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The Diary of River Song
The Diary of River Song, Series 4
When River Song visits a place where time has vanished, a genie escapes its bottle… the Discordia are freed – nihilistic time pirates, in devilish form, altering the past to make sure they never lose.
This time, River may have met her match. And involving the Doctor can only make things worse…
4.1 Time in a Bottle by Emma Reeves and Matt Fitton
River is recruited by a rival to explore a star system where time no longer exists.
Professor Jemima Still has picked up a signal from an impossible source and takes an expert team to investigate.
But their mission is about to unleash hell upon the universe…
4.2 Kings of Infinite Space by Donald McLeary
With the Discordia on their tail, River and her friends run for their lives across time and space. But when your opponent can twist cause and effect to ensure victory at every turn, then escape may well be impossible.
4.3 Whodunnit? by Matt Fitton
Melody Malone finds herself in a castle, with an assortment of strange companions.
But guests are being murdered, one by one. Time is running out for a mystery to be solved.
And Franz Kafka is hiding something in the attic.
4.4 Someone I Once Knew by John Dorney
River has tried in vain to keep the Discordia away from the Doctor. Now, as devils run riot through universal spacetime, her own past with her husband is being rewritten. There is one last hope for the universe. A love story – but one that must find an ending…
This time, River may have met her match. And involving the Doctor can only make things worse…
4.1 Time in a Bottle by Emma Reeves and Matt Fitton
River is recruited by a rival to explore a star system where time no longer exists.
Professor Jemima Still has picked up a signal from an impossible source and takes an expert team to investigate.
But their mission is about to unleash hell upon the universe…
4.2 Kings of Infinite Space by Donald McLeary
With the Discordia on their tail, River and her friends run for their lives across time and space. But when your opponent can twist cause and effect to ensure victory at every turn, then escape may well be impossible.
4.3 Whodunnit? by Matt Fitton
Melody Malone finds herself in a castle, with an assortment of strange companions.
But guests are being murdered, one by one. Time is running out for a mystery to be solved.
And Franz Kafka is hiding something in the attic.
4.4 Someone I Once Knew by John Dorney
River has tried in vain to keep the Discordia away from the Doctor. Now, as devils run riot through universal spacetime, her own past with her husband is being rewritten. There is one last hope for the universe. A love story – but one that must find an ending…
5 pages, Audio CD
First published September 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 14, 2019
Not a bad series, but it had some audio flaws - too many of the characters required artificial enhancements to their voices, and this was confusing (as they suddenly sounded similar) and/or hard to understand (as they sounded like Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises." Also, I would have preferred the Doctor to have resolved the overall plot instead of relying on a Deus ex Machina of someone realizing the error of their ways and being willing to commit genocidal suicide to resolve the plot.
Other than those concerns, it was a fun adventure, and I LOVED hearing Tom Baker in the last disk.
Other than those concerns, it was a fun adventure, and I LOVED hearing Tom Baker in the last disk.
July 26, 2021
Another four-part story in which River does her best to avoid meeting the Doctor and, as one might expect, ultimately fails. So, yes, despite Tom Baker being on the cover, he’s only in the last bit. Due partly to a weak villain with a difficult-to-understand vocal effect, this isn't quite as good as the first three volumes in the series, but it improves as it goes along.
• Time in a Bottle – To my mind, the first episode feels rather too much like what it is – an introduction to what follows, rather than something worthwhile in its own right. The pre-credits teaser brings in the main monsters for the arc, in a scene that’s repeated later on in the story. As a scene, it’s a good illustration of River’s general attitude, refusing to be cowed by the monster, but the latter comes across as very cliched. Which, in fairness, is a deliberate point, but does nothing to make them stand out. From there we’re off to a planet trapped in a time bubble from which a distress signal has been calling for River. There’s a rather lengthy diversion with an alien colony on the planet, and the time bubble itself provides an unusual plot device, but ultimately there isn’t too much to it. 3 stars.
• Kings of Infinite Space – Despite featuring the same villain/monster, the second episode is much stronger. Here, River and her cyborg companion are pursued across multiple planets by the villain, with each trip taking a physical toll on them that steadily mounts as the story progresses. There are a lot of different settings, each with their own guest characters and threats. Along the way, the story pokes fun at the “single biome” trope of Star Wars where, if the first part of a planet you see is a swamp, it follows that this must be a “swamp planet” that consists of nothing else. The method that the villain uses to track River also provides for an amusing side-plot, as well as harking back to a certain story from the 4th Doctor’s era on TV. A good story with a sense of perpetual threat in the style of, say, The Chase. 4 stars.
• Whodunnit – A rather odd one this, as Melody Malone finds herself in an isolated house where there has recently been a couple of improbably contrived murders. She is accompanied by Franz Kafka and several obviously fictional detectives (from Peter Wimsey to Velma from Scooby Doo…) so it’s clear from early on that there is more to the situation than meets the eye. So we get something that’s a mixture of Kafka’s works (his three most famous ones all feature in the plot) and Agatha Christie, with an SF twist. The themes of surrealism and alienation are more significant than the supposed central mystery, and become more so as the story progresses and the setting becomes stranger. As a result, it’s quite hard to follow at times, but definitely intriguing. 4 stars.
• Someone I Once Knew – The final story is the one that most listeners will likely have been waiting for, as River, having met Doctors Eight through Five in the previous volumes, finally encounters the Fourth. Inevitably, there’s something timey-wimey going on, since we know the Doctor won’t remember meeting her later on, and, in this case, it’s all do with the alien villains playing with time paradoxes. The Doctor gets to do things that were quite typical of his time on the show, and there’s some fun banter with River, but, despite the action elements, at its core, this is a story about love. Indeed, as the narration states at the beginning, this is a love story, if not quite the one you might expect, and the villains manage to be more interesting than they were in the earlier episodes, producing something quite a lot stronger. 4.5 stars.
• Time in a Bottle – To my mind, the first episode feels rather too much like what it is – an introduction to what follows, rather than something worthwhile in its own right. The pre-credits teaser brings in the main monsters for the arc, in a scene that’s repeated later on in the story. As a scene, it’s a good illustration of River’s general attitude, refusing to be cowed by the monster, but the latter comes across as very cliched. Which, in fairness, is a deliberate point, but does nothing to make them stand out. From there we’re off to a planet trapped in a time bubble from which a distress signal has been calling for River. There’s a rather lengthy diversion with an alien colony on the planet, and the time bubble itself provides an unusual plot device, but ultimately there isn’t too much to it. 3 stars.
• Kings of Infinite Space – Despite featuring the same villain/monster, the second episode is much stronger. Here, River and her cyborg companion are pursued across multiple planets by the villain, with each trip taking a physical toll on them that steadily mounts as the story progresses. There are a lot of different settings, each with their own guest characters and threats. Along the way, the story pokes fun at the “single biome” trope of Star Wars where, if the first part of a planet you see is a swamp, it follows that this must be a “swamp planet” that consists of nothing else. The method that the villain uses to track River also provides for an amusing side-plot, as well as harking back to a certain story from the 4th Doctor’s era on TV. A good story with a sense of perpetual threat in the style of, say, The Chase. 4 stars.
• Whodunnit – A rather odd one this, as Melody Malone finds herself in an isolated house where there has recently been a couple of improbably contrived murders. She is accompanied by Franz Kafka and several obviously fictional detectives (from Peter Wimsey to Velma from Scooby Doo…) so it’s clear from early on that there is more to the situation than meets the eye. So we get something that’s a mixture of Kafka’s works (his three most famous ones all feature in the plot) and Agatha Christie, with an SF twist. The themes of surrealism and alienation are more significant than the supposed central mystery, and become more so as the story progresses and the setting becomes stranger. As a result, it’s quite hard to follow at times, but definitely intriguing. 4 stars.
• Someone I Once Knew – The final story is the one that most listeners will likely have been waiting for, as River, having met Doctors Eight through Five in the previous volumes, finally encounters the Fourth. Inevitably, there’s something timey-wimey going on, since we know the Doctor won’t remember meeting her later on, and, in this case, it’s all do with the alien villains playing with time paradoxes. The Doctor gets to do things that were quite typical of his time on the show, and there’s some fun banter with River, but, despite the action elements, at its core, this is a story about love. Indeed, as the narration states at the beginning, this is a love story, if not quite the one you might expect, and the villains manage to be more interesting than they were in the earlier episodes, producing something quite a lot stronger. 4.5 stars.
September 25, 2018
4.1 Time in a Bottle by Emma Reeves and Matt Fitton
Inizio interessante, con buona presentazione dei compagni di viaggio di River e dei cattivi di turno.
Si prospetta una bella lotta, contro esseri in grado di manipolare il tempo e sconfiggere River ancor prima che lei possa agire.
4.2 Kings of Infinite Space by Donald McLeary
Una carrellata di mondi e alieni, incontrati da River e i suoi accoliti mentre cercano di sfuggire al cattivo di turno.
Un cattivo con un asso (una testa, sarebbe meglio dire) nella manica.
Forse River alla fine si salva, ma lo scopriremo solo proseguendo nell'ascolto.
4.3 Whodunnit? by Matt Fitton
Melody Malone deve ricordare River, durante un invito a cena col delitto in compagnia di riconoscibilissimi investigatori (anche se sotto falso nome), aiutata dal Franz Kafka... non è uno spoiler dire che ci saranno anche degli scarafaggi...
Episodio apparentemente autoconclusivo prima del finale col botto.
4.4 Someone I Once Knew by John Dorney
E, finalmente, si arriva all'ultimo capitolo.
River incontra il Dottore e, per una volta, è lei che non ricorda.
Tra paradossi temporali e trucchi più o meno dichiarati, River e il quarto Dottore fanno scintille.
Come sempre, risolto il problema, il Dottore scorderà di averla incontrata ma, rispetto agli altri episodi, qui tutto sembra più fluido e credibile.
Un altro punteggio massimo, come ormai siamo abituati ad ascoltare.
Inizio interessante, con buona presentazione dei compagni di viaggio di River e dei cattivi di turno.
Si prospetta una bella lotta, contro esseri in grado di manipolare il tempo e sconfiggere River ancor prima che lei possa agire.
4.2 Kings of Infinite Space by Donald McLeary
Una carrellata di mondi e alieni, incontrati da River e i suoi accoliti mentre cercano di sfuggire al cattivo di turno.
Un cattivo con un asso (una testa, sarebbe meglio dire) nella manica.
Forse River alla fine si salva, ma lo scopriremo solo proseguendo nell'ascolto.
4.3 Whodunnit? by Matt Fitton
Melody Malone deve ricordare River, durante un invito a cena col delitto in compagnia di riconoscibilissimi investigatori (anche se sotto falso nome), aiutata dal Franz Kafka... non è uno spoiler dire che ci saranno anche degli scarafaggi...
Episodio apparentemente autoconclusivo prima del finale col botto.
4.4 Someone I Once Knew by John Dorney
E, finalmente, si arriva all'ultimo capitolo.
River incontra il Dottore e, per una volta, è lei che non ricorda.
Tra paradossi temporali e trucchi più o meno dichiarati, River e il quarto Dottore fanno scintille.
Come sempre, risolto il problema, il Dottore scorderà di averla incontrata ma, rispetto agli altri episodi, qui tutto sembra più fluido e credibile.
Un altro punteggio massimo, come ormai siamo abituati ad ascoltare.
August 11, 2020
For some reason this set just didn't hold my interest. Alex Kingston was great as always, but I just found my mind wandering the majority of the time. I enjoyed rhe Whodunit? story very much, however. I liked the idea of River and the Fourth Doctor together, especially when she told him she's a future regeneration of Romana. Although Tom Baker is a legend, that story missed the mark for me, too. Hopefully the next set will be more my style.
May 19, 2023
I really enjoyed this boxset! Especially the last CD! Four and River are utterly delightful together and have me gigging and kicking my legs.
November 29, 2020
(4.1) Time in a Bottle: Big. Bold. Brutal. Another knock-out for River Song. Somehow, at least it feels this way to me, the writers, cast and production team really seem to pull out all the stops and really deliver on these River Song adventures. Sheer delightfully silly and excitingly suspenseful.
(4.2) Kings of Infinite Space: Fun and entertaining, but really it just felt like a filler to get things from point A to point Z. Kind of a combination of Doctor Who: The Chase and And Then There Were None. Really really bad, just one of the weaker episodes for the vivacious and cunningly brilliant River Song.
(4.3) Whodunnit?: Melody Malone returns, but she might not be who she appears to be. Or even who she thinks she is. What appears to be, at least at first, to be parody of famous detectives from murder mystery fiction quickly devolves into a surreal romp through absurdity. But then it’s all a twisted layer of a Kafkaesque nightmare that could only have been written by Franz himself. There are layers here that work quite well, others that don’t (when taken at face value) but melt down into a rather clever and entertaining existential crisis. And then layers of meta-humor and the concepts of writers and their characters and how the interact ... Nope, on second thought, I’m bumping this up to 5-stars because, even though the early part seems trite and predictable, the layers of beguiling literary metamorphosis that occurs over the episode is really handled brilliantly. Well done.
(4.4) Someone I Once Knew: A delightfully silly and humorous wrap-up for this arc/series. Not quite as well developed as I’d hoped for, but entertaining nonetheless.
(4.2) Kings of Infinite Space: Fun and entertaining, but really it just felt like a filler to get things from point A to point Z. Kind of a combination of Doctor Who: The Chase and And Then There Were None. Really really bad, just one of the weaker episodes for the vivacious and cunningly brilliant River Song.
(4.3) Whodunnit?: Melody Malone returns, but she might not be who she appears to be. Or even who she thinks she is. What appears to be, at least at first, to be parody of famous detectives from murder mystery fiction quickly devolves into a surreal romp through absurdity. But then it’s all a twisted layer of a Kafkaesque nightmare that could only have been written by Franz himself. There are layers here that work quite well, others that don’t (when taken at face value) but melt down into a rather clever and entertaining existential crisis. And then layers of meta-humor and the concepts of writers and their characters and how the interact ... Nope, on second thought, I’m bumping this up to 5-stars because, even though the early part seems trite and predictable, the layers of beguiling literary metamorphosis that occurs over the episode is really handled brilliantly. Well done.
(4.4) Someone I Once Knew: A delightfully silly and humorous wrap-up for this arc/series. Not quite as well developed as I’d hoped for, but entertaining nonetheless.
September 14, 2018
I do love River! The first story was probably my favourite. Two women archaeologists off solving a time locked civilisation with an interesting alien and cyborg along for the ride.
The second story I felt was rather weak, the Discordia were an ok villain, but just didn't really do it for me. It did have some terribly funny moments though.
The melody malone story was quite fun, Yay for lesbians that don't die! But having the fake setting when the box set is about aliens who can alter your reality didn't really make for much of a mystery.
The last story was enjoyable. It was great to hear Tom and River. Though flirty Tom was a bit odd. It was a shame they spent so much of the adventure apart. But River did have some really great speeches about love and a woman's right to reject suitors.
The second story I felt was rather weak, the Discordia were an ok villain, but just didn't really do it for me. It did have some terribly funny moments though.
The melody malone story was quite fun, Yay for lesbians that don't die! But having the fake setting when the box set is about aliens who can alter your reality didn't really make for much of a mystery.
The last story was enjoyable. It was great to hear Tom and River. Though flirty Tom was a bit odd. It was a shame they spent so much of the adventure apart. But River did have some really great speeches about love and a woman's right to reject suitors.
February 23, 2019
Consider this a weak 4. The Discordia just didn't quite do it for me, but I quite liked the first and last stories (well, apart from wut?)...and combining whodunnits with Kafka was certainly....unusual (no, the actors didn't have the faintest either, judging from the behind the scenes lol).
These stories all had rather large casts...but funnily enough, TDORS works for me best when the story is quite contained & features few characters.
Hoping there might be a bit more of that in a future outing!
These stories all had rather large casts...but funnily enough, TDORS works for me best when the story is quite contained & features few characters.
Hoping there might be a bit more of that in a future outing!
September 6, 2018
Well, I liked it. It was fun, especially the last episode with Alex and Tom together. That was great!
It really makes you wish there was a chance that we could see these days with the UNIT-team and River and the Doctor...
It is a fun romp, River gets many witty lines and the villains are interesting and we definitely should see something like them more often.
But, overall, I admit the second box-set is still my favorite. This one did not quite push it off it's throne.
It really makes you wish there was a chance that we could see these days with the UNIT-team and River and the Doctor...
It is a fun romp, River gets many witty lines and the villains are interesting and we definitely should see something like them more often.
But, overall, I admit the second box-set is still my favorite. This one did not quite push it off it's throne.
February 26, 2019
This wasn't my favorite of the Diary of River Song audio plays. The motive for the villain in this was kind of... meh. Thank goodness River held her own. I was more interested in the alternate timeline of the Fourth Doctor and River and how much he loved her. It was... odd but fit the story. Plus, the Fourth Doctor is so ADORABLE. I wish there would have been more than one store with them to see more of their chemistry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2024
There’s a brilliant idea at the heart of this box, but the execution is so lackluster, it’s actually my least favorite Diary of River Song so far.
The first part is fun but forgettable. The second one has a simple story, but the dialogue (and delivery) is so hilarious that I’ve laughed out loud many times. The third story is a horrible and convoluted mess and even the terrific John Dorney, Tom Baker and Alex Kingston couldn’t save it in the last one. 2,5 stars.
The first part is fun but forgettable. The second one has a simple story, but the dialogue (and delivery) is so hilarious that I’ve laughed out loud many times. The third story is a horrible and convoluted mess and even the terrific John Dorney, Tom Baker and Alex Kingston couldn’t save it in the last one. 2,5 stars.
January 21, 2021
I'm not sure if this was better than series 2, but it was one of the better ones in my opinion. If I have one criticism, it's that Tom Baker isn't in more of this. In the last episode, Four and River Song have such good chemistry, and I feel like the ending might have hit harder had Four been in more of this.
September 13, 2018
The teaser in “Someone I Once Knew” makes this boxset worth having all by itself. I’m not nuts about the villains of the piece, but there’s enough nice moments in each of the four stories that I don’t mind them as much as I might otherwise.
July 25, 2021
3.5 Probably my least favorite of the River Song series so far. The 4th Doctor appearing in the story was a nice addition and a fun interaction. Spod was pretty funny too, kind of reminded me of Dennis Caleb Mccoy from the new Bill & Ted movie.
November 23, 2018
River runs into her time lord husbands 4th incarnation while fighting the discordia.
October 14, 2019
It's worth it for the last story.
October 26, 2019
Exciting and action packed from the beginning to the end Highly recommended for everyone for all people Whovian or who just want a great heroine as the main character
April 15, 2020
It wasn’t the best of the River Song boxsets, but the special guest in the last story was very fun!
April 8, 2021
WOW! These just keep getting better. I loved these stories. And the fact we got to see Melody Malone in one of the stories makes it even more exciting.
January 10, 2023
Absolutely loved this one 🥲
August 18, 2025
4.1 'Time in a Bottle' by Emma Reeves and Matt Fitton: 4,5*
4.2 'Kings of Infinite Space' by Donald McLeary: 3*
4.3 'Whodunnit?' by Matt Fitton: 4*
4.4 'Someone I Once Knew' by John Dorney: 5*
4.2 'Kings of Infinite Space' by Donald McLeary: 3*
4.3 'Whodunnit?' by Matt Fitton: 4*
4.4 'Someone I Once Knew' by John Dorney: 5*
August 4, 2023
The Diary of River Song is a range that has always interested me but haven't had much time to dive into it. Series 3 whilst being really good, wasn't quite as amazing as I was hoping for it to be but it was still a lot of fun. It's a shame however the range is coming to an end, so I'm giving Series 4 a go and making my way to the final set.
Time In a Bottle:
River is recruited by a rival archeologist to a star system where time no longer exists. Professor Jemima, River Song, Gammarae, and Spod are on their way to to a planet trying to find a mysterious signal that might very well belong to The Doctor. But they soon find themselves on a rescue mission and are about to find out who The Discordia are.
Emma Reeves and Matt Fitton have written a really fun opening story to what appears to be a 4-part adventure. It's a story with a fantastic idea of a star system that is devoid of time with some really solid characterization, a sense of humor, and a very interesting threat with The Discordia. Very excited to see what happens next. 9/10
Kings of Infinite Space:
River Song's plan against The Discordia has gone askew and now she and her friends are running through time and space with her vortex manipulator, they don't know where they're going or where but everywhere they go she is an angel of death, for The Discordia have an android head of River Song and with it, they'll track her down everywhere she goes and destroy.
This is my first time listening to a story by Donald McLeary and it was a lot of fun. This story wasn't as good as the opening one, but it's still a very solid script with plenty of tension and humor, despite its consequences. It's a very vibrant story with some really heartbreaking scenes and some really humorous ones that are balanced in a way that's actually very effective. 8/10
Whodunnit?:
Melody Malone has arrived to solve a murder mystery, but something seems terribly off as if everyone here is a stereotype from a mystery novel. Solving the murders should be relatively easy but it soon turns out that something far more sinister is going on.
Matt Fitton's script is really clever with some exciting twists and turns. A somewhat funny and experimental story with a heartbreaking ending. It's hard to say much about this story without giving anything away. 9/10
Someone I Once Knew:
River Song has tried her best not to get The Doctor involved with her fight against The Discordia. But he's now shown up in his fourth incarnation and somehow is well aware of being her husband and their love for each other. Time has been perverted, their lives changed, and the very fabric of reality distorted. Time is running out and it might take a love story to save the universe.
John Dorney has written an incredible finale that establishes a very unique Doctor and River relationship, with their romance being between her and his 4th incarnation and honestly seeing Tom Baker and Alex Kingston so flirty and loving towards one another is an absolute joy to behold. The story is very engaging with some really emotional scenes and a terrific conclusion to the series that is both heartwarming and tragic. 10/10
Overall: 36/40
Time In a Bottle:
River is recruited by a rival archeologist to a star system where time no longer exists. Professor Jemima, River Song, Gammarae, and Spod are on their way to to a planet trying to find a mysterious signal that might very well belong to The Doctor. But they soon find themselves on a rescue mission and are about to find out who The Discordia are.
Emma Reeves and Matt Fitton have written a really fun opening story to what appears to be a 4-part adventure. It's a story with a fantastic idea of a star system that is devoid of time with some really solid characterization, a sense of humor, and a very interesting threat with The Discordia. Very excited to see what happens next. 9/10
Kings of Infinite Space:
River Song's plan against The Discordia has gone askew and now she and her friends are running through time and space with her vortex manipulator, they don't know where they're going or where but everywhere they go she is an angel of death, for The Discordia have an android head of River Song and with it, they'll track her down everywhere she goes and destroy.
This is my first time listening to a story by Donald McLeary and it was a lot of fun. This story wasn't as good as the opening one, but it's still a very solid script with plenty of tension and humor, despite its consequences. It's a very vibrant story with some really heartbreaking scenes and some really humorous ones that are balanced in a way that's actually very effective. 8/10
Whodunnit?:
Melody Malone has arrived to solve a murder mystery, but something seems terribly off as if everyone here is a stereotype from a mystery novel. Solving the murders should be relatively easy but it soon turns out that something far more sinister is going on.
Matt Fitton's script is really clever with some exciting twists and turns. A somewhat funny and experimental story with a heartbreaking ending. It's hard to say much about this story without giving anything away. 9/10
Someone I Once Knew:
River Song has tried her best not to get The Doctor involved with her fight against The Discordia. But he's now shown up in his fourth incarnation and somehow is well aware of being her husband and their love for each other. Time has been perverted, their lives changed, and the very fabric of reality distorted. Time is running out and it might take a love story to save the universe.
John Dorney has written an incredible finale that establishes a very unique Doctor and River relationship, with their romance being between her and his 4th incarnation and honestly seeing Tom Baker and Alex Kingston so flirty and loving towards one another is an absolute joy to behold. The story is very engaging with some really emotional scenes and a terrific conclusion to the series that is both heartwarming and tragic. 10/10
Overall: 36/40
July 26, 2023
I definitely enjoyed this a bit more than the Series featuring the Sixth andSeventh Doctor. Still got a bit tedious at times and I had picked up hoping that the Fourth Doctor would be in more stories than the last. Oh well...
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews