After eight years and 12 series, The Diary of River Song is coming to a close today with four full-cast audio dramas going under the umbrella title The Orphan Quartet.
The Diary of River Song series began in 2015 with an encounter between the adventurous archaeologist and her future husband in his Eighth incarnation (played by Paul McGann). Since then, River has used her vortex manipulator to observe and interact with multiple Doctors, enemies and aliens.
In the box set, Professor Song takes a trip to a smugglers’ inn on the Cornish coast in the 18th Century, visits the wreckage of the planet Earth, gatecrashes her own honeymoon and investigates a health spa run by an infamous race of aliens from 1960s Doctor Who. But how will she cope when meeting the fearsome Jackie Tyler (Camille Coduri)?
Joining Alex Kingston to endure an emotional séance, reunite with a clone of herself, and fight monsters old and new is an incredible guest cast, including Coduri (Doctor Who), Nina Toussaint-White (The Feed), Joseph Millson (The Sarah Jane Adventures), Sarah-Jane Potts (Holby City), Alexandra Fletcher (Brookside) and Carol Royle (Life Without George).
The Worlds of Doctor Who – The Diary of River Song: The Orphan Quartet is now available to own as a collector’s edition 4-disc box set (on CD + download at £29.99) and as a digital download (at £22.99), exclusively at www.bigfinish.com. There are also discounts on selected collector’s edition CDs (while stocks last) and downloads starring Kingston as River.
An old enemy hides beyond the universe, a desolate Cornish inn confronts the truth, a grieving mother holds onto a deadly memento of war, and has the Earth failed to notice it’s been invaded? Professor River Song must solve all this while dealing with a loss of her own.
“The Excise Men” by Lou Morgan
A smugglers’ inn on the Cornish coast in the 18th Century is under attack. Never do a deal with the Excise Men.
“Harvest of the Krotons” by James Goss
What are the Krotons? Why are they running a health spa? Jackie Tyler and River Song investigate, because everyone needs a direction point.
“Dead Man Talking” by Tim Foley
Among the wreckage of the planet Earth, an old lady treasures a terrible relic that reminds her of her son. River Song has come to take it away.
“The Wife of River Song” by Lizzie Hopley
River Song is on an expedition seeking the Hive. Her sister is trapped in the ruins of the Hive. River Song is on honeymoon. Three realities meet.
Producer James Goss said: “River Song is such a brilliant character and we’ve tried to really honour her in these stories.
“Director David O’Mahony has gathered an amazing supporting cast for this box set – Sarah Jane Potts playing River Song’s WIFE? Plus Joseph Millson and the Soap Legend that is Alex Fletcher as… a soap legend. And we were lucky enough to get Nina Toussaint-White back as River’s sister/bad angel Brooke.
“It’s been an honor to be allowed to look after River through a box set that’s about grief, pirates and robots.”
Goss earlier said: “It’s an absolute privilege to unite Three Great Queens of Doctor Who – River Song, Jackie Tyler and The Krotons. The Krotons are back and they’re running a health farm! Who better to investigate than River and Jackie?
“If you were wondering about Jackie’s unlikely friendship with Mrs Song at Number 23 (in The Lives of Captain Jack volume 3) then here’s the answer. It was the kind of day in studio you can only dream of as one of Doctor Who’s most beloved monsters met the Krotons – will Jackie Tyler become a High Brain?”
