arlier this year, Doctor Who, a British show that began in 1963 and ran consistently until 1989, came back to huge critical acclaim, with Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor and Billie Piper as his new companion, Rose Tyler. Back was the familiar old Tardis, the Doctor's time machine, and the Doctor's trusty sonic screwdriver, a small, hand-held tool that enabled him to open locked doors, mess with technological equipment and do just about anything else when the chips were down.
This newly designed sonic screwdriver is a small, tubular instrument that looks as if it is made of cracked ivory and brushed metal. A bright blue light emanates from the tip, supposedly causing sympathetic vibrations in electronic mechanisms, interfering with their normal operation. It is one of the most coveted props of the entire show, and now Character Options has created a great version of this new tool.
Measuring 7 inches in length retracted, it stretches up to 8.5 inches when extended. The barrel is made of a beige plastic with a subtle cracking pattern etched into it to emulate the cracked ivory finish of the original prop. Two buttons activate an ultraviolet light and two sounds from the show. A slider button retracts and extends the tip.
The Sonic Screwdriver requires three AG13 button batteries (the same kind used in laser pointers and many small electronic toys). These are not included.
The back end of the screwdriver has a module that contains one of two pen tips. One is a regular black ballpoint pen, but the second module is a felt-tip marker that writes in invisible ink. The ink is revealed only when the ultraviolet light in the screwdriver's tip is shone over the writing. The screwdriver comes with a pad of 32 pages of paper on which to write.
Demand has exceeded supply
While Character Options' sonic screwdriver is somewhat larger (by an inch or so) than the original prop, the real difference in appearance is in the color of the barrel. While the original is meant to look like cracked, aged porcelain or ivory, this toy's beige plastic barrel is far different from the original.
Meanwhile, the silver paint on the barrel and both tips is nigh perfect. Rather than going with cheap chrome, this paint really does look like cast metal.
The buttons seem a bit flimsy, and I fear that they could break if improperly used. The actual activation button is at the base of the extendable inner core that slides inside the outer barrel. The tablike buttons simply push the real button inside. When the wrong tab is pushed, there is nothing to stop the motion, so a hard push might break the tab. So care should be taken to push the right button.
When the ultraviolet black light is activated, one of two sounds from the show is played. I find the audio samples too quiet. I'm not a fan of electronic toys that blast sound shrilly, but this one is not loud enough. I would have thought a happy medium could have been reached.
The two sounds do differ, but so subtly that only a close listen reveals the minor trilling sound in one of the samples that isn't in the other.
The main cool feature of this toy is the invisible-ink pen. This works marvelously. The invisible ink writes unseen on paper, and the black light reveals it pretty clearly.
The ultraviolet light is quite nice. It closely mimics the blue light that the screwdriver emits in the series.
If the sound had been a little louder, the two sounds more distinctly different and the barrel made of a plastic that looked more like cracked ivory, this one would have been a grand-slam home run. As it is, it's still a fine toy, and I can't think of a Doctor Who fan who wouldn't be thrilled to own one, even with its obvious (but fairly minor) flaws. Also, Character Options missed an opportunity to call the writing pad "slightly psychic paper," which makes several appearances in the series.
So far demand for this toy has exceeded supply. This, and the company's new radio-controlled Daleks, may be the toys to get in the U.K. this year, and fans worldwide will be clamoring to get their hands on them.
