August 17, 2023
What does the Doctor think of the latest iteration of the sonic screwdriver?
The Fourteenth Doctor’s reaction to the powerful gadget and its creation is all in the latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine! Read on for an exclusive extract below.
The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine (DWM) is on sale from Thursday 17th August. It is available to order as a subscription, either physical or digital, here.
Read on for an extract of an interview with Michael van Kesteren, Doctor Who’s art director for props.
Production designer Phil Sims tasked Michael van Kesteren, Doctor Who’s art director for props, with sketching multiple silhouettes of the sonic screwdriver so they could find the right springing-off point. Initially, Mike started out with a whopping 67 2D silhouette sketches, which Phil then whittled down to 15.
“Phil left me to my own devices to come up with the initial silhouettes, then he chose a number of them to go up the chain to Russell [T Davies] and the other exec producers,” explains Mike. “Their main feedback on the initial design was that it didn’t have the prongs that came out – the petals, as they’re officially known. What everyone really liked about the Matt Smith sonic is that it did something – it had that claw that opens out. So then I had to figure out a way to incorporate those.”
What did the Doctor himself make of his new toy? “They let me hand David [Tennant] the sonic on his camera test,” he beams. “It meant a huge amount to me to be able to do that – because it was such a privilege, and such a personal thing, to be asked to design this sonic. “I remember standing there with Kitty, David’s wardrobe assistant. She said, ‘It’s quite an upgrade!’ – and David, who was holding it up over his head, agreed.”
Read more in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine.
Highlights of the new issue include:
- Designated Driver – Michael van Kesteren, Doctor Who’s art director for props, and Barry Jones, prop maker, give DWM the lowdown on the Fourteenth Doctor’s brand-new sonic screwdriver.
- Letter from the Showrunner – Russell T Davies recalls his first ever encounter with the Doctor Who production team, way back in 1987.
- The DWM 60th Anniversary Poll – the analysis of the results continues, with this issue looking at the rankings of the Twelfth and Thirteenth Doctor’s adventures.
- Conjuring Patrick – family, friends, colleagues and admirers of Patrick Troughton turned out in force at the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to the Second Doctor actor.
- Memory Worm – Andrew Smith, the writer of 1980’s Full Circle and many acclaimed Big Finish audios, puts his knowledge of his Doctor Who career to the test.
- Production Diary – script editor Scott Handcock files his latest report, direct from Doctor Who’s HQ.
- All Decs on Hand – assistant set decorator Verity Scott and set decorator’s assistant Lois Drage describe working on the new series of Doctor Who.
- Liberation of the Daleks Part Eleven – the adventures of the Fourteenth Doctor continue in the epic comic-strip adventure written by Alan Barnes and illustrated by Lee Sullivan.
- 60 Objects, 60 Years – the latest instalment of the series that tells the story of one object from every year of Doctor Who’s history.
- Sweet Dreams are Made of This – a comprehensive preview and disc-by-disc breakdown of the forthcoming Doctor Who: The Collection – Season 20 Blu-ray box set.
- The Fact of Fiction unlocks the secrets of the Fifth Doctor story Arc of Infinity.
- Gallifrey Guardian – all the latest official news.
- Other Worlds – the essential guide to new stories in Doctor Who’s expanded universe.
- Previews, reviews, prize-winning competitions, Time and Space Visualiser and more.
The latest edition of Doctor Who Magazine (DWM) is on sale from Thursday 17th August. It is available to order as a subscription, either physical or digital, here.
