Doctor Who returns for its eleventh Christmas special this festive season.
This news summary will be updated regularly as more details are revealed, with the latest updates at the top of each section. Rumours and unconfirmed reports will be marked with a *.
> Order ‘The Husbands of River Song’ on DVD on Amazon.
> Order ‘The Husbands of River Song’ on Blu-ray on Amazon.
Title: ‘The Husbands of River Song’
Writer: Steven Moffat.
Director: Douglas Mackinnon.
Executive producers: Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin.
Producer: Nikki Wilson.
Main cast: Peter Capaldi as the Doctor.
Guest cast: Alex Kingston as River Song, Matt Lucas as Nardole, Greg Davies as King Hydroflax, Rowan Polonski, Robert Curtis, Chris Lew Kum Hoi.
Filming: 2-26 September 2015.
Air date: Friday 25 December 2015, 5.15pm.
Official synopsis: “It’s Christmas Day on a remote human colony and the Doctor is hiding from Christmas Carols and Comedy Antlers. But when a crashed spaceship calls upon the Doctor for help, he finds himself recruited into River Song’s squad and hurled into a fast and frantic chase across the galaxy. King Hydroflax is furious, and his giant Robot bodyguard is out of control and coming for them all! Will Nardole survive? And when will River Song work out who the Doctor is? All will be revealed on a starliner full of galactic super-villains and a destination the Doctor has been avoiding for a very long time.”
Steven Moffat: “We’ve just lost Clara, so I didn’t want to go straight into a new companion. I’ll be honest, I brought River Song back in because I thought there was a possibility I’d never write it [Doctor Who] again so that’d be my goodbye.”
Steven Moffat: “It doesn’t really matter, but for those who care, it’s immediately after ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’ [in River’s timeline].”
Nonso Anozie: “I just shot Doctor Who. I’m playing the alien who is the main villain of the next Christmas special.”
Steven Moffat: “That’s been a riot to do. That’s been sort of a big fun chase episode, really. Just Mr and Mrs Who battling their way past nonsense and that’s been great fun. Alex [Kingston] is always great value.”
Peter Capaldi: “It is a lighthearted fun thing, River doesn’t recognise the Doctor and he gets upset because she is flirting and doing all sorts of stuff with people.”
Steven Moffat: “There is wonderful chemistry between Peter and Alex. It had to be done.’”
Peter Capaldi: “Yes, there is [a chance for romance with River Song]. My Doctor is different from the Doctors who were there when Alex [Kingston] first arrived. This Doctor’s different from that. It’s a different dynamic.”
Alex Kingston: “Steven Moffat is on glittering form, giving us an episode filled with humour 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!”
Steven Moffat: “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…”
BBC: “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.”
Rachel Talalay: “Guest cast (and cast-cast) for next #DoctorWho episode gave me feels.”
> Order ‘The Husbands of River Song’ on DVD on Amazon.
> Order ‘The Husbands of River Song’ on Blu-ray on Amazon.
What do you want to see in the Christmas special? Let us know below…