Doctor Who Review: The Diary of River Song – Series 1 (Audio)

Professor River Song finally gets her own spin-off, at least on audio. How well does it work, and what happens when she bumps into her husband just a little too early?

Christmas Day 2015 was a big day for River Song in two ways. The first was her story (seemingly) being completely resolved with the Doctor in ‘The Husbands of River Song.’ The second was that, on the very same day, the first series of her very own spin-off was released. Finally, we’d get to see how River is without the Doctor showing up for once. (Well, not quite. But more on that later.)

I was really curious to see how a series with River could work, especially one by the very capable writers of Big Finish. The whole time we’ve seen her, we’ve mainly focused on her relationships with the Doctor and her family. One thing in common The Diary of River Song shares with ‘Husbands’ is that both give us a good glimpse of what River’s really like when (she thinks) her husband isn’t around. And one thing that’s clear in both: she’s certainly not like her husband when it comes to dealing with problems.

Opening episode ‘The Boundless Sea’ kicks off the series to a really good start, as River’s archaeological expertise (something that arguably wasn’t explored much in the TV series) is put to really good use, as she investigates an ancient tomb. There’s a nice pulp-y feel to this story, as it feels very reminiscent of films like Indiana Jones and The Mummy, with a nice mix of fast pace adventure and horror.

‘I Went to a Marvellous Party’ nicely shifts the genre to something closer to Agatha Christie, as River investigates a murder within a very classy party. Of course, this being set in the universe of Doctor Who, the party takes place on board a spaceship and there are hints of something much bigger going on.

What I enjoyed about this episode is that, along with the new spin on the murder mystery genre, it explores River’s sense of morality a little bit. When she finds out more about the victim, she doesn’t feel much sympathy towards him, and in fact seems pretty confidant at times that when she does find the killer, she’ll practically shake their hand rather than hand them over to any authorities. It’s that character exploration that reminds us that, while River shares a lot in common with the Doctor, she’s very much her own person with her own sense of morality.

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‘Signs’ is one I’m reluctant to say anything about, as it includes a lot of surprises, right from the start. I will say it’s a two-hander, and Samuel West is great as River’s companion for the story. It deals with a lot of the overall arc for the series, as hints and mentions in the first two episodes are focused on a great deal more, and features a lot of drama and twists and turns. I found this to be really enjoyable, and Alex Kingston gives a brilliant performance throughout.

‘The Rulers of the Universe’ ends the series brilliantly. Not only does it resolve the story of the first series entirely, but even better is how it focuses on the relationship between River and her husband. Because the Doctor can’t help River out as he usually can. In fact, he can’t even know about her, as it’s his Eighth incarnation that finds himself involved!

If handled badly, this could have ruined the great drama of Ten meeting River for the first time in ‘Silence in the Library’ and River’s pain at knowing that the man she loves doesn’t recognise her, but it doesn’t. In fact, it’s a great way of exploring what happens when River gets a glimpse of the Doctor before a deeply traumatic event changed him forever. He’s a lot more idealistic than she’s used to, and is horrified to find him being used by the “Rulers of the Universe.”

As for how the series is resolved? With River finding a way that her husband more than likely wouldn’t have agreed with, and her methods are colder and more direct when it comes to dealing with the bad guys. It’s one more reminder that River’s a very different kind of problem-solver compared to the Doctor.

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And that’s what I enjoyed most about the series. Seeing River on her own and how she acts when she isn’t around her husband is great to hear, and not only sets this apart from Big Finish’s many other releases, but even from River’s TV episodes, too. If you’re wondering what a River Song spin-off would be like and you’re tired of waiting for the BBC to finally make one, then The Diary of River Song is definitely a great substitute for that.