PAT'S POCKETS

In this post I want to look at the 2nd Doctor's coat, but mainly focusing on the pockets.

During Troughton's tenure the look appeared unchanged. However, as time went on, there were subtle tweaks and additions along the way. This means like the trousers, shoes and bowtie, the jacket 1st worn, was very different to the one finally seen by the time Pat reached his last story, The War Games. Surprisingly, this part of the costume went through the most variations than any other, mainly down to the pocket design. But before I delve deep into the pockets(!), let's have a brief look at the coat itself...

The style of coat used was like a tail coat, or to give it its correct name a Cutaway Jacket, not a frock coat as it is sometimes called. The cutaway jacket was popular in the Edwardian era up to the 1930's. It had a curved lower front end, a Princess cut panelled back and a a top left breast pocket. A frock coat (as worn by 5th & 8th Doctor's) also has the Princess panelled cut at the back, however, it is the front that is different as it is as long as the back and has no curve. The original design of the cutaway jacket had, unlike the frock coat, no side pockets (OK... Fashion lesson over).

Depending on the coat worn by Troughton when playing The Doctor in his original run, the number of buttons varied from 3 or 4 up the front and 2 or 3 on the cuffs. Troughton himself said that he had two jacket, a lighter one for studio work and a heavier/thicker one for location. While this can be sometimes seen in episodes and publicity pictures, the truth is he wore several variants of both thickness as time went on. The giveaway is the width and style of lapels and size of the jacket. As each season progressed, his coats increased in size,. Finally ending up with a coat that was perhaps two sizes bigger than the actors own personal jackets. As to whether the ones Troughton wore were original or made for a film or TV production, is unknown. However the buttons seen are not material covered so it does suggest vintage Edwardian were not used.

Buttons and size aside, you will have noticed that Troughton's coats were a little different to the original cutaway jacket design. This is due to the addition of oversized patched pockets sewn onto the outside of each side. This addition, alongside the later oversized jackets, helped to create that familiar baggy & crumpled 'Cosmic Hobo' look that Sidney Newman was originally after. You will now see, as time went on, the pocket's design changed and for a number of years created some debate as to the design or adaptation of the jacket to create them. 

With clearer photographs coming to light, I will now walk you through the five (Yep, FIVE) different style of pockets...

Style 1 - The Oblong Pocket

(As seen in Power of the Daleks)

This 1st jacket fitted Pat fairly well and was a lot shorter in the tail length. Along the way, it was decided that pockets needed to be created and so the shape chosen was oblong. With this design of pocket added it changed the shape and look the coat. Rather than being stitched and cut to follow the curve of the coat, these pockets hung down past the curve and cut of the jacket (Think Marty McFly pulling his pockets out of his jeans in the film Back To The Future - 2). This in turn created an almost frock coat appearance as the front and back looked equal in length.  In-fact, for a while, some fans thought that this originally was a frockcoat that had the edges pulled up and folded back on itself. They theorised that with the insides now pinned up on the outside not only were pockets created but so was the sweeping curve for a tail coat look. It was further suggested that as the inner lining was now exposed, it was this that was creating the difference in the 'pocket' material. Not so, as these pictures can now reveal.

Strangely, looking at the publicity photos (below) of both sides of the jacket we can see that only a left hand oblong pocket was created. Not only that, but It appears that in the 1st few episodes of Power of the Daleks, that there was no right hand pocket at all, or if there was, it has matching coat material making it difficult to see. 

Admittedly, it is still unknown at the time of writing what was or wasn't on the right hand side of the jacket as there is sadly limited clear reference photographs available for this story. Should I discover more, I will update when I can. What we can see currently though is that the 2nd Doctor's costume was still evolving, episode by episode and during this story the pockets on each side do not match in design... something that I will return to later. 

By the time Troughton's debut story had ended and episode 1 location filming completed for the following story - The Highlanders, the jacket and the pockets were changed...

Style 2 - The Tight Shiny Ones.

(Highlanders- Faceless Ones)

As mentioned in a post before, the location filming for episode 1 & original ending of episode 4 of The Highlanders, took place on 14th and 15th November 1966 at Frensham Ponds. It was during this filming Troughton sported the new jacket for the 1st time, complete with new pockets that matched in size and shape on both sides. As the location filming took place during the week of rehearsing Power of The Daleks episode 5, the new jacket was also seen in that episode along with the new, but temporary, bow tie. (for details, please see my previous post  'A Knotty Question'). 

During the location filming of The Highlanders publicity photos were taken on location, as well as at an unknow location  (see below). That photograph was later published in the inside pages of the 1967 Dr. Who Annual & another variant also featured in the children's comic that was running the Dr. Who strips - TV Comic, as a set of free 'Television Hero's' cards. Here you can see clearly see a pocket on the right hand side has been added, made from slightly shiny material.  A matching one was also added on the left. Although still stiched onto the outside of the jacket these pockets are different in shape to the one seen in The Power of The Daleks. Rather than hang below in an oblong, the shape is almost a 'D' shape.  This new design follows the curve of the jacket's tail. 

These pockets are quite tight to the coat, making them, in certain lights, look invisible... especially when there is nothing in them. With the material in some photos highlighting the shiny material, this had added to to the myth of a frock coat being used and turned up, as mentioned above. However on closer inspection of good quality photos, the stitching around the edges of these pocket can be seen quite clearly, proving the jacket edges were not turned up on themselves. These pockets were retained until the location filming on The Evil of The Daleks.

Style 3 - The Big Baggy Ones

(Evil of The Daleks - Mind Robber)

The next set of pockets seemed to make their debut in Evil of the Daleks (studio) . The tops hang lower in a scoop to form the silhouette we associate with the 2nd Drs jacket. The material isn't as shiny and looks almost felt-like. In October 2022 a 'new' picture was discovered of Troughton in Fury From The Deep (see full colour photo the top of this post). It shows that the saggy scooped top was a deliberate design choice and not the previous ones being stretched over time as debated by some. 

The photo of the right hand pocket (close-up above), clearly reveals that the tops are also pinched together and then stitched to hold and create the required 'scooped' baggy crumpled look. However, the pocket on the left is not only slightly different in design, its also sitting slightly higher. creating a slightly uneven look. This can be seen in the photo below, which was taken on 14th December 1967. Here Troughton met 8 year old Paul Worrall of Sheffield, the winner of a 'Dr Who Monster Competition' organised by the BBC's Blue Peter children's programme, 

These style of pockets are the one mostly associated with the 2nd Doctors costume and would continue up until ep 5 of The Mind Robber... then it was all change again!

Style 4 - The Unmatched

(The Invasion - War Games)

By the time we get to the next story, The Invasion, the pockets have been replaced and redesigned. Now they are much larger in length and width (probably due to a larger jacket now being used). 

The left hand pocket is similar in shape to the baggy pockets of style 3, but the right hand pocket is very different. In some scenes the pocket slopes downwards from the back to the front and resembles the previous pockets, but on closer inspection there seems to be no hem to keep its shape, or create a crumpled scooped look. The material on is now folded into the pocket itself. Finally the proof of this lack of hem reveals itself later in this story as the inside of this pocket is pulled out and the shiny lining is revealed. The excess material now flaps over the rest of the pocket like a large black hankie hanging out over the side, giving the illusion that the pocket is torn. Depending on the scenes, this pocket hem is either tucked in or out of the main pocket. after The Invasion, the preferred look is the latter with the pocket hem hanging out over itself. 

Both pockets once again, as per Power of The Daleks, are of a completely different design. This can be seen in the photos below, taken from episode 2 of The Space Pirates.

There is one extra oddity... In location photographs taken during The Invasion, the left hand pocket is also different, this time higher at the back sloping down to the front. Perhaps this is one of the thicker coats for location shoots that Troughton had mentioned, or it could be that originally this new left hand pocket also had its hem folded inside to create the sloped shape and was stitched up, creating a higher pocket at some later date. 

When I publish a post on story-by-story jackets Troughton used (revealed by the jacket buttons & lapel width), perhaps the mystery will be solved? That will be a lengthy bit of research, so don't expect it anytime soon!

Style 5 - The Wings

(The War Games)

Before Troughton original run of stories came to an end, there is one final change, and again its to the right hand pocket.  The pocket now seems to have a stich in the middle to hold it up higher and to stop it hanging low. This created the look of a double pocket compartment that could be entered at either the front of back. The sides still hang down creating the look of a set of wings, revealing still the slight difference of material for the lining. 

This pocket variant is 1st seen in episode 2 The War Games. Strangely, this new design echoes the looks of the original left had side pocket seen in The Power of The Daleks as it hang loose. Alongside the rip in the knee of the houndstooth trousers and an even bigger jacket this creates a much shabbier look for the 2nd Doctor, with only the Spotty Bowtie being sharp and smart.

As you can see, through out most of his run the pockets were either mismatched in design or height, apart from Style 2. I hope that above was of interest and helps in cosplaying the 2nd Doctor. Talking of cosplay, here's a thing to remember when buying a jacket for your 2nd Doctor look... most tail coats, or morning coats for sale today have a single button at the front with a slightly pointed bottom lapel. They are ideal and easy to adapt for cosplay purposes. The vintage ones like Troughton's are very hard to find...but trust me, they are out there as I have found 2 versions and at a reasonable price too! One having an interesting hidden pocket in the back of the tail!

Happy hunting!

THANKS

& ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.

I just want to say a huge thanks here for the talented colourisation work of Clayton Hickman. I have used a few of his coloured photos to help highlight the differences in the pockets... & of course all other copywrite is the BBC's with no infringement intended.

For frequent updates and postings, please feel free to follow me on Instagram @the_zeroroom.

RESEARCH & REPLICATION

Enemy of The World -The original faces the replica but which is which & who is who?

As stated in one of my previous posts, a primary reason for creating this blog of useless Timelord trivia, was to correct, uncover, re- examine and uncover missing or lost costume and prop information connected to all things linked to The 2nd Doctor. 

As we sadly know, so much is missing from this delightful era, either in junked episodes, production notes or actors anecdotes.  So, as the 2nd Doctor is my Doctor, I decided to do my bit to fill in any of the gaps where I could. Hence creating this blog as a reference point to come to for all those interested in the Patrick Troughton era. 

Though I've only been up and running for a few years now, I'm pleased to see that over five thousand hits have been made to this blog over its various posts and thanks to my Instagram account @thezero_room, I know that my research is being enjoyed by the Doctor Who fans of the classic series. It is gratifying to know that my research on The 2nd Doctor's costume has become useful as a reference in fan art and my information on the Sonic Screwdrivers has been shared and indirectly helped out on numerious prop builds, including the popular The War Games Sonic Screwdriver. However, I'm happy to say its not just the fans work that this blog has aided, but also the BBC themselves! Last year I spotted that the animation trailer, and now of course episode 3, of The Web Of Fear has also used my blog as a reference point for the Doctor's costume. If you look closely, the animation team have faithfully and painstakingly replicating the correct pattern for The Doctor's handkerchief. (see the comparason pictures below) Sadly I think my post on the correct bow-ties for each story wasn't up when the animation team started working on the missing episode!

The animated hankie against one of my hankies. Note the pattern detail.

So, this is how it should be, sharing research to help others in their projects to restore the accuracy of items long gone or forgotten. This is why this blog is here and I'm glad its being used as I intended. That said, the only cause for dismay I have over the use of this blog and its information, is the lack of acknowledgement or communication when these things are being created. With over thousands of hits to the blog, I have had only one post saying that they have found my work useful. No one has contacted me privately to say what is happening in the pipeline. Quite often I am the last to find out that the information has been used as reference point, as its other people with no connection to a particular project who point them out to me. Its quite sad really as I'm always happy to help in anyway I can with references and extra information. I am also interested to hear on the projects being worked on and how my blog has been discovered by those wanting to use the research. By all means use the info, reference the pictures etc. but come on guys... be a little gracious in the future when working on projects, I'm very discreet.

Scenes from The Web of Fear DVD animation. Note the detail on The Doctors Hankie

DER FEIND DER WELT.

Talking of projects, I'm pleased to finally announce, after keeping it under wraps for a few months now (see I told you I was discreet), that my research has helped when producing a release of official merchandise. At the start of 2021 I was contacted in a roundabout way by Polyband Media, the German distributor of Doctor Who DVD's. Polyband had decided to release a beautiful deluxe media pack edition of The Enemy of The World (The Feind Der Welt).  This package was to include several items to accompany the DVD including a replica of the 2nd Doctors hankie. However, with only minimal sections of the actual design of the hankie on show on my blog for their reference, they drew up their own design for the handkerchief. It was a good attempt with the info they had, but very much off the mark. Though I was not aware I had been contacted initially on their plans it was all very hush, hush) a few of my followers flagged it up for me when they saw the advert (see below) and after I contacted Polyband we finally got together to produce a closer version of the actual hankie. I am due to receive my copy in the post very soon and when I do I shall post up a review either here or via my Instagram account. For those interested, there is a very limited run of 333 of this Polyband Media book, which has been on sale from 30th July 2021.

The Polyband Enemy Of The World Media book & extras, including a closeup
section of the replica 2nd Doctor Handkerchief.

Though not a direct copy of the detailed pattern of the original 1960's hankies that I have, from what I have seen so far, it is a very good adaptation, albeit with less detail, but perfect for any cos-player and 2nd Doctor fans. So, why not a direct copy of the original? My decision was based on two things 1). Respecting the original design, leaving it open for collectors to track down the genuine article and 2). For collectors not get duped into buying a repro for silly amounts of money from unscrupulous dealers. It is also for this reason why I have never posted a full picture of the hankie, as sadly there are quite small minority of people out there who are happy to take advantage of others hard work and are ready to snatch money from hungry fans desperate for something new to collect.

It is with that in mind I offer a friendly cautionary heads up for for those who may be deciding to rush off and purchase the Polyband set in order to replicate the hankie to make a fast buck from it.  After a lot of research regarding the history of the original hankie pattern, owneship and orphan rights, I am pleased to say that I have now been able to buy and register the rights to this design. It can be found online under the name of Cosmichobo Hankie on the Protect My Work website. (see the certification shown left). 

...my brother-in-law Richard tells me he is poised with his legal pencil all ready and sharpened. 

So, what next for the hankie? Well, If there is enough interest, I would like to produce my own version. This in-turn will be slightly closer to the original than that of the Polyband Media's replica, both in the pattern detail and the connecting shapes. So, if this is something you are interested in, please do contact me via this blog or send me a DM via my instagram account @thezero_room,  and I will happily look at a high end quality, limited run. I am also thinking of including a version  of the green variant that Troughton wore for The Radio Times cover photo-shoot when celebrating the story The Three Doctors.

That's all for this time!

All photos & Video stills used on this site, other than my own, are © BBC Worldwide Ltd. The Doctor Who brand is a trademark of The BBC. No infringement is intended or implied

The Dominators Sonic Screwdriver - Design update!

IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE PREVIOUS BLOG, PLEASE GO THERE FIRST 

THEN COMEBACK HERE.  MANY THANKS!

Since posting the last blog I have received quite a few favorable and positive comments on the design, via email and my twitter account (though I am happy for people to post here, come on, where are you? Dont be shy) and would like to take time here to thank friends and followers on sharing their thoughts on the Dominators Sonic Screwdriver... They are;    Matthew Toffolo, Adam Sterczala (Straker), Si Hodges, Dan Fielding, Ash Stanton, Max King & Micheal Croft (Mycroft). 

One comment in particular that was mentioned by several of the above, was the size (and in this case it does matter!) of the handle. The suggestion was that in our version it is possibly too long in comparison to the rest of the attachment and what was seen on screen when in Troughton's hand. All quite right and this was something that James and I had discussed and considered. It was good to receive the constructive feed-back, and looking at the screen grabs again and using my hands as a template, we have taken some of the length off and reset it to try and match what is it is that we, and the others, are seeing. So, here is the new tweak...

As you can now see the handle is shorter in to our earlier prototype whilst still keeping with the theme of the toy space guns and other weapons made for the Dulkis Museum in the story, as shown in my last post. Though shorter we have retained the slight slant of the handle. Below is a comparison photo highlighting the change.

Our designs - Mark 1 (top) & Mark 2 below

As I said in my last blog we were happy with the design and would have tweaked, so that was always on the cards, we just didn't expect to do so so soon, but both of us were keen to strike as soon as possible. With the tweak you can see we have lost nothing from the overall design based on our research and what we, and now others saw and recommended. Obviously, it is difficult to know the actual slant due to the limited screen time and unclear screen caps as to be 100% correct, but we are both happy with the end result and we hope you are too. Interestingly, Straker made a good point and said perhaps, if Troughton did have the prop around the wrong way in the 1st scene,, then the handle may have been more ambiguous in shape i.e. a little straighter and not so obvious to it being a handle shape. It is a very good point as I said and indeed would make a lot of sense. 

Oops, where's the attachment gone?!?

The trouble with this particular Sonic Screwdriver as what is being seen on screen is being interpreted by different people. Hopefully with this version, we are ticking as many boxes as possible by incorporating what is seen in all of the angles of the various scenes that it is seen in... and of course if you don't like any of the designs that have been created by James, myself or others, you can always have it just as a penlight as seen in the final shot where the gun attachment isn't even included! (ah, but which style of penlight as that hasn't, as yet, been correctly identified... Oh don't get me waffling on that again. See the previous post) So, wrong way around, obscured, no attachment... Ha, this Sonic variation has certainly not made it easy for us to work out at all.

With things like this it is valuable to get as many of peoples feedback and ideas, this is how collectively we can build up a better picture on the design of these old props. No ideas should be dismissed out of hand because nuggets of information will always appear and so we have to be flexible enough to except them. After all, that how a picture was built up on the last two Sonics for Troughton's Doctor. Too many times we, as collectors and prop-makers, have been sent down a blind alley in research, hearsay and even our own assumptions. It helps when we can examine & then accept new information. Just look at the incorrect information we ran with on The War Games Sonics blue cap for a while, until that was turned on its head and widely accepted with evidence to back up the correct change. I for one like to keep digging and looking, in order to obtain as much evidence as possible and am happy to be proven wrong if new, or rediscovered, information turns up. Sadly this approach seems to be lacking in some quarters, especially over the number of Sonic Screwdriver props or should I say prop used by 3rd-5th Doctors. 

And here endeth the update, its a shorter post than normal, but I thought it was important to get it out as soon as possible with our updated design change. As I said last time re The Dominators Sonic, until further information is found no design is right or wrong. People will have their own preferences re versions of this prop, both now and in the future, when other designs hopefully come along with new back up research.To end, I thought I would add an extra section below for all the fans of prop making and design. James and I were emailing and instagramming (is that a word, perhaps it is now and I claim it!) back and forth from OZ to the UK with the size and design tweaks so here is a selection of photos so you can see the step by step adjustments he made to our version of the prop. Ive also included a paper version in my hand and a child's hand so you can see the size (in real life the prop is just a small bit longer than the Fury Sonic Screwdriver). James no doubt, will be adding more on his Instagram account and elsewhere. We hope you enjoy them!

          A size comparison - Here you can see what the prop would look like in my hand and in the hand of a child.                           The hand was supplied by a local street urchin, who was woefully exploited with no payment of fee.                                                    The hand was returned to the child in a brown paper bag the following day!

So that's it for this time. As always, please do feel free to comment on this or any other post it would be great to hear your thoughts on and suggestions on this or any of my other posts, as I sometimes wonder if there is anyone is out there... is there.., are you out there in blog-space, or is it just me and James?

Thanks once again for reading. Until next time...

 Photos and video stills used on this site are © BBC Worldwide Ltd. The Doctor Who brand is a trademark of the BBC. No infringement is intended or implied. Design of this Dominators Sonic (c) Lee Moone & James Kieboom.

The Dominators Sonic Screwdriver

 

The Doctor, Jamie & Zoe in The Dominators.

Once again a blog I originally planned has been put on hold for a while, so apologies. This time around I've decided to revisit one of the 2nd Doctor's Sonic Screwdrivers, namely the one seen in The Dominators.

Now this is an ongoing bit of research of mine, that quite frankly has been proving to be very tricky. Not only have you got find the right penlight, but you've also got to try and work out what shape the gun holder is. However, I thought I'd share what my thoughts are on this prop and showcase a design that I have been collaborating on. But before I get ahead of myself,  let's break the prop down, starting with....

The Penlight.

The identity of this penlight is still a mystery. People have been squinting at very small and blurred images of what type of penlight this could be. Over the last few years the look has been sort of fixed via mixing a modern penlight with a tear drop clip from a fountain pen and various black caps. The hybrid designs are good looking enough, but are they correct? 

So far my research (and I have been on this since 2013) I have not found one single 1960's penlight that matches that look. The stumbling block seems to be the clip. It's catching people out... myself included. I have to confess at one point recently I did wonder whether this Sonic Screwdriver prop was made not from a penlight, but from an actual fountain pen, and all because of that damn clip!! In the end I decided to throw that idea out and start again. So,  the best thing to do was to examine the pictures and footage with fresh eyes. Looking at this again I can see it isn't a tear drop style clip at all. Like with the erroneous blue cap on The War Games Sonic, people are seeing what they want to see, or have been told to see. So, with my fresh eyes what I see is a kinked or rippled clip, similar to a kirby or hair grip, but with less ridges...or something similar. 

An example on the left to the type of clip that is on the prop flashlight

In the black and white photo above, the angle is suggesting a solid tear drop end on the clip, but it could also be a flat upturned end as in the colour photo.. At the top end near the black cap where the studio light catches the metal, there seems to be another ridge. However, this is not as peaked as the one on my penlight, but its certainly higher than the end of the clip.There are variations on this design of clip on quite a number of penlights, as it was a popular way to activated the light by simply pressing the clip down onto the barrel for a connection. Now, if we go with the possibility of this style of design, it opens the search up to what other type of penlight was around in the 1960's. It certainly gives us a better choice of contenders. But how now to narrow it down further? On closer examination I can see that there is a line midway under the clip, perhaps for the section that screws off to change the batteries, perhaps a different colour or metal? But there is faint a line there and not near the end of the clip more in the middle. So another pointer to look out for in the quest for the correct penlight. 

Now let's look at the bulb end to see if we can pick up more clues. First thing we can see is, unlike the Eveready penlight used in The War Games, the bulb does not protrude from the metal cylinder. Sticking with the metal cylinder, we can see that it looks straight, it does not taper like the Eveready and as for the thickness of the metal, well... it is rather thick. Like this...

So all good pointers to kick off a new search for us all out there. If there is someone clever enough to blow up the image of Pats hands to roughly life size, we would be able to get a better idea of the dimensions of the penlight used. This is the penlight I have that ticks some of the boxes as mentioned above. It also shows off the kink of the clip in detail.

A 1960s Medical pocket penlight manufactured by Keeler

Now, there is no way that I'm saying that this IS the penlight used in The Dominators, I am just opening up the search to show that this type of clip with its kink is a possible contender to the tear drop one currently used from a pen. Its difficult to make out for certain as the image we have all been basing it on is blurred and of course the studio lighting bouncing off the prop it is obscuring what is there and what we actually see. Its a problem very similar to the one of identifying The War Games Sonic clicker a few years back. I also found that taking photos at different angles can alter the look of the penlight clip too, even on the flashlight that I have. I have included examples of this in the photos below. By twisting the angles the clips kink becomes less pronounced and then almost straight. This is exaggerated more so when these photos are viewed in black and white.

As I said earlier, the search for what was actually used is tricky, especially when the angles and studio lighting distorts what was there and fools us into thinking we are seeing something else. This is the same when looking at the gun attachment for this version of the Sonic Screwdriver, which brings me nearly on to...

The Gun Attachment.

Some years ago there was an excellent design made for the gun attachment section by a team of fans (see picture right) which has over the years become the official 'go to' design for this Sonic Screwdriver variant. Now don't get me wrong, I do like this fan design, It's quite quirky and rather unique, but it has a couple of things that just don't really sit well with me and that is what I want to explore in this section. I will also reveal my own thoughts on what the gun attachment was originally and what I think the design actually could be and most importantly why.

First up, let's look at what happens on screen and compare it to the replica that has been made. At the start, we can see The Doctor produces the Sonic Screwdriver and attachment from his pocket and then assembles them... and that's the key. So here's the test that you can do before reading further. Grab your own prop replica if you have one, and assemble it. So, how did you attach your penlight to the replica gun section? Chances are you just pressed and clipped it on from the top. Now look closely at the screen and see what Troughton does. (also see photo below)

You will see That Troughton doesn't clip the penlight on at all, he looks almost down it and inserts the penlight into it. The only reason he would do that is because there isn't an open groove at the top, there is a barrel that he slips the penlight into. So, already we can the  design is at odds with what is happening on screen. This is why I'm inclined to discount that gap or cutaway section that goes all the way along the barrel of the fan design.

Now secondly let's look at the overall design. As I said it's a great design, but it's not really 1960's is it? But why is that? Because, 1) I don't think that that era has been taken into account when it was designed and 2) It's been solely based on one scene and the screen grab below and that didn't create the whole picture in that design. Let me explain...

Now while the fan design has interpreted what can been seen above, it's not taking into consideration what can been seen a few moments later in another scene and in this publicity photo below. Look at what is in Troughton's hand now, its a totally different shape for the attachment.

It is almost like a triangle, certainly not at all the same shape as in the earlier scene. This is where I think we can pick up the biggest clues of the overall shape of the attachment and it is that shape that has been niggling away at me for years. It's so familiar, but I just cant quite place it. Way back in 2013 I said the same on the Replica Prop Forum. It reminded me of a toy gun that was around when I was a kid back in the 1960's.  

https://www.therpf.com/forums/threads/second-doctors-sonic-screwdriver.89127/page-10

As for which toy gun, that is anyone's guess. Toy guns were 10 a penny back then and could be picked up at any high street shop. Pop guns, dart guns, potato guns, water guns. It was guntastic when I was a Kid. There were so many cheap guns around to choose from. Some were official TV tie ins, some not; Batman, Man From Uncle, Captain Scarlet A Woolworths knock-off... Whatever was used in The Dominators episode does ring a bell with me, but alas, it is now lost in the mists of time and in the back of my memory! Now if it was an off the shelf toy adapted for this prop, that would make a lot of sense as it would be cheap and easy to use just like the Eveready penlight was used for The War Games Sonic. I would venture to say that this was a bought item, adapted and not designed from scratch. In-fact when I was recently in communication with Micheal Bryant re the original prop intended to be used in Fury from The Deep, he said that they " always grabbed something to hand". This was common place in Doctor Who during the 60's. Not all props were scratched built. It was very different to designing props for the show today. So if this was a toy gun used (and that is only my speculation), what about the actual gun design? Again, we have been slightly squed on this because of the perceived fan design. People are ready to accept it because no one has come up with an alternative, it's become 'the official' design. And that why I am suggesting an alternative design by including the triangle shape we see in the publicity photo and screen grab.

Enter James Kieboom...

While I was compiling this blog entry, I was in communication with James on Instagram.  As we got chatting and I told him that this blog entry was in the planning stages. He was interested and revealed that he too could also see the triangle shape and showed me a rough design that he had worked on sometime back. So we started working together on a design to incorporate what we could both see. This included going back to my initial thoughts and to start to once again researching toy guns manufactured in the 1960's. There were various references out there on the internet. This is a small selection of what I found (including a rather nifty flashlight gun)...

A small selection of 1960's toy guns. Interesting the one bottom right is a flashlight gun.

There is a definite 60's look to these designs, of cours, because it reflects the era in which they were made,  especially if looking at 'Space Guns'. Interestingly, the triangle shape near the trigger in that Dominators scene can also be seen repeated, to various degree's, in a lot of the guns. Bingo! They backed up my hunch of this being a gun that I had seen when I was a kid way back in the 60's and also what James was seeing

.

But what about what can be seen in an earlier scene of The Dominators, ie the shape that the fan design is based on? Is that a that is a completely different prop? Well, to be honest, it would be strange if it was. I know continuity wasn't great back then but to change from one prop to another in a matter of moments would be very odd thing to do. But there's no denying it, it is different shape to the triangle. A puzzle... at 1st yes, but on further examination of the fan replica, the shape is more in-line with a gun handle. An example can be seen in the yellow gun handle below.

Note the curve, it is almost identical to what has been replicated in the fan build. So where and how does this tie in? Well, I believe, like Sylvester McCoy in the TV Movie, Troughton first held the prop the wrong way around. This means that what we are seeing in an earlier scene is actually the back end of the prop used ie the handle. If I am right, and this is only my theory, then it is this that has been reproduced erroneously in the replica as the front of the gun attachment. As for the shape that was then used for the back in this fan build replica, that may be a bit of artistic licence, or it could have been designed by mistaking the shadow created from Troughton's palm as he holds the prop. I believe that the correct front of the prop used on TV is the triangle shape, as seen in the later scene. It is very plainly there to see and shouldn't be overlooked when designing a replica.

Still with me? If not have no fear... Look at the screen grab images below. In these examples, highlighted in blue, it will give you a clearer picture to what I mean and also show you what  James and I used as as we started to work on an alternative design for the gun attachment. We have also included the section where it looks like there is no attachment. This is from the scene where the Sonic Screwdriver cuts a hole into the wall. Interestingly, I think that this was added earlier or at a later date in filming not only due to the lack of gun attachment but also because of the hand. I am suggesting that it is NOT Troughton's hand. Note the absence of a bitten thumb nail!

Working with those images and referencing the 1960's toy guns we started to build up the shape and design. We put the triangle shape at the front, and a similar shape the 1st fan build's front at the back and it created a new design for the Sonic Screwdriver gun attachment. As it all came together, the shape that revealed itself certainly resembled a gun and very similar to those toy guns in the photos above.  So what does it look like? Well, after various tweaks and changes, this is the design that James and I have put together for The Dominators Sonic Screwdriver.

Our version of The Dominators Sonic Screwdriver gun attachment.

We are not claiming that this is a 100% correct replica, just as the previous replica cannot make that claim either, but we believe that this design it is much closer to what was originally used. It certainly wouldn't look out of place in the Museum of Weapons on Dulkis. In fact if you have a good look at the designs on that Museum set you can see that the alien weaponary are very similar in style to 1960's earth toys!! Look closely at the main rifle in the scene, the shapes and curves are very similar in style to the toy guns and to our design. If the Sonic attachment was a scratch build (and im not ruling that possibility out), then it is not inconceivable that the design would match in style to what we see here in the photo below  and hanging up in the background of the Museum. Who knows (and I will be scrutinizing all frames of these scenes now), the actual prop used for the Sonic attachment may be hanging up there on the wall, ready and waiting to be re used for its close-up, just like the whistle prop was in Fury From The Deep. If I find it, I will certainly be blogging about it here!

"Look at the size of that one Doctor!" -  Note the shapes and designs used in the prop laser rifle. 

Back to our design and a little bit more info about it... Now obviously we have no indication of to what the colour may be, so have painted it blue to link in to The War Games Sonic. This blue also matches up quite well with the grey tone of the B&W episode. There was another reason for using a colour. I would suggest that if a toy gun was used for the prop, it would have been plastic as it would have been easier to adapt over a toy gun made of metal. Also, in all the plastic guns I researched, not one was of a silver colour. That said, I am still on the lookout!

Now with our gun design revealed, here are some final examples shots (opposite) that reference the gun attachment being, in my view remember, held the wrong way around when its first seen on screen. 

Also highlighted is the position of the pen clip to show that, this was placed in the barrel the wrong way first time around. This was subsequently removed and replaced the other way around for the next scene, as the clip is once again at the back of the attachment prop.

We have also circled the shadow and/or crease that  Troughton's hand makes when grasping the original prop. This is to highlight that it is easy to mistake them for another section of the gun attachment, ie a handle

The angle in our mock-up photo isn't quite the same as in the TV scene and James admits that his hands are smaller than mine or Troughton's. That said it does give you an idea of what our gun looks like if it was used the wrong way around!


So, those are my thoughts and research thus far on alternative penlights that could have been used for The Dominators Sonic Screwdriver, along with the design that James and I have for the gun attachment. It is fair to say without James's involvement a prototype would not have been made as this section of the blog would have just been a selection of clumsy screen-grabs (and not very good ones minus highlighted sections) to try and illustrate my theory. many thanks goes to James for all his hard work and skill.

Remember, this is all based on what can see be seen in the episode and also, in the case of the gun attachment, what type of toy guns were being manufactured at the time. Please note, we have decided not to embellish our design by added any detail on the handle or barrel, but I'm sure there would have been on the original molding and can certainly be seen on the 60's toys above. For those interested I have included a photo of the various stages of design so you can see how we achieved the end result. You will also see James's original design (top left) in grey.

Our various stages of design for The Dominator's Sonic Screwdriver gun attachment.

I have to say on a personal note, that working with James on this it has been a rewarding collaborative experience, keeping each other in check, not deviating of what can be seen and sticking with the practicalities. It was all fairly pacey work, not hampered by the differing time zones of the UK & OZ. I'm sure as time goes on James and I will tweak small sections of our version of the prop here and there. However, until something obvious jumps up at us, this is the design that we are staying with, as it ties together all the known images. You cant really not include what is seen in both scenes.

Now remember, no design is right or wrong... until that is, more evidence comes to light of the actual prop used. Some of you will prefer one design over the other and that's fine, we are not out to destroy the previous design, or trample on designs that may come after. We hope this blog post explains clearly why both of us came to this particular design and the choices we made. Hopefully it will also gives the Sonic Screwdriver collectors out there a bit of a choice too.

Any questions, comments or points you have on this please do let me know as I'm more than happy to chat about them, either here or on my Instagram account @the_zeroroom

If you like this design and would like one to add to your collection, then please contact James via his Instagram account for further details @the_sonicscrewdriver_collector

Once again, many thanks for reading!

Photo and Video stills used on this site are (c) BBC Worldwide Ltd. The Doctor Who brand is a trademark of The BBC. No infringement is intended or implied. Dominators Sonic design (c) Lee Moone & James Kieboom.