It has been announced that fan favourite, River Song will return to Doctor Who for this year’s Christmas Special.
The time-travelling professor – who is portrayed on the show by Alex Kingston – has appeared in 15 episodes of the primetime BBC One series since 2008, having toyed with the hearts of the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors, respectively.
Kingston has been a recurring star on the show, since 2008.
However, this latest appearance will mark the first time that River has appeared alongside the latest regeneration of the Time Lord; Peter Capaldi’s cantankerous Twelfth Doctor. The festive special, written by showrunner Steven Moffat, is set in the future on Christmas Day and will start shooting in Cardiff this week.
“To be honest, I did not know whether River would ever return to the show, but here she is, back with the Doctor for the Christmas special,” Kingston said of her upcoming appearance. “I met Peter for the first time at Monday’s read through, we had a laugh, and I am now excited and ready to start filming with him and the Doctor Who team. Christmas in September? Why not!”
Moffat also had some teasing words on the subject: “Another Christmas, another special for Doctor Who – and what could be more special than the return of Alex Kingston as Professor River Song? The last time the Doctor saw her she was a ghost. The first time he met her, she died. So how can he be seeing her again? As ever, with the most complicated relationship in the universe, it’s a matter of time…”
The Christmas special will air on 25th December. Meanwhile, Doctor Who is set to return for a ninth series, on Saturday 19th September on BBC One.
