Entertainment desk
< February 13	<< Jan \| February \| Mar >>	February 15 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Entertainment Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

February 14

Some kind of soot-destroying sparkler?

What does Doctor Who use here, in The Brain of Morbius (part 3) at 12:16? It seems that he lights a match which fizzes and hisses, calling it "a little demon". This object somehow clears a soot blockage. Card Zero (talk) 20:17, 14 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

It's called a "plot device." Bear in mind the show is science fiction. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 51.198.141.181 (talk) 06:08, 15 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, you think it's supposed to be a future technology chimney sweeping device. I guess that's possible. I was assuming a mundane device from the recent past, which would be recognized by the 1970s audience but has since become obsolete due to the lack of chimneys. Card Zero (talk) 07:24, 15 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I didn't mean that this particular device is necessarily supposed future technology, but that more generally the show does not attempt to ground every contrivance it portrays in current (or past) known technology, and the script writers were likely not worried about its verisimilitude, any more than they are when The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver. Given that it appears to be some kind of minor explosive device like a firecracker, it is still not obvious how soot was blocking the flame equipment (whose design is unknown) and how the device cleared it. The point is that it doesn't matter: a problem existed, The Doctor solved it with a thingammy, the plot advances. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 51.198.141.181 (talk) 10:04, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I agree with your first thoughts. I well remember Little Demons: they were bangers, which is to say small firecrackers. Doctor Who may be a science fiction character but he's not above using very mundane devices, especially perhaps in the Tom Baker incarnation. --Antiquary (talk) 11:50, 15 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you! There's a muffled bang when the flame goes out, I should have noticed that. In context, the Doctor had been arguing for some time that the reason for the low flame was technical, while the acolytes were only willing to consider it a magical problem, so giving him a way to restore the flame with technology while being honestly able to say that he used "a little demon" is neat. Card Zero (talk) 13:46, 15 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Doctor Who, after all, is the show that gave us the sonic screwdriver, the capabilities and limitations of which are "whatever the plot needs at the time". --Jayron 32 13:40, 15 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

That's true, it tidies away plot holes like Jupiter attracts asteroids, which made me all the more suspicious that this particular device had meaning and was not imaginary, since if an automatic hand-waving device was needed the sonic screwdriver was already available. Card Zero (talk) 14:11, 15 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Card_Zero a google search did turn up this. The Dr uses a small firecracker rather than a fountain and, as others have said this is just a plot device but it was interesting to find that someone has tried it - or claimed to anyway. MarnetteD|Talk 03:48, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

I remember you used to be able to buy soot destroyers which you put on the fire and were meant to safely burn off the soot and tar deposits in the chimney. DuncanHill (talk) 03:59, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]