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The Diary of River Song
The Diary of River Song, Series 6
River Song has many ways to amuse herself away from her husband. And with access to the Doctor’s diary, she knows exactly when he might be around, and when best to slip in unnoticed and liberate valuable trinkets…
But first of all, she must ensure he makes it out of Totters Lane alive!
6.1 An Unearthly Woman by Matt Fitton
Coal Hill School has a new member of staff: an educated woman, who seems to specialise in every subject. Meanwhile, teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright have concerns over the behaviour of one of their pupils.
Susan Foreman is intrigued by Dr Song, but something else is stalking her in the darkness and fog of London, 1963…
6.2 The Web of Time by John Dorney
The capital has been evacuated. Monsters stalk the Underground. For River, it’s the perfect opportunity to steal a priceless artwork, so long as she can avoid looters, soldiers and an alien invasion.
With the gallant Captain Knight at her side, River faces the Great Intelligence and its Yeti army. But her biggest challenge may be keeping time itself on track…
6.3 Peepshow by Guy Adams
Miniscope parts fetch quite a price on the open market – luckily, River knows where she can find one that’s about to be decommissioned. Unfortunately, this particular miniscope is chock-full of aliens, as well as unsuspecting Earthlings.
River must face a carnival of monsters before she can claim her prize – across miniature habitats, Ogrons, Sontarans and Drashigs await!
6.4 The Talents of Greel by Paul Morris
River visits Victorian London on the trail of anachronistic technology. But when young women are stolen from the streets, she takes a stand. River’s investigation leads to theatre impresario Henry Gordon Jago, and his latest star act: Li H’Sen Chang and the unnerving Mr Sin. But if River’s going undercover at the Palace Theatre, she needs to have a song…
But first of all, she must ensure he makes it out of Totters Lane alive!
6.1 An Unearthly Woman by Matt Fitton
Coal Hill School has a new member of staff: an educated woman, who seems to specialise in every subject. Meanwhile, teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright have concerns over the behaviour of one of their pupils.
Susan Foreman is intrigued by Dr Song, but something else is stalking her in the darkness and fog of London, 1963…
6.2 The Web of Time by John Dorney
The capital has been evacuated. Monsters stalk the Underground. For River, it’s the perfect opportunity to steal a priceless artwork, so long as she can avoid looters, soldiers and an alien invasion.
With the gallant Captain Knight at her side, River faces the Great Intelligence and its Yeti army. But her biggest challenge may be keeping time itself on track…
6.3 Peepshow by Guy Adams
Miniscope parts fetch quite a price on the open market – luckily, River knows where she can find one that’s about to be decommissioned. Unfortunately, this particular miniscope is chock-full of aliens, as well as unsuspecting Earthlings.
River must face a carnival of monsters before she can claim her prize – across miniature habitats, Ogrons, Sontarans and Drashigs await!
6.4 The Talents of Greel by Paul Morris
River visits Victorian London on the trail of anachronistic technology. But when young women are stolen from the streets, she takes a stand. River’s investigation leads to theatre impresario Henry Gordon Jago, and his latest star act: Li H’Sen Chang and the unnerving Mr Sin. But if River’s going undercover at the Palace Theatre, she needs to have a song…
Audio CD
First published August 27, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 16, 2019
Narra la leggenda che il Dottore tenesse un diario durante i primi anni della sua vita, adesso ne abbiamo la certezza visto che River, nei suoi viaggi non autorizzati con il Tardis, passa il suo tempo leggendolo.
6.1 An Unearthly Woman by Matt Fitton
Siamo pochi mesi prima di Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child e River si è intrufolata come insegnante nella scuola di Coal Hill, collega di Ian e Barbara e insegnante di Susan, mentre in incognito, e nel suo tempo libero, pattuglia le vie di Londra come semplice uniform, alla caccia di un misterioso essere che potrebbe mettere in pericolo nipote e marito.
Il cast classico è quello introdotto dalla docufiction An Adventure in Space and Time di Mark Gatiss, cast ormai adottato dalla Big Finish e ben calato nella parte.
I brevi incontri tra River e il primo Dottore sono deliziosi e Susan appare molto più brillante di quanto sia spesso nella serie
6.2 The Web of Time by John Dorney
Non compare il secondo Dottore, ma siamo ancora a Londra, quasi in contemporanea cin Doctor Who and the Web of Fear e in compagnia di uno dei suoi protagonisti: il Capitano Knight
Solite schermaglie con la Grande Intelligenza e con River che si mostra sempre meno disinteressata e menefreghista di quanto vorrebbe sembrare.
C'è anche una citazione da Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 1.
6.3 Peepshow by Guy Adams
Il terzo Dottore ha lasciato incompleto il suo lavoro in Doctor Who and the Carnival of Monsters e River si trova imprigionata in un miniscopio morente con un Sontaran (inutile citare l'interprete), un Ogron (interpretato dallo stesso autore) e un povero umano.
Riusciranno a fuggire e l'incontro finale con il Dottore risulta ben orchestrato.
6.4 The Talents of Greel by Paul Morris
Solo Henry Gordon Jago è presente in questo preludio di Doctor Who and the Talons of Weng-Chiang, ma è l'episodio più riuscito dei quattro per me.
Fosse anche solo per il duetto canoro di Mr Jago e River.
Nel complesso i quattro episodi sono tutti ben realizzati, godibili anche se non si conoscono i riferimenti televisivi, ma molto più interessanti se si sono visti i vari serial.
Un modo interessante per far interagire River anche con i primi Dottori.
6.1 An Unearthly Woman by Matt Fitton
Siamo pochi mesi prima di Doctor Who and an Unearthly Child e River si è intrufolata come insegnante nella scuola di Coal Hill, collega di Ian e Barbara e insegnante di Susan, mentre in incognito, e nel suo tempo libero, pattuglia le vie di Londra come semplice uniform, alla caccia di un misterioso essere che potrebbe mettere in pericolo nipote e marito.
Il cast classico è quello introdotto dalla docufiction An Adventure in Space and Time di Mark Gatiss, cast ormai adottato dalla Big Finish e ben calato nella parte.
I brevi incontri tra River e il primo Dottore sono deliziosi e Susan appare molto più brillante di quanto sia spesso nella serie
6.2 The Web of Time by John Dorney
Non compare il secondo Dottore, ma siamo ancora a Londra, quasi in contemporanea cin Doctor Who and the Web of Fear e in compagnia di uno dei suoi protagonisti: il Capitano Knight
Solite schermaglie con la Grande Intelligenza e con River che si mostra sempre meno disinteressata e menefreghista di quanto vorrebbe sembrare.
C'è anche una citazione da Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 1.
6.3 Peepshow by Guy Adams
Il terzo Dottore ha lasciato incompleto il suo lavoro in Doctor Who and the Carnival of Monsters e River si trova imprigionata in un miniscopio morente con un Sontaran (inutile citare l'interprete), un Ogron (interpretato dallo stesso autore) e un povero umano.
Riusciranno a fuggire e l'incontro finale con il Dottore risulta ben orchestrato.
6.4 The Talents of Greel by Paul Morris
Solo Henry Gordon Jago è presente in questo preludio di Doctor Who and the Talons of Weng-Chiang, ma è l'episodio più riuscito dei quattro per me.
Fosse anche solo per il duetto canoro di Mr Jago e River.
Nel complesso i quattro episodi sono tutti ben realizzati, godibili anche se non si conoscono i riferimenti televisivi, ma molto più interessanti se si sono visti i vari serial.
Un modo interessante per far interagire River anche con i primi Dottori.
October 13, 2020
Once again, this series was meh for me. I love River but I feel like the producers and writers are trying too hard to shoehorn her into the Whoniverse and are stifling her by overshadowing her with constant interactions with past Doctors and villains. I loved having her interact with Susan and the last story with Jago wasn't bad, but I'd like to see more of River on her own causing mischief, not just being with an incarnation of the Doctor.
January 6, 2020
Another great entry in the "River Song" series. Each story is told in the peripheries of an existing Classic Doctor Who story and all have their own styles and identity. Highlights for me are the "an unearthly woman" and especially "The Talents of Greel". This last story serves as a great prologue to "weng chiang" and ha some great casting choices which help redress some of the original stories (ahem) questionable choices. With these last two boxsets Big Finish really has given the series a much needed boost and its own life outside of the Doctors appearances.
June 26, 2022
A set of four stories in which River, for various reasons, finds herself interfering in the events of some of the first four Doctors’ TV serials. The problem with doing this, rather than more straightforward sequels, soon becomes apparent; the originals are self-contained and trying to fit anything else significant into them either clashes or feels largely empty. It sounds a fun idea, but it ends up flawed, and perhaps unavoidably so.
An Unearthly Woman – We begin at, or slightly before, the beginning, with a story set in London immediately before the events of An Unearthly Child. Unlike the other stories, this one features the regular characters from the TV show, mainly Ian, Barbara, and Susan, but also a couple of brief appearances by the Doctor himself – all portrayed by the recast actors from the First Doctor Adventure audios. The temptation to do this story rather than, say, Dalek Invasion of Earth or The War Machines is understandable, but it does strain credulity a bit and has been done before (only without River, obviously). The plot ties in with that of a different audio series and, while it’s not necessary to have listened to that to follow this, it does leave the main villain without an obvious motivation for what he’s doing. It’s a well-done story with strong portrayals of Ian and Barbara, but it feels as out-of-place as its central character. 3.5 stars.
The Web of Time – Next up is The Web of Fear, with River turning up in an evacuated London a few days before the Doctor’s arrival. The story here is rather clearer and builds on, rather than reiterating, the plot of the original. While River’s reason for visiting a time when she knows that her actions could unravel the established timeline drives many of her actions, the details are rather irrelevant to the main plot. Instead, it’s about her interactions with one of the main supporting characters from the TV serial, and how she deals with knowing his future and that of the other people around him. This gives the story more heart and makes it about more than simply running from yeti. On the negative side, BF have chosen to use the original actor who played the character – one can appreciate the gesture, but hearing somebody who is very audibly in their 80s playing a character in their 30s is jarring in a way that recasting would not have been, at least for me. 4 stars.
Peepshow – Here we get a story that does manage to be fun, but only at the expense of any real depth. It’s set during Carnival of Monsters, between the Doctor escaping and the destruction of the miniscope. River heads inside the device in search of a maguffin, only to find that it isn’t as empty of inhabitants as the Doctor had believed. This avoids any clash with the original story, and features original characters, but what it leaves is basically a run through the machinery pursued by assorted monsters, without much room for an actual plot. The saving grace is that it’s played as a comedy, without any attempt to take itself too seriously, although one has to take a few absurdities in that light to enjoy it. But at least it doesn’t feel like it’s clashing with anything. 3.5 stars.
The Talents of Greel – Finally, we’re in the run-up to Talons of Weng-Chiang in a story about an earlier attempt by Greel to use Jago’s theatre to further his nefarious ends. As with the first episode in the collection, this ends up clashing with the real serial, adding too much on before it even gets going. For instance, it attempts to expand Li H’sen Chang, making him a more rounded character (and played by an actual Asian actor) but that subplot has to go nowhere in order to make him act the way he does on TV. Considering that the story has to keep him unaware of what’s really going on, Jago does get a fair bit to do and there is some enjoyable interaction and banter between him and River. Once again, it feels like an unnecessary add-on to the original that doesn’t fully fit, although, if you ignore that and take it on its own merits, it actually stands up pretty well. 4 stars.
An Unearthly Woman – We begin at, or slightly before, the beginning, with a story set in London immediately before the events of An Unearthly Child. Unlike the other stories, this one features the regular characters from the TV show, mainly Ian, Barbara, and Susan, but also a couple of brief appearances by the Doctor himself – all portrayed by the recast actors from the First Doctor Adventure audios. The temptation to do this story rather than, say, Dalek Invasion of Earth or The War Machines is understandable, but it does strain credulity a bit and has been done before (only without River, obviously). The plot ties in with that of a different audio series and, while it’s not necessary to have listened to that to follow this, it does leave the main villain without an obvious motivation for what he’s doing. It’s a well-done story with strong portrayals of Ian and Barbara, but it feels as out-of-place as its central character. 3.5 stars.
The Web of Time – Next up is The Web of Fear, with River turning up in an evacuated London a few days before the Doctor’s arrival. The story here is rather clearer and builds on, rather than reiterating, the plot of the original. While River’s reason for visiting a time when she knows that her actions could unravel the established timeline drives many of her actions, the details are rather irrelevant to the main plot. Instead, it’s about her interactions with one of the main supporting characters from the TV serial, and how she deals with knowing his future and that of the other people around him. This gives the story more heart and makes it about more than simply running from yeti. On the negative side, BF have chosen to use the original actor who played the character – one can appreciate the gesture, but hearing somebody who is very audibly in their 80s playing a character in their 30s is jarring in a way that recasting would not have been, at least for me. 4 stars.
Peepshow – Here we get a story that does manage to be fun, but only at the expense of any real depth. It’s set during Carnival of Monsters, between the Doctor escaping and the destruction of the miniscope. River heads inside the device in search of a maguffin, only to find that it isn’t as empty of inhabitants as the Doctor had believed. This avoids any clash with the original story, and features original characters, but what it leaves is basically a run through the machinery pursued by assorted monsters, without much room for an actual plot. The saving grace is that it’s played as a comedy, without any attempt to take itself too seriously, although one has to take a few absurdities in that light to enjoy it. But at least it doesn’t feel like it’s clashing with anything. 3.5 stars.
The Talents of Greel – Finally, we’re in the run-up to Talons of Weng-Chiang in a story about an earlier attempt by Greel to use Jago’s theatre to further his nefarious ends. As with the first episode in the collection, this ends up clashing with the real serial, adding too much on before it even gets going. For instance, it attempts to expand Li H’sen Chang, making him a more rounded character (and played by an actual Asian actor) but that subplot has to go nowhere in order to make him act the way he does on TV. Considering that the story has to keep him unaware of what’s really going on, Jago does get a fair bit to do and there is some enjoyable interaction and banter between him and River. Once again, it feels like an unnecessary add-on to the original that doesn’t fully fit, although, if you ignore that and take it on its own merits, it actually stands up pretty well. 4 stars.
December 28, 2021
Overall Rating for the box set: 3.5
First set of the River Song diaries that I have listened to. Have to admit although I quite liked the idea of the character when she first appeared in series 4(?) of Nu Who, I did feel that she was used too much during the Doctor 11 era - and conversely not enough with Doctor 12 (the 2 actors really worked well together in the christmas special they did). So had mixed thoughts regarding a spin-off series for the character - would have much preferred the BBC make a limited run series for the character instead of a Big Finish audio series at least to begin with. In fact would have preferred them try 3 years of River Song on tv versus the 3 years of Doctor 13 - but that's another discussion.
Anyway finally to the audio ....
Story 1 'An Unearthly Woman' : Rating 3.5
a good story idea i thought although it does ring a vague memory of a similar short story/novella set in coal hill prior to the first tv episode (was it a telos novella perhaps?) where something non-terrestrial was stalking the fog of 1963 london? the actors were all good in their roles i thought - not sure if they have persuaded me to purchase any of the first doctor adventures with this cast though. river performed quite a doctor-ish role without it feeling too much like she had been parachuted into a doctor lite or doctor ill story - setting it in the first doctor's era definitely helped in that regard. good music and sound effects which didn't overwhelm the dialogue and as someone who is hard of hearing that gives it .5 on the rating straight away (unlike a large number of BF releases). pleasantly surprised to be honest at how much i enjoyed this story.
Story 2 'The Web of Time' : Rating between 2.5 & 3
the plot this time is okay if a slight one. more of what i was expecting from this set to be honest, playing around the edges of an existing classic who story and going to exaggerated lengths not to impact on it in any way. obviously in this case the yeti invasion of the underground. the use of the late captain knight as river's link to the original story was interesting in a way but also a pointless one really as his memory is wiped at the end, as it has to be, so his journey and the experience gained is lost (similar to donna noble's in nu who, and of course jamie and zoe at the end of 'War Games'). it was a nice nod for classic who fans to have the original actor back to play Knight again in his final job, but a couple of times his voice did sound too old (as it would of course, 50 years have passed since his original appearence) so took me away from the story for a few seconds. essentially then a scavenger hunt for river with links to a classic who story. overall it was okay but felt very much like a filler/make weight story - hopefully the only one in this box set.
Story 3 'Peepshow' : Rating 3
this one is a humorous runaround story that doesn't really feel like a filler story although it probably is. after the previous story which ends on a slightly downbeat note for listeners who know what happens in the original story, this one is a very enjoyable romp really that would work well in a visual medium i think. a solid story that depending on my mood I might prefer to the first one in this set.
Story 4 'The Talents of Greel' : Rating 4
a story that shows a pre Weng-Chiang Henry Gordon Jago is one that i was always going to like i think. the interplay between him and River was a definite high spot of the story (and of the box set). as a possible negative the story definitely appeals mainly as a nostalgia driven title and if you examine the actual plot too deeply you do ask what was the point of it other than getting Greel to start using the distillation chamber/cabinet instead of his handy portable device. still very enjoyable though.
Overall I did really enjoy all of the stories but for me the main reason for trying it was how successful they were linked to the classic who stories.
First set of the River Song diaries that I have listened to. Have to admit although I quite liked the idea of the character when she first appeared in series 4(?) of Nu Who, I did feel that she was used too much during the Doctor 11 era - and conversely not enough with Doctor 12 (the 2 actors really worked well together in the christmas special they did). So had mixed thoughts regarding a spin-off series for the character - would have much preferred the BBC make a limited run series for the character instead of a Big Finish audio series at least to begin with. In fact would have preferred them try 3 years of River Song on tv versus the 3 years of Doctor 13 - but that's another discussion.
Anyway finally to the audio ....
Story 1 'An Unearthly Woman' : Rating 3.5
a good story idea i thought although it does ring a vague memory of a similar short story/novella set in coal hill prior to the first tv episode (was it a telos novella perhaps?) where something non-terrestrial was stalking the fog of 1963 london? the actors were all good in their roles i thought - not sure if they have persuaded me to purchase any of the first doctor adventures with this cast though. river performed quite a doctor-ish role without it feeling too much like she had been parachuted into a doctor lite or doctor ill story - setting it in the first doctor's era definitely helped in that regard. good music and sound effects which didn't overwhelm the dialogue and as someone who is hard of hearing that gives it .5 on the rating straight away (unlike a large number of BF releases). pleasantly surprised to be honest at how much i enjoyed this story.
Story 2 'The Web of Time' : Rating between 2.5 & 3
the plot this time is okay if a slight one. more of what i was expecting from this set to be honest, playing around the edges of an existing classic who story and going to exaggerated lengths not to impact on it in any way. obviously in this case the yeti invasion of the underground. the use of the late captain knight as river's link to the original story was interesting in a way but also a pointless one really as his memory is wiped at the end, as it has to be, so his journey and the experience gained is lost (similar to donna noble's in nu who, and of course jamie and zoe at the end of 'War Games'). it was a nice nod for classic who fans to have the original actor back to play Knight again in his final job, but a couple of times his voice did sound too old (as it would of course, 50 years have passed since his original appearence) so took me away from the story for a few seconds. essentially then a scavenger hunt for river with links to a classic who story. overall it was okay but felt very much like a filler/make weight story - hopefully the only one in this box set.
Story 3 'Peepshow' : Rating 3
this one is a humorous runaround story that doesn't really feel like a filler story although it probably is. after the previous story which ends on a slightly downbeat note for listeners who know what happens in the original story, this one is a very enjoyable romp really that would work well in a visual medium i think. a solid story that depending on my mood I might prefer to the first one in this set.
Story 4 'The Talents of Greel' : Rating 4
a story that shows a pre Weng-Chiang Henry Gordon Jago is one that i was always going to like i think. the interplay between him and River was a definite high spot of the story (and of the box set). as a possible negative the story definitely appeals mainly as a nostalgia driven title and if you examine the actual plot too deeply you do ask what was the point of it other than getting Greel to start using the distillation chamber/cabinet instead of his handy portable device. still very enjoyable though.
Overall I did really enjoy all of the stories but for me the main reason for trying it was how successful they were linked to the classic who stories.
August 21, 2023
The Diary of River Song is a spinoff that I really enjoy, despite having my criticisms surrounding the character and her arc, I do really enjoy River Song, and Alex Kingston is an absolute angel who I'd love to meet someday!
An Unearthly Woman:
River Song finds herself working undercover as a teacher at Coal Hill School. Something is stalking poor old Susan in the shadows. Meanwhile, Ian and Barbara are worried about a misbehaving student. Time is running out and something in the shadows is hungry for the blood of a Timelord...
Matt Fitton has written a brilliant script that's wonderfully atmospheric and at times really creepy. It's nice to see River Song meet this cast of characters, including Bradley's 1st Doctor who has a couple of really fun cameos in this. The villain of this piece was a nice surprise and really made the stakes of this one high. 10/10
The Web of Time:
River Song is on the hunt for a painting in London but it's during a time when the Yeti invaded, meaning she has to be quick before her husband returns. When the painting is stolen, she meets Captain Knight who she's aware is about to become a very important person in the upcoming fight against the Yeti and The Doctor's potential future with UNIT.
John Dorney has written a fantastic prequel to The Web of Fear that is atmospheric, creepy, and really puts River to the test of whether or not she can sacrifice another life for the sake of keeping the web of time intact. River Song and Captain Knight got on brilliantly together and it's a shame these two can never be reunited. 9/10
Peepshow:
River Song is looking for a battery but to find the exact one she needs, she must get into a miniscope. But inside she finds a lot more than she's bargained for, an officer called Dibbsworth, a group of Sontarans and Ogrons, and the formidable Drashigs! Today can't get any better, can it?
Guy Adams has written a really humorous story that's actually set during the events of Carnival of Monsters which is a nice change from a story being a prequel or sequel, it allows the tale to be a lot more interesting in some ways and a whole lot more complicated. It's a very funny script with plenty of banter, naughty humor, and a really lovely cameo at the end. 8.5/10
The Talents of Greel:
River Song has arrived in Victorian London, during the time of the girl's going missing and sinister machinations at Jago's theatre. River soon finds that she's got stuff to help clear up before her husband arrives, for Magnus Greel seems to have more cards up his sleeve than he should have.
Paul Morris has written a fantastic prequel to The Talons of Weng-Chiang which is actually one of my favorite Doctor Who stories, despite some of its very problematic dialogue and casting decisions. The Talents of Greel is a terrific story that expands upon the original story. River Song and Jago got on so incredibly well, it's a shame we'll never see these two working together again. 10/10
Overall: 37.5/40
An Unearthly Woman:
River Song finds herself working undercover as a teacher at Coal Hill School. Something is stalking poor old Susan in the shadows. Meanwhile, Ian and Barbara are worried about a misbehaving student. Time is running out and something in the shadows is hungry for the blood of a Timelord...
Matt Fitton has written a brilliant script that's wonderfully atmospheric and at times really creepy. It's nice to see River Song meet this cast of characters, including Bradley's 1st Doctor who has a couple of really fun cameos in this. The villain of this piece was a nice surprise and really made the stakes of this one high. 10/10
The Web of Time:
River Song is on the hunt for a painting in London but it's during a time when the Yeti invaded, meaning she has to be quick before her husband returns. When the painting is stolen, she meets Captain Knight who she's aware is about to become a very important person in the upcoming fight against the Yeti and The Doctor's potential future with UNIT.
John Dorney has written a fantastic prequel to The Web of Fear that is atmospheric, creepy, and really puts River to the test of whether or not she can sacrifice another life for the sake of keeping the web of time intact. River Song and Captain Knight got on brilliantly together and it's a shame these two can never be reunited. 9/10
Peepshow:
River Song is looking for a battery but to find the exact one she needs, she must get into a miniscope. But inside she finds a lot more than she's bargained for, an officer called Dibbsworth, a group of Sontarans and Ogrons, and the formidable Drashigs! Today can't get any better, can it?
Guy Adams has written a really humorous story that's actually set during the events of Carnival of Monsters which is a nice change from a story being a prequel or sequel, it allows the tale to be a lot more interesting in some ways and a whole lot more complicated. It's a very funny script with plenty of banter, naughty humor, and a really lovely cameo at the end. 8.5/10
The Talents of Greel:
River Song has arrived in Victorian London, during the time of the girl's going missing and sinister machinations at Jago's theatre. River soon finds that she's got stuff to help clear up before her husband arrives, for Magnus Greel seems to have more cards up his sleeve than he should have.
Paul Morris has written a fantastic prequel to The Talons of Weng-Chiang which is actually one of my favorite Doctor Who stories, despite some of its very problematic dialogue and casting decisions. The Talents of Greel is a terrific story that expands upon the original story. River Song and Jago got on so incredibly well, it's a shame we'll never see these two working together again. 10/10
Overall: 37.5/40
January 7, 2021
The irrepressible Professor River Song is back for more high-jinx and daring-do across time and space. Interestingly, all these adventures occur just before (or during?) the events of some of The Doctor’s own adventures. Coincidence? If River’s involved that is extremely unlikely.
(6.1) An Unearthly Woman - It’s 1963 and River Song finds herself at Coal Hill School solving all kinds of problems with school teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright. And there’s even an odd female student involved: Shelia ... hold on a tick ... Shelia? How much more delicious could this be? This production guest-stars the cast from the The First Doctor Adventures as their characters from that range. Just as brilliant and cheeky as ever.
(6.2) The Web of Time - Yetis in the London Underground? Sound familiar? It should, and River Song knows all about it. She knows who lives, she knows who dies, she knows where, and more importantly when, everyone is. Or does she? One of my favorite second Doctor adventures just got even better. Takes place just before the events of Web of Fear.
(6.3) Peepshow - Chaos! Koas! Xaox! It’s all chaos! These are the type of “diary entries” that don’t quite work for me. Sure it’s fun, but jeez what’s the point. It’s all just running around and people have utterly pointless conversations when they should be ... running around. Sigh. Oh well. But it sure was a lot of fun. Occurs during the story Carnival of Monsters.
(6.4) The Talents of Greel - This one deals with some shenanigans that occur before the events of The Talons of Weng-Chiang and we get Henry Jago. Which means the irrepressible River Song wittily sparring with the theatrical promoter Henry Jago; wind them up and you’re never going to get these two to shut up. Lots of fun. Wonderfully done.
This concept is tricky, inserting River Song into the events of adventures of earlier Doctors, it is bordering on the concept of retroactive-continuity (ret-con) and is more than just a bit tricky to pull off. But the writers pull it off pretty handily. Thankfully, they don’t really go into a whole meet-without-actually-meeting kind of thing and River never has to deal with changing things that can’t be changed (although one story has her scarily trying to ensure she doesn’t set into motion a temporal paradox for those very reasons).
(6.1) An Unearthly Woman - It’s 1963 and River Song finds herself at Coal Hill School solving all kinds of problems with school teachers Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright. And there’s even an odd female student involved: Shelia ... hold on a tick ... Shelia? How much more delicious could this be? This production guest-stars the cast from the The First Doctor Adventures as their characters from that range. Just as brilliant and cheeky as ever.
(6.2) The Web of Time - Yetis in the London Underground? Sound familiar? It should, and River Song knows all about it. She knows who lives, she knows who dies, she knows where, and more importantly when, everyone is. Or does she? One of my favorite second Doctor adventures just got even better. Takes place just before the events of Web of Fear.
(6.3) Peepshow - Chaos! Koas! Xaox! It’s all chaos! These are the type of “diary entries” that don’t quite work for me. Sure it’s fun, but jeez what’s the point. It’s all just running around and people have utterly pointless conversations when they should be ... running around. Sigh. Oh well. But it sure was a lot of fun. Occurs during the story Carnival of Monsters.
(6.4) The Talents of Greel - This one deals with some shenanigans that occur before the events of The Talons of Weng-Chiang and we get Henry Jago. Which means the irrepressible River Song wittily sparring with the theatrical promoter Henry Jago; wind them up and you’re never going to get these two to shut up. Lots of fun. Wonderfully done.
This concept is tricky, inserting River Song into the events of adventures of earlier Doctors, it is bordering on the concept of retroactive-continuity (ret-con) and is more than just a bit tricky to pull off. But the writers pull it off pretty handily. Thankfully, they don’t really go into a whole meet-without-actually-meeting kind of thing and River never has to deal with changing things that can’t be changed (although one story has her scarily trying to ensure she doesn’t set into motion a temporal paradox for those very reasons).
September 1, 2022
The Diary of River Song Series 06 - 4.25/5 stars
The style of this being River Song messing around behind the scenes before and during past Doctor Who adventures from the original TV series is good fun. Lovely little extra details and just a lot of good fun messing with the canon of Doctor Who. What’s not to love here?
6.1 An Unearthly Woman by Matt Fitton - 5/5 stars
River tries to find a mysterious force that's hunting for something in the 1960s. While doing so she bumps into a pre-TARDIS travelling Ian and Barbara and a school girl named Susan with her grandfather (the 1st Doctor). A fun little affair with cute little side characters too. The 60’s cheese is both uncomfortable and hilarious all at once.
6.2 The Web of Time by John Dorney - 4/5 stars
This serves as a strange little prequel to the Web of Fear episode from the Second Doctor’s time in the TARDIS as River tries her best to not upset the timelines around the start of that adventure while trying to recover a painting. The Great Intelligence is such a wasted villain and would be cool to get a better explanation of them but their appearance here is really threatening.
6.3 Peepshow by Guy Adams - 5/5 stars
During the events of Carnival of Monsters, River Song is also inside of the Miniscope, looking for the battery that powers it as she knows the Doctor will send everything inside home and save the day, she might as well benefit from this adventure too. This one balanced Sontarans, Drashings and Ogrons as well as a little meet-up with the 3rd Doctor.
6.4 The Talents of Greel by Paul Morris - 3/5 stars
Set just before the events of the problematic story: The Talons of Weng-Chiang, River Song just sort of messes around with the characters from that story and performs a musical number. This is a lot of fun but out of all the stories in this series, it comes off as the unnecessary one.
The style of this being River Song messing around behind the scenes before and during past Doctor Who adventures from the original TV series is good fun. Lovely little extra details and just a lot of good fun messing with the canon of Doctor Who. What’s not to love here?
6.1 An Unearthly Woman by Matt Fitton - 5/5 stars
River tries to find a mysterious force that's hunting for something in the 1960s. While doing so she bumps into a pre-TARDIS travelling Ian and Barbara and a school girl named Susan with her grandfather (the 1st Doctor). A fun little affair with cute little side characters too. The 60’s cheese is both uncomfortable and hilarious all at once.
6.2 The Web of Time by John Dorney - 4/5 stars
This serves as a strange little prequel to the Web of Fear episode from the Second Doctor’s time in the TARDIS as River tries her best to not upset the timelines around the start of that adventure while trying to recover a painting. The Great Intelligence is such a wasted villain and would be cool to get a better explanation of them but their appearance here is really threatening.
6.3 Peepshow by Guy Adams - 5/5 stars
During the events of Carnival of Monsters, River Song is also inside of the Miniscope, looking for the battery that powers it as she knows the Doctor will send everything inside home and save the day, she might as well benefit from this adventure too. This one balanced Sontarans, Drashings and Ogrons as well as a little meet-up with the 3rd Doctor.
6.4 The Talents of Greel by Paul Morris - 3/5 stars
Set just before the events of the problematic story: The Talons of Weng-Chiang, River Song just sort of messes around with the characters from that story and performs a musical number. This is a lot of fun but out of all the stories in this series, it comes off as the unnecessary one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 16, 2020
Bit of a mixed bag in this box set - I really enjoyed An Unearthly Woman and The Talents of Greel, but less so the Web of Time and Peepshow. Perhaps because it feels that those tie in to the characters from those TV episodes better, or perhaps because I'm more familiar with those episodes over the other two.
June 2, 2023
Very disappointed in this set. I really enjoyed an unearthly woman, but the rest I found rather dull and bit pointless in regards to the retelling.
I did enjoy listening to River's and Jago's duet, and it was nice hearing Jago again. But i do miss him and Lightfoot. Its kind of not the same without him.
I did enjoy listening to River's and Jago's duet, and it was nice hearing Jago again. But i do miss him and Lightfoot. Its kind of not the same without him.
March 12, 2021
It was lots of fun seeing River Song interact with Susan, as well as Ian, Barbara, and the First Doctor. She also encounters the Third Doctor in one of the other stories and works with Jago and Litefoot. I think the first half of this set was a bit better than the latter half.
September 28, 2021
3.5 First one was the best of the 4.
May 14, 2024
An Unearthly Woman: 4.5 stars
The Web of Time: 2 stars
Peepshow: 2 stars
The Talents of Greel: 3.5 stars
The Web of Time: 2 stars
Peepshow: 2 stars
The Talents of Greel: 3.5 stars
February 16, 2025
Review by story…
Peepshow: My favorite River Song story so far. Ends with an unnecessary Third Doctor cameo, but otherwise a great expansion of the underrated “Carnival of Monsters” TV story. 4.5/5
Peepshow: My favorite River Song story so far. Ends with an unnecessary Third Doctor cameo, but otherwise a great expansion of the underrated “Carnival of Monsters” TV story. 4.5/5
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November 9, 20256.1 'An Unearthly Woman' by Matt Fitton: 4*
6.2 'The Web of Time' by John Dorney: 5*
6.3 'Peepshow' by Guy Adams: 4,5*
6.4 'The Talents of Greel' by Paul Morris: 4,5*
6.2 'The Web of Time' by John Dorney: 5*
6.3 'Peepshow' by Guy Adams: 4,5*
6.4 'The Talents of Greel' by Paul Morris: 4,5*
September 1, 2019
Well, it was quite good. Yes, it was not re-inventing the wheel, but it did not have to. It was fine as it was. I also did not think River was too shoe-horned in, at least not any more than into anything else.
We get some good enjoyable and fun independent stories, with the first one definitely the best of the set. I appreciated that this set was a bit more light-hearted and it made a nice change for me coming out of all the recent time war stories. And it was full of nice little Easter Eggs and a few cameos for fans to find and to appreciate.
I definitely loved River's musical number and her duet with Jago.
Does Volume 6 rate as highly as the previous 2 sets in my mind?
No, the last two I liked more.
But this was by no means bad and I definitely liked it more than Volume 3.
Now I am curious what they have in store for us for next time?
We get some good enjoyable and fun independent stories, with the first one definitely the best of the set. I appreciated that this set was a bit more light-hearted and it made a nice change for me coming out of all the recent time war stories. And it was full of nice little Easter Eggs and a few cameos for fans to find and to appreciate.
I definitely loved River's musical number and her duet with Jago.
Does Volume 6 rate as highly as the previous 2 sets in my mind?
No, the last two I liked more.
But this was by no means bad and I definitely liked it more than Volume 3.
Now I am curious what they have in store for us for next time?
July 26, 2020
My favourite so far she’s so in character and it’s so witty and unpredictable I just love love love it so so so much! Especially the third one. I also like that we can see her at different stages of her life. And she calls herself the doctors girlfriend which I was not prepared for squee also Susan saying she’s like family and she’s the best supply ever oh my gosh this whole thing is amazing and THE SONG IS SO MUCH I LAUGHED SO MUCH THE ABSOLUTE BRASS THIS WOMAN HAS! she’s just amazing and this series really captured that fully even the second one where it shows her more ruthless side it was a nice contrast
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2019
Perhaps a weaker set of episodes here. The gimmick of showing up around established Doctor Who episodes is kind of cool, but the execution wasn't as good as the promise.
First and fourth episodes are the best, with that duet between River Song and Henry Gordon Jago a highlight of the whole series.
First and fourth episodes are the best, with that duet between River Song and Henry Gordon Jago a highlight of the whole series.
September 9, 2019
I think this is a remarkable set. My only complaint is the length of episode Three. A "Fringers" set per the commentary. Sad, I missed the episode before We of Fear but now I should have known...
Oh, Henry Gordon Jago, I miss you so.
Oh, Henry Gordon Jago, I miss you so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2019
The lines in Peepshow were so good ! My favourite in these series.
October 30, 2019
River song gets involved in past doctor's stories.
December 24, 2019
Anxiously awaiting series 7. The Diary of River Song audio dramas have never disappointed me.
I love the stories.
I love the stories.
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