“My best friend by my side, my trusty old TARDIS and, of course, my sonic screwdriver. Ooo look, it's got three settings.”

Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death was a long form comedy sketch made specifically for the Red Nose Day charity telethon in the United Kingdom and was originally broadcast in four parts on March 12, 1999. 

While not considered part of Doctor Who official storytelling canon, Curse of the Fatal Death is an important bridge between the classic and modern eras of the show. This was the only BBC-commissioned live-action Doctor Who production to air between Doctor Who: The Movie in 1996 and the 2005 revival.  

The writer of the sketch, Steven Moffat, subsequently went on to become a writer and executive producer on the show proper following its revival in 2005. 

In addition to featuring celebrity appearances from Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Grant, Richard E. Grant, and Jim Broadbent as various incarnations of The Doctor and Jonathan Pryce as The Master, "Curse Of Fatal Death" also was historic for featuring the first woman to play the role of The Doctor in Joanna Lumley, complete with her own sonic screwdriver! 

The sonic screwdriver prop featured in this sketch was an off-the-shelf 800-Trekker replica, much like the one that was used as reference when making the Doctor Who: The Movie sonic screwdriver prop. 

The Trekker was originally purchased by the production and retained after filming for use at the Llangollen Doctor Who Exhibition where it was featured in publicity photography over the years with former Doctors Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, and visiting companions Katy Manning, Deborah Watling, Anneke Wills and Frazer Hines, as well as The Master, Anthony Ainley.