River Song (Doctor Who)

Template:Infobox Doctor Who character Professor River Song (previously Doctor River Song) is a fictional character played by Alex Kingston in the British science-fiction series Doctor Who. The character was created by Doctor Who writer and eventual executive producer Steven Moffat. Following the character's initial appearance, then-executive producer Russell T Davies described her as "one of the most important characters" and "vital" to the Doctor's life.

Within the series' narrative, River Song is an experienced future companion of series protagonist the Doctor. Because River and the Doctor are both time travellers, their adventures together are largely experienced out-of-sync in their individual chronologies.

Appearances

Television

River Song first appears in the Doctor Who 2008 series two-parter "Silence in the Library"/"Forest of the Dead" (written by Steven Moffat) in the Russell T Davies era of Doctor Who. Here, she encounters the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) in the 51st century, and claims to be someone he will come to trust completely. She is able to convince the Doctor of his future trust in her by whispering his real name into his ear. The adventure in the Library is River's last real-life encounter with the Doctor in her chronology, but is their first encounter in his. In the second of the two episodes she sacrifices herself to save the Doctor's life. In turn he is able to upload her consciousness into a computer (in which she is able to live on) through the use of a sonic screwdriver that he apparently gave to her at a point in her past which for him has not yet occurred. According to Moffat in the accompanying Doctor Who Confidential episode, River's blaster gun is the one previously owned by Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) in the 2005 series.

After Moffat took over from Davies as executive producer of the show, River Song appeared in the 2010 series. She encounters the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith), to whom she is more familiar, at an earlier point in her timeline in the two-parter "The Time of Angels"/"Flesh and Stone". She leaves coordinates for the Doctor to eventually find so that he may rescue her in the 51st century, and with him she investigates the crash of the spaceship Byzantium. She proves herself to be more adept at flying the TARDIS than he is and reveals to him that she is imprisoned for killing "the best man she had ever known". An even earlier version of River appears to assist the Doctor in series finale "The Pandorica Opens"/"The Big Bang". After she is contacted in prison by Winston Churchill (Ian McNeice), she leads the Doctor to 102 A.D. Whilst River is travelling in the TARDIS on her own, it explodes with her inside. The Doctor, using River's vortex manipulator, is able to save her and teleport her out. She then assists him in closing the cracks in the universe in an alternate 1996. After quietly assisting Amy Pond in remembering the Doctor by giving Amy her diary, she states to the Doctor that he will soon learn the truth about her, after which everything will change.

Kingston will next appear as Song in the opening two episodes of series six.

Online media

Coinciding with the 2010 series, Alex Kingston portrays River Song narrating the "Monster Files" on the BBC website, an in-universe documentary account of Doctor Who monsters. This series had previously (in 2008-9) been narrated by John Barrowman in character as Jack Harkness.

Production and casting

For the role of River Song, whom executive producer Russell T Davies described as "sort of the Doctor's wife", the production sought to cast Kate Winslet. One of Winslet's first acting roles was in the BBC1 teen drama Dark Season, written by Davies. The role of River Song eventually went to Alex Kingston, about whom Davies said, "I bloody love her!"

About her role on the series, Kingston said, "We just clicked. I've done guest roles on other shows, but rarely have I felt such a warm bond." About the Doctor Who dialogue, she said, "I'd work with a medical consultant on ER, who'd explain what we were saying, so I'd say it with a purpose and a truth. On Doctor Who, I've no idea what some of my lines mean!"

About working with Kingston, Catherine Tate said, "I'm a huge ER fan. When you hold people in awe, it's almost a disappointment when they come in and they're utterly normal. But Alex isn't disappointing at all. She's such a lovely person." David Tennant was quoted as saying, "Alex is terrific. When she's telling you stories about hanging out with George Clooney, you know she's pretty cool."

Merchandise

Official toys based on River Song include an action figure, and a model of her "future sonic screwdriver". Alex Kingston said about the action figure, "I don't quite believe it. You don't get that on ER."

External links

• River Song on the BBC's Doctor Who Series 5 website