pen light that's used for hypnosis. Inferno is likewise debatable as the Doctor uses the phrase "remote control" with the warehouse door (and I think it's the identical device he uses to remote drive Bessie). So the first proper appearance of the Sonic in the Third Doctor era is "Colony in Space", I think.
Who cares if the sonic device is used more in later series... It's like technology itself... Things change and move on. Take mobile phones for example... They certainly have a lot more uses now, and are far more common now than they were in the 70s and 80s... But nobody ever says anything about that.
I swear you see the 1st Doctor using it to unlock the Tardis when we first see him in An Unearthly Child. He's clearly shining what looks an awful lot like the original sonic on the keyhole.
@@eddherring3088 Even though it was its final appearance, it was never actually used. And it would've been far more complicated (and not in the spirit of the compilation) to also include every instance where the Doctor merely takes the screwdriver out.
I thought the Doctor's highly advanced and futuristic garage remote in Inferno was a separate device from the sonic screwdriver. I also didn't think the spinning hypnotiser on Peladon was the sonic screwdriver either. And that piece of the Doctor's toolkit in Attack of the Cybermen isn't the sonic screwdriver either. Edit: oh, okay. I'm actually surprised that the 7th Doctor's pocket watch scanner didn't get co-opted as a sonic screwdriver too...
The device in Inferno acts just like the sonic, and in Peladon it's literally the screwdriver prop just with a different head, so in those cases, some sources consider them the screwdriver, so I included them to cover all my bases. And as for the sonic lance in Attack of the Cybermen, that's covered by "and other sonic paraphernalia" as per the title.
In the classic series the sonic screwdriver was destroyed in The Visitation by the Terileptil Leader. That was the last appearance. The production team felt there was an over reliance on it, in the same way K9 was axed, that and operational issues with remote control and camera interference. The 6th Doctor used a Thermic Lance in Attack Of The Cybermen. So the final use of a sonic device in Classic Who was The Visitation. EDIT: The Visitation is not shown in this video!
"And other sonic paraphernalia" It wasn't a thermic lance, it was a sonic lance, hence its inclusion. And no, The Visitation isn't included here because even though it was the sonic's final appearance in the Classic series, it was never actually used during the story.
That's the strange effect of having it all condensed together! It's nowhere near as obvious when it's spread out a bit more (except for the Doctors that use it *really* often, like 11 and 13). Really goes to show the divide between it's usage in Classic and New Who!
Can this be used as an example of why Doctor Who is too reliant on the Sonic Screwdriver? Because holy hell, over a thousand times that the New Series has done it.
Yeah...it could *definitely* do with toning in down a bit. I certainly don't think they need to get rid of the screwdriver, but I really don't think it should be used more than a couple times per episode, max. It was certainly nice to have a break from it in Revolution of the Daleks!
Because they knew how to write a script. The sonic screwdriver was destroyed in The Visitation because of an over reliance on it to solve the problem(s).
@@eddherring3088 To be fair, it’s only like the last 2 series that excessively uses it to solve problems. In the rest of NuWho it’s more just something for the Doctor to hold and act like he’s doing fancy science stuff.
@@rytamsinha2071 Nah it was a huge problem with the 11th Doctor era. There were entire episodes where the climax was all just resolved with a sonic screwdriver (ex. Nightmare in Silver)
Watching it all together it does seem overused certainly. But it does make me notice that 9, 10 and 12 at least used it as a practical tool for the most part, albeit excessively. Whereas, 11 and 13 like to just flail it around half the time thinking they'll impress people when they won't. 13 in particular, she has to scan everything around her constantly when surely she could work it out herself. I also distinctively remember 11 using it to quickly find Clara's book in Bells of Saint John rather than his own eyes which looked pretty goofy at the time.
Yeah, there's definitely an over-reliance where 11 and 13 often use it as their first response, rather than as a supplemental tool to their own intelligence. It was rather refreshing to have it absent in Revolution of the Daleks; hopefully Series 13 will have it toned down a bit more and more similar to how 9, 10 and 12 used it.
@@Merganman4 It really hasn't been toned down unfortunately. I'm at the stage now, after Eve of the Daleks, where I want to grab it out of her hand and confiscate it, like a teacher with a student's smartphone.
Nothing from The Visitation, where the Doctor was about to use the sonic screwdriver then is told to "drop the sonic device" and the Terileptils destroy it? Pivotal moment if nothing else.
I can't help but notice that 12's Screwdriver rarely varies in noise (pitch, volume, etc) unlike, for example, 10 (see 8:19). Surely, I'm not the only one to notice this...
There's something odd to me, seeing 12 use 11s screwdriver for a whole series, normally, it gets blown up in the first episode of a new doctors run, or it mysteriously vanishes.. Chibnall, I need answers
I might be giving Moffat too much credit, but I think it might be down to the idea that 12 in Series 8 is an extremely conflicted character and doesn’t really know who he is. I think it’s no surprise that we almost immediately see him donning the shades at the start of series 9, which albeit a controversial addition, were a clear sign of him having changed personally and being more comfortable with who is is now.
Classic series ends at 2:30 the rest is from the new series. In conclusion the sonic screw driver needs to be distorted again because it's an easy use for the writers to relay on. Also the sixth Doctor didn't use a sonic screw driver that was the sonic lance completely different device.
despite a number of the issues I had with Chibnall's era, I'm glad they de-emphasised the sonic, especially after Matt Smith's doctor really overused it - Capaldi did too, and I liked it then. I'm just trying to praise the Chibnall era a little bit
Is there actually any difference between the 9th Doctor's screwdriver and the one the 10th Doctor used in series 3 & 4? I know 9's is supposed to be more yellow, but some of these clips say otherwise
There are some minor differences, but yeah, they're very hard to see in action - they pretty much look exactly the same when it's being obscured by a hand!
The 9th doctor’s sonic is yellowish-beige color, with no slider. And a button, which means you would have to manually pull the top out. Whereas 10’s was grey. Also, in The Eleventh Hour, the 10th doctor’s sonic screwdriver has more of a blueish tint, instead of its usual grey.
@@CameronPattatonly now saw this comment haha but thank you! I feel like 11's screwdriver was when the show started really dramatically changing up the look each time, it was often more subtle differences before that, like you detailed. And 13's was when they just altogether stopped bearing any resemblance to screwdrivers lol
Each story of the Classic Series was serialized into (usually) 4 to 6 half hour episodes. So it feels like watching a bunch of two-parters with the occasional three-parter. I won't get into the exceptions. lol
I love how in classic who the sonic was only used sparingly and only had a short screen time. The limitations made this device more awesome. I don't see how John Nathan Turner thought the sonic was being overused in classic, but I like his decision to have the device destroyed, because it required the doctor to use his initiative and find more clever and creative ways of getting out of any situations, without just whipping out his magic screwdriver and problem solved. Now in New who the doctor needs his sonic wand to cure a bite mark on Amy Pond's neck or blow up multiple cybermen.
Do you mean the second because the original was a pin liight Although in its first scene, they dropped the prop so they instead used a whistle from someone's life jacket
You mean Night of the Doctor? My compilations don't include minisodes for consistencies sake. You'll notice that none of the other minisodes are included either.
For me the sonic shouldn't be used too often, like whenever there's gaps even where it's not used in whole episodes, it makes it feel more special when it is used
Yes, reckon I prefer the sonic screwdriver being used sparingly in Classic Who than being used every 5 mins in New Who. As much as I love the sonic screwdriver, it's much more engaging when the Doctor uses ingenuity to get out of situations. At least 11th was without it for a bit in the second half of "The Eleventh Hour" after it got fried. Whereas in "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" when the newly regenerated 13th was without the TARDIS and screwdriver, she couldn't get through that first adventure without building a new screwdriver.
Russell the Davies, if you're reading this, and I know that you are, can you please set yourself and your writers the target of using the sonic once per episode at the most, in Series 14? I'm not expecting the Terileptils to come back and blow it sky high again (although that would be sick), just have a little restraint. Cheers my g.
So having watched the 60th he uses it a lot in the star beast (though it’s not used to resolve the plot thankfully) He looses it in wild blue yonder & I can’t remember him using it much in the giggle
I love the fact that they just butchered the sonic rules, the new doctor literally pulled out their sonic screwdriver to CUT ROPE. The sonic doesnt work on wood and ROPE but I guess its a harry potter wand now.
Yeah, that was a bit of a weird moment in The Age of Steel. But then, it's also been shown to light candles, even *reattach barbed wire* however that works, so rope doesn't really seem like much of a stretch.
Maybe burning through the rope with sort of a laser or infrared thing in it, though the reattaching of barbed wire was sgupid, there was maybe some sort of reason for lighting the candles like the molecules of the wax or inducing some sort of heat
For those curious about the stats:
2nd Doctor: 6 uses
3rd Doctor: 43 uses
4th Doctor: 74 uses
5th Doctor: 12 uses
6th Doctor: 14 uses (Sonic Lance only)
7th Doctor: 1 use
8th Doctor: 1 use
War Doctor: 6 uses
9th Doctor: 90 uses
10th Doctor: 308 uses
11th Doctor: 509 uses
12th Doctor: 234 uses
13th Doctor: 213 uses
In the entire Classic series (up through the 8th Doctor), it was used a total of 151 times; the New Series has used it over *a thousand* (1360 to be exact). That makes for 1511 uses in all.
Also, here's how much of the video each Doctor's era takes up:
2nd Doctor: 0.4%
3rd Doctor: 3.1%
4th Doctor: 5.1%
5th Doctor: 0.7%
6th Doctor: 0.8%
7th Doctor: 0.1%
8th Doctor: 0.1%
9th Doctor: 6.3%
10th Doctor: 19.7%
11th Doctor: 33.6%
12th Doctor: 15.4%
13th Doctor: 14.6%
Which means the New Series takes up *89.6%* of the entire video! With the 11th Doctor far and away using it the most.
Feck that's a lot of uses
Remember in Day of the doctor where the war doctor complained about the overuse of the 11th and 10th doctors sonic? The doctor seems to have remembered that.
Average uses of sonic per episode per doctor:
1 - 0.000
2 - 0.050
3 - 0.336
4 - 0.430
5 - 0.174
6 - 0.452
7 - 0.024
8 - 1.000
War doctor - 6.000
9 - 6.923
10 - 6.553
11 - 11.568
12 - 5.580
13 - 5.591 (So Far)
@Douglas Howe Minisodes aren't included in my compilations for consistencies sake. Other Doctors counts would go up to if you wanted to start counting minisodes.
John Nathan-Turner would not be happy.
The fact that this guy went through - I don't even know how many - hours of Doctor Who just to record the uses of the sonic screwdriver is legendary.
Lucky, more like
Well this guy was crazy enough to do all sonic screwdriver uses and I was equally crazy enough to collate all the title sequences and TARDIS materialisations together. But it's rather enjoyable for the most part. But I don't think I'd have the willpower to create a video like this.
@@chunglebung8988 not lucky
Pretty sure they’re looking through the scripts and ctrl+Fing “sonic” but still impressive
@@blah7983 That method has certainly helped me loads in the past! But the transcripts aren't nearly as thorough with action as dialogue, only documenting select uses of the sonic, so I had to skim through the episodes manually instead.
I love how the Tenth Doctor alone had more sonic screen-time than the entire 27 seasons prior, and then the Eleventh comes damn close to doing the same ON TOP OF the Tenth’s. The sonic screwdriver really went from “here’s a quirky little tool for unlocking doors and running computer diagnostics, you’ll see it maybe 10 times in a Doctor’s run” to “this thing can do damn near everything as long as it’s not wood, it’s used every three minutes.”
Yep, what's crazy is since the 11th Doctor's era began, there's only been 4 episodes where the sonic screwdriver (or shades) haven't been used at all - 2 of which are within the last 8 episodes!
I have one of two theories
Matt smith had too much fun with it
Or
Because of how much Matt smith merchandise there was his era (ranging from good and bad) the writers were told to use the sonic more?
I also felt that Moffat wanted to just "outdo" or "1-up" the RTD Era in general. Sometimes it's really blatant.
"Oh? David's regeneration blew up the TARDIS? Well, Matt's regeneration is going to blow up AN ENTIRE PLANET FULL OF DALEKS!"
I think it’s because they don’t have as much time in a 45-minute episode compared to a serial, so they use the screwdriver to help propel the plot from one set piece to another. I think if they had more time to stop and breathe we’d see it used less.
This really emphasises that the way that Jodie got mad criticised for holding her sonic: high up and out-stretched like a Harry Potter wand; pretty much every Nu Who Doctor did too, especially Matt, so, so much for that.
The War Doctor even makes fun of 10 and 11 for just that in The Day of the Doctor!
It's something I've noticed over my years of being a Who fan, the fandom loves to criticize whatever's current down to the smallest detail - regardless of how hypocritical they have to be to do it. No doubt when Jodie leaves they'll stop being annoyed at how she used it, and start being annoyed at the next Doctor for something similarly trivial...
I'm not particularly a fan of any Doctor over-brandishing the sonic, and New Who definitely uses it too much. However I do feel Jodie makes it look the least natural. At least the other Doctors had a little more variety in how they held it, with smaller tasks often utilizing a more precise grip. Jodie almost always does that dramatic arm maneuver and pose, regardless of the task. But ultimately it's a relatively unimportant detail.
You've made a very important point here. You see it with anything generally considered to be "bad" - the smaller details, which may not even be important, get blown out of proportion. Thing bad, so everything in that thing bad, right? It's like how people were angry Luke called a lightsaber a "laser sword" in The Last Jedi. George Lucas used the term, and it's clearly used in a mocking way. But film bad so everything bad!
I think a lot of it's down to second-rate 'critique' channels which are just someone whinging about stuff without much - if any - critical thinking
Jodie had made only 2 seasons with less episodes than the previous.
At this rate she will reach over 300.
@@HudsonMedia the sonic screwdriver is a fictional plot device. There's no right or wrong way to use it. It's really a pointless thing to criticize.
I absolutely love the Sonic Sunglasses. Not to mention how if kids wanted to copy it they didnt need to buy a toy they could just grab any old pair of shades
I hated them for one reason: that particular style of glasses hid Peter Capaldi's best feature (eyebrows).
So, the sound we have today has been with us since the ark in space.
No, in those stories for some reason there was no sound, so for the dvd release they added the modern sound effect
Huh. You learn something new every day.
Fans: Jodie uses the sonic way too much!
11: Hold my Fez
Tbh if 13 carries on at the rate shes going and stays that same amount of time smith did then she'll have more uses
@@tennumb Actually, that's not really true. She currently uses it 9-10 times per episode, whereas Smith used it 11-12 times per episode. At this point, she'd have to use it 13-14 times per episode from here on out to catch up with Smith in the same number of episodes - otherwise, if she continues at the same rate she used it in Series 11 and 12, she'd still end up with nearly 100 less total uses.
@@Merganman4 oh lol ok fair enough
@@Merganman4 yeah but the main difference is that 11 didn't use the sonic to save the day compare to 13
Care to provide any examples? I can't say I recall a single instance where I'd say that was the case. Certainly not in any way that's more egregious than what any other Doctor's done with it. The *amount* she uses it is problematic, yes (though still not as bad as Smith) but what it's been used *for* hasn't been an issue.
2:12 I love the little whirls Davidson does
Same
I felt like Eleven really did use his screwdriver more like a smartphone/computer with the way he looks at it like there's a screen giving him information.
Always wonders how that works. ...actually very cool
Psychic link?
I love how classic who is only the first 2 minutes
and like the majority of the video is just "mAtt sMiTH"
@@Raftors, yeah, but at least it was used for great purposes in the plot, like in a Christmas carol when half of it was in the shark, unlike the 13th doctor, who very unfortunately uses it for useless reasons.
@@Raftors Theory:the older you get the more reliant you are on gadgets.
I was going to say the same.
And they still felt like nerfing it
Nice touch with the fonts as each era of Doctor Who passes!
Ikr
Really shows how true it is when they jokingly refer to it as his magic wand
Peter Davison even did the Swish and flick
I've only just realised the modern sonic screwdriver sound effect was used in the Tom Baker era which is a nice touch. I assumed it was a completely new sound, but I'm glad quite a few of the sounds were revived.
actually that sound was added into those episodes in re-releases because in the original aired versions they forgot to edit in a sound effect
3:59 the fact that this is 10 doctors in and only it’s only been 4 minutes is wild
I still can't believe that the sonic screwdriver started out as a life jacket whistle.
4th Doctor had easily the longest run out of anyone in the show's history, and (not counting the movie) the 9th Doctor had the shortest, yet the 9th Doctor still used his sonic more times
I love how people get on to the 13th Doctor for using her Sonic too much, but the 11th, (Which is a well respected Doctor remind you) used the Sonic Screwdriver more times that both his successors (12 and 13) combined.
However if you divide the numbers up 13 uses the sonic just two times less per episode than 11 and given her track record depending on the next series she could overtake him
While it is *possible* she'll use the screwdriver enough in Series 13 to overtake his average per episode, I'd imagine her average usage is unlikely to change much. I'd honestly be pretty surprised if she did overtake 11.
To be honest, had she had the same number of episodes as 11 (13 as opposed to 10 and now 6 for S13) she probably would have equalled his total I'd say.
That's unlikely - I haven't totalled its use in Series 13 (though given it's complete absence from Survivors of the Flux it's unlikely to increase the average that much, if at all), but based off the pre-Flux numbers she's used the sonic an average of 9.7 times per episode, vs 11's 11.6 per episode.
If she had the same number of episodes as Smith, she'd likely end up with around 430 total uses - which is well above any other Doctor, but still 80 uses behind Smith's total of 509.
Can't believe the ninth doctors screwdriver lasted to 2010, series 5 first episode
11th one go from 2010 to 2015 five years too
Yes but the prop itself didn’t last that long, there were like 4 props used throughout that time which changed from season to season.
@@rytamsinha2071 sometimes even from Episode to episode
Only the design did. The sonic screwdriver broke in Smith and Jones.
The content I didn’t know I wanted.
Did the Eleventh Doctor have some sort of love for his sonic?
No but Matt Smith did:D
I doubt the sonic was scripted anywhere near as many times as Matt used to produce it.
No but Moffat loved using it as a plot solver.
To be fair with the exception of Power of Three and Nightmare in silver it's not actually solving any plot points, it's usually just scanning things or turning them off or on
@@rennythespaceguy7285 Yeah that was my point. Matt just loves using it to give himself something physical to do.
No just crap writing where every episode in S7 was resolved by Eleven using his sonic.
There's no way you could've found and edited all of this without a sonic screwdriver
No he used a sonic pen
It's cool how the story titles are done in the fonts from the episode!!!
The 11th doctor used his sonic, OVER 500 TIMES!
Thank you so much for this video. I watched it in one go. And I am amazed by your incredible work. Although it scares me a little how often this video has been useful to me…
I love all sonic screwdrivers. But I'm incredibly excited about the 13th Doctor's design and how she uses it. It's cool and logical that the screwdriver has become more like a scanner, whose luminous body is a display element. It looks like a real device. It is beautiful and functional. And another interesting element that I wanted to check and for which I watched the video is that the crystal rotates only in screwdriver mode, but in scanner mode it is static.
Really glad you enjoyed it! And it's nice to see someone who's a fan of 13's screwdriver.
"EXTERMINATE!"
"Nope! Wooweewoo!"
*Confused Dalek*
"What is the purpose of this device?"
*Sticks Sonic Screwdriver in gun arm, blocking it up*
"It's a cockblock! Haha! Gotcha!"
"EXTERMI- oh bugger..."
Compared to how much it's used in the new series, it must've been a real treat when any Classic Era Doctor used a Sonic.
11 waves his around like he’s casting spells lmao
I think it's telling that in this 23 minute video, the entire classic series is done in the first two.
Massive over-reliance on the bloody thing these days.
Not for series 1-4. It was used as a tool then, not as a way to solve the plot
Not really. It’s just the 11th Doctor. There are multiple stories when the Doctor is without it and does fine (oxygen). It’s still just a tool
@@vullord666 for 13 though it isn’t a tool and sometimes for 11. For those it’s used often as a plot solving device that can do anything the writer wants
JNT was right to destroy it during the 5th Doctor era.
well its cool
"They couldn't live in temperatures"
2:30 kinda wish they kept that effect. im guess budget didnt alow that given how many times it gets used XD
Wow. Less then 3 minutes the Sonic Screwdriver was used in the Classic Series and this compilation 23 minutes long. That’s 20 minutes of Sonic Screwdriver uses in the new Series alone with shorter episodes, stories and No. of years used!
And the funny thing is in the classic series it seems to have been just used as an actual screwdriver, then in the new series it can do anything
Yep, it's a pretty insane difference!
@@samtownend6744 why wouldn't something that can manipulate and create waves be able to do the functions it does throughout the video?
Well, “shorter stories” is exactly why it’s used more. The faster pacing can’t really accommodate long scenes of being locked up or tinkering with machinery.
@@thegunner-49 Maniplulating waves doesn't seem like it should be able to reattach barbed wire.
Wow, it's awesome work!
Glad you enjoyed it!
The device in "Curse of Peladon" is not a Sonic Screwdriver. It's a simple spinning mirror with a pen light that's used for hypnosis. Inferno is likewise debatable as the Doctor uses the phrase "remote control" with the warehouse door (and I think it's the identical device he uses to remote drive Bessie). So the first proper appearance of the Sonic in the Third Doctor era is "Colony in Space", I think.
The "remote control" is identical in appearance to Three's sonic. It's a good fair bet that it's actually the sonic, and he's just being coy/playful.
Who cares if the sonic device is used more in later series... It's like technology itself... Things change and move on.
Take mobile phones for example... They certainly have a lot more uses now, and are far more common now than they were in the 70s and 80s... But nobody ever says anything about that.
Ngl mobile phones are kind of over used too now
I swear you see the 1st Doctor using it to unlock the Tardis when we first see him in An Unearthly Child. He's clearly shining what looks an awful lot like the original sonic on the keyhole.
It was probably just a regular penlight
That was just an actual penlight used to see the lock in the fog
No that was just a real penlight
But headcanon is always a nice place to be for a bit. :)
Great compilation! Only one tiny error (The Three Doctors: Episode 6), otherwise fantastic! :D
Whoops! Didn't catch that one (obviously!) Glad you enjoyed it!
@@Merganman4 and The Visitation where it is destroyed (never to return in classic Who)
@@eddherring3088 Even though it was its final appearance, it was never actually used. And it would've been far more complicated (and not in the spirit of the compilation) to also include every instance where the Doctor merely takes the screwdriver out.
I thought the Doctor's highly advanced and futuristic garage remote in Inferno was a separate device from the sonic screwdriver.
I also didn't think the spinning hypnotiser on Peladon was the sonic screwdriver either.
And that piece of the Doctor's toolkit in Attack of the Cybermen isn't the sonic screwdriver either. Edit: oh, okay.
I'm actually surprised that the 7th Doctor's pocket watch scanner didn't get co-opted as a sonic screwdriver too...
The device in Inferno acts just like the sonic, and in Peladon it's literally the screwdriver prop just with a different head, so in those cases, some sources consider them the screwdriver, so I included them to cover all my bases.
And as for the sonic lance in Attack of the Cybermen, that's covered by "and other sonic paraphernalia" as per the title.
Sometimes I wish I had a sonic screwdriver to whisk my problems away 😂
Especially the opening stuff and scan stuff. Like I NEED THAT
In the classic series the sonic screwdriver was destroyed in The Visitation by the Terileptil Leader. That was the last appearance. The production team felt there was an over reliance on it, in the same way K9 was axed, that and operational issues with remote control and camera interference. The 6th Doctor used a Thermic Lance in Attack Of The Cybermen. So the final use of a sonic device in Classic Who was The Visitation. EDIT: The Visitation is not shown in this video!
"And other sonic paraphernalia" It wasn't a thermic lance, it was a sonic lance, hence its inclusion.
And no, The Visitation isn't included here because even though it was the sonic's final appearance in the Classic series, it was never actually used during the story.
@@Merganman4 What about eight using it on the tardis at the end of the tv movie
@@TheRealUnkn0wn_289 Take a look at 2:30
Even with 12 using it the least in New Who (bar Eccleston) it's still more than classic Who, I felt it was way less watching his era
That's the strange effect of having it all condensed together! It's nowhere near as obvious when it's spread out a bit more (except for the Doctors that use it *really* often, like 11 and 13). Really goes to show the divide between it's usage in Classic and New Who!
Can this be used as an example of why Doctor Who is too reliant on the Sonic Screwdriver? Because holy hell, over a thousand times that the New Series has done it.
Yeah...it could *definitely* do with toning in down a bit. I certainly don't think they need to get rid of the screwdriver, but I really don't think it should be used more than a couple times per episode, max. It was certainly nice to have a break from it in Revolution of the Daleks!
Series 1-4 used it mainly as a tool
I read about this. Modern episodes use it as a way to speed the story along, like when the psychic paper is used.
@@obiwankenobi687 *series 1-10*
@@SNESPrime I think it's fair considering the lengths of classic who episodes in comparison to new who
I like how the intro is the 1967 theme because the sonic screwdriver was introduced in 1968👍🏽
the first 4 doctors had much the same theme, it didnt really change til 5th
@@julieeverett7442 ik but that's not what I'm saying
@@bcr4503 ok
Surprisingly used so little in classic....
Because they knew how to write a script. The sonic screwdriver was destroyed in The Visitation because of an over reliance on it to solve the problem(s).
@@eddherring3088 To be fair, it’s only like the last 2 series that excessively uses it to solve problems. In the rest of NuWho it’s more just something for the Doctor to hold and act like he’s doing fancy science stuff.
@@rytamsinha2071 Nah it was a huge problem with the 11th Doctor era. There were entire episodes where the climax was all just resolved with a sonic screwdriver (ex. Nightmare in Silver)
The Third Doctor had the best classic screwdriver from Sea Devils to Carnival of Monsters and the Eleventh Doctor had the best modern screwdriver
I hate the Eleventh Doctor's screwdriver. The "claws" make it look stupid.
What about the part where Donna tells the Doctor to "Stop bleeping me!"
4:54
There's simply far too much to include more than a second or so of each use, so dialogue doesn't really make it in.
Watching it all together it does seem overused certainly. But it does make me notice that 9, 10 and 12 at least used it as a practical tool for the most part, albeit excessively. Whereas, 11 and 13 like to just flail it around half the time thinking they'll impress people when they won't. 13 in particular, she has to scan everything around her constantly when surely she could work it out herself. I also distinctively remember 11 using it to quickly find Clara's book in Bells of Saint John rather than his own eyes which looked pretty goofy at the time.
Yeah, there's definitely an over-reliance where 11 and 13 often use it as their first response, rather than as a supplemental tool to their own intelligence. It was rather refreshing to have it absent in Revolution of the Daleks; hopefully Series 13 will have it toned down a bit more and more similar to how 9, 10 and 12 used it.
@@Merganman4 It really hasn't been toned down unfortunately. I'm at the stage now, after Eve of the Daleks, where I want to grab it out of her hand and confiscate it, like a teacher with a student's smartphone.
Nothing from The Visitation, where the Doctor was about to use the sonic screwdriver then is told to "drop the sonic device" and the Terileptils destroy it? Pivotal moment if nothing else.
6:54 the way he cuts the Sontaran off 😂
I can't help but notice that 12's Screwdriver rarely varies in noise (pitch, volume, etc) unlike, for example, 10 (see 8:19).
Surely, I'm not the only one to notice this...
I do miss the variety of noises the sonic made during the RTD Era. It added to the illusion that it was performing multiple functions.
I assume you chose to not include the minisodes, but Eight did use his sonic in Night of the Doctor on the blast door.
That's right - had to draw the line somewhere! Limiting it to just full-length episodes was the most consistent method.
The sonic screwdriver of the thirteenth doctor is one of my favorites
You don’t realize how many times the doctor uses his sonic in each episode until now!
Everyone: 13 uses the sonic too much
11: 👀
great sonic screwdriver
And yet it still doesn’t do wood
TYPO:
-The Three Doctors didn't have six episodes, only four; the two times it was used in this video were from Episode 1.
There's something odd to me, seeing 12 use 11s screwdriver for a whole series, normally, it gets blown up in the first episode of a new doctors run, or it mysteriously vanishes.. Chibnall, I need answers
Chibs didn't write the 12ths Doctor's era, Steven Moffat did (who also wrote 11's, probably why the green sonic got passed on)
I might be giving Moffat too much credit, but I think it might be down to the idea that 12 in Series 8 is an extremely conflicted character and doesn’t really know who he is.
I think it’s no surprise that we almost immediately see him donning the shades at the start of series 9, which albeit a controversial addition, were a clear sign of him having changed personally and being more comfortable with who is is now.
@@something_relevant_m I think that he referred to the disappearence of 12's screwdriver
I love these people complained about 13 using it all the time but 11 used it more than anyone
I think it's a valid criticism, but I agree - at least apply it equally!
Ok, I like the video, but I cant watch the whole thing, the endless sonic screwdriver sounds are gonna make me go deaf lol
6:39 perfectly cut boom
My favorite doctor is the 11th doctor
4:55 ow
The Eighth Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver twice in Night of the Doctor.
My compilations only include full-length episodes for consistency's sake.
It’s kinda nuts to me how the classic who moments run out at a mere 2&1/2 minutes into the video.
The 4th Doctor's sounds the "best"? and has the greatest range of noises B - )
So the only episode of the 9th not to sell the merch, was Dalek? Presumably so they could concentrate on the other bit of merch for that episode.😉😂
Classic series ends at 2:30 the rest is from the new series. In conclusion the sonic screw driver needs to be distorted again because it's an easy use for the writers to relay on. Also the sixth Doctor didn't use a sonic screw driver that was the sonic lance completely different device.
This isn't just sonic screwdrivers it's all doctor's uses of any sonic devices
despite a number of the issues I had with Chibnall's era, I'm glad they de-emphasised the sonic, especially after Matt Smith's doctor really overused it - Capaldi did too, and I liked it then. I'm just trying to praise the Chibnall era a little bit
This video made my doors and locks are opened
Is there actually any difference between the 9th Doctor's screwdriver and the one the 10th Doctor used in series 3 & 4? I know 9's is supposed to be more yellow, but some of these clips say otherwise
There are some minor differences, but yeah, they're very hard to see in action - they pretty much look exactly the same when it's being obscured by a hand!
The 9th doctor’s sonic is yellowish-beige color, with no slider. And a button, which means you would have to manually pull the top out.
Whereas 10’s was grey.
Also, in The Eleventh Hour, the 10th doctor’s sonic screwdriver has more of a blueish tint, instead of its usual grey.
@@CameronPattatonly now saw this comment haha but thank you! I feel like 11's screwdriver was when the show started really dramatically changing up the look each time, it was often more subtle differences before that, like you detailed. And 13's was when they just altogether stopped bearing any resemblance to screwdrivers lol
i wonder the reasoning behind the 13th constantly holding the screwdriver at fully extended arms length
Maybe something to do with that massive spark it made the first time she used it.
1:12 that scene always gets me
edit: 19:34 also this scene
It’s crazy to think that the 9th Doctor only did one season yet he used the Sonic Screwdriver more than the 4th Doctor did and he did 7 seasons…….
My favourite part is with the sonic.
It’s a screwdriver. Go build a cabinet!
21:38. Sacha shouting.
It’s been 3 years Mergan. You know what that means.
Also found out through this video that every episode of classic doctor who was made in parts!
Each story of the Classic Series was serialized into (usually) 4 to 6 half hour episodes. So it feels like watching a bunch of two-parters with the occasional three-parter.
I won't get into the exceptions. lol
Any particular reason for not including Night of the doctor?
It's a minisode, for consistencies sake my compilations only include full length episodes.
I love how in classic who the sonic was only used sparingly and only had a short screen time. The limitations made this device more awesome.
I don't see how John Nathan Turner thought the sonic was being overused in classic, but I like his decision to have the device destroyed, because it required the doctor to use his initiative and find more clever and creative ways of getting out of any situations, without just whipping out his magic screwdriver and problem solved.
Now in New who the doctor needs his sonic wand to cure a bite mark on Amy Pond's neck or blow up multiple cybermen.
I find His decision to be very lazy and clearly. Just a way for them to get the doctor stuck behind a locked door so they can pat out the run time
Are you absolutely sure you didn’t miss any?
I’m always amused when it’s actually used as a screwdriver.
You are missing some instances where the dr. used the sonic screwdriver
Which instances?
21:37 NAAAAA
12 really didnt like to extend 11 sonic lol
👍
"tHe NeW sErIeS oVeRuSeS tHe SoNiC sCrEwDrIvEr"
I honestly don't care
Hey do know the original sonic screwdriver prop from thunderbirds are go 1966 movie
Do you mean the second because the original was a pin liight Although in its first scene, they dropped the prop so they instead used a whistle from someone's life jacket
not to sound like a rabid fanboy but what about the 8th doctor in nightfall?
You mean Night of the Doctor? My compilations don't include minisodes for consistencies sake. You'll notice that none of the other minisodes are included either.
@@Merganman4 oh ok, and thanks for correcting me
0:59
0:17
For me the sonic shouldn't be used too often, like whenever there's gaps even where it's not used in whole episodes, it makes it feel more special when it is used
They used it a lot more sparingly in Peter capaldis run
Wow, 10 and 11 weren't screwing around, huh?
Yes, reckon I prefer the sonic screwdriver being used sparingly in Classic Who than being used every 5 mins in New Who. As much as I love the sonic screwdriver, it's much more engaging when the Doctor uses ingenuity to get out of situations. At least 11th was without it for a bit in the second half of "The Eleventh Hour" after it got fried. Whereas in "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" when the newly regenerated 13th was without the TARDIS and screwdriver, she couldn't get through that first adventure without building a new screwdriver.
Bzzz
Edit: I have no memory of making this comment, what-
Russell the Davies, if you're reading this, and I know that you are, can you please set yourself and your writers the target of using the sonic once per episode at the most, in Series 14? I'm not expecting the Terileptils to come back and blow it sky high again (although that would be sick), just have a little restraint. Cheers my g.
So having watched the 60th he uses it a lot in the star beast (though it’s not used to resolve the plot thankfully)
He looses it in wild blue yonder & I can’t remember him using it much in the giggle
It's funny that sometimes the imagination just gives up and straight up says that these guys aren't really doing ANYTHING shining that silly prop 😆
I think that's the real problem: the sonic needs defined uses that are either explicit or implied.
It is *not* a magic wand.
I love the fact that they just butchered the sonic rules, the new doctor literally pulled out their sonic screwdriver to CUT ROPE. The sonic doesnt work on wood and ROPE but I guess its a harry potter wand now.
Yeah, that was a bit of a weird moment in The Age of Steel. But then, it's also been shown to light candles, even *reattach barbed wire* however that works, so rope doesn't really seem like much of a stretch.
Maybe burning through the rope with sort of a laser or infrared thing in it, though the reattaching of barbed wire was sgupid, there was maybe some sort of reason for lighting the candles like the molecules of the wax or inducing some sort of heat
I'm surprised she never used it in Revolution of the Daleks, maybe she left it in her prison cell and she gets a new one in S13
The 5th doctor did use his sonic screwdriver in the visitation