The Fifth Doctor meets River Song in ‘The Diary of River Song: Series 3’!

The Fifth Doctor will meet his future wife, and a dangerous enemy returns, in the upcoming third series of ‘The Diary of River Song’!

The Diary of River Song continues! Announced today by Big Finish Productions, the third series of the audio spin-off will be released in January 2018. The upcoming box set will have two appearances from two very important people in River’s life.

The first will be the Fifth Doctor, as played by Peter Davison. To be honest, I’m not exactly surprised by this. In her first box set, River met the Eighth Doctor, albeit from a distance. In her second, she met the Seventh and Sixth Doctors, in that order. (Before you ask, there were multiple reasons why her husband doesn’t remember any of these encounters much later.) So there has definitely been a pattern forming.

But just as exciting – possibly more so, in this writer’s opinion – is who else is coming back. Madame Kovarian, as played by Frances Barber, will once again be meeting the assassin she once raised.

David Richardson, the producer of The Diary of River Song, has given some details about the new series:

"River has been on a journey through the lives of past Doctors, and in Series Three, she meets the Fifth Doctor (having encountered his Sixth and Seventh incarnations in Series Two, and the Eighth in Series One). So what a treat to throw Madame Kovarian into the mix too, and have Alex, Peter and Frances working together in studio. There was, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear, much joy and laughter between takes."

Madame Kovarian

As I’m sure many of you remember, Madame Kovarian was, along with River herself, a major part of Series Six. The leader of a rogue sect of the organization known as the Silence, she made it her personal mission to kill the Doctor before he ever reached Trenzalore.

After The Wedding of River Song, however, she was never seen again. While she had technically been killed by Amy Pond as revenge for kidnapping her daughter, that took place in an alternate timeline. So when everything was reset back to normal, she was more than likely still alive.

I always thought it was a shame that we didn’t see much from her after that. Particularly in the Eleventh Doctor’s final episode, The Time of the Doctor. There’s a very brief reference to “the Kovarian Sect” which is meant to sum up the entire arc of series 5 and 6, but that’s all.

However, this is why I’m grateful for Big Finish. When it comes to filling in major gaps in Doctor Who mythology, they’re usually the very best at it. I don’t know whether this will take place before or after Kovarian’s last appearance, but I hope it’s the latter. I can’t wait to find out what she’s been up to. And a reunion between River and her former tormentor? Perhaps even the Silence as well? Now that sounds like something I need to hear!

Next: Opinion: Why Petronella Osgood should be a companion

The Diary of River Song: Series 3 can be pre-ordered for download and CD on Big Finish’s website here.