• News

• All

Sep 02, 2015 By Christopher Roberts Doctor Who

The BBC have announced that the fan-favorite character River Song will be returning to Doctor Who for this year’s Christmas special, which is expected to air on BBC America on Christmas Day, as they do every year. Alex Kingston’s character, also The Doctor’s wife, first appeared in the show opposite David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor for a two-part episode in season 4, but was a regular guest character during the seasons featuring Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor. She has yet to interact with Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, whose first season was last year, so fans will no doubt anticipate their meeting.

Shooting on the special begins this week and more details will emerge as to other guest stars in the episode, which was written by show-runner Steven Moffat and will be directed by Douglas Mackinnon. The BBC describes the episode as such: “It’s Christmas Day in the future and the TARDIS is parked on a snowy village street, covered in icicles, awaiting its next adventure. Time traveller River Song meets her husband’s new incarnation, in the form of Peter Capaldi, for the first time this Christmas.”

Moffat had this to say about the episode and River’s reappearance: “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…”

And Kingston also commented on her return: “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. Steven Moffat is on glittering form, giving us an episode filled with humor and surprise guest castings. 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!”

Season 9 of Doctor Who will premiere on BBC America on Saturday, September 19. Below is the latest trailer for the season.