July 2021 marks the 13-year anniversary of River Song in Doctor Who, with Alex Kingston’s time-travelling trailblazer continuing to delight Whovians long after her debut in 2008’s Silence in the Library.

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And ahead of that significant milestone, in this week’s RadioTimes.com Doctor Who podcast we took a look back at the life and times of River Song from her first introduction and early mystery through the years of teaming up with Matt Smith, the shocking revelations of her true identity and then that touching farewell alongside Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor in 2015.

Assuming, of course, that The Husbands of River Song can be counted as River’s swan song. Since then, Big Finish have continued to fill in the gaps in River’s backstory (especially when it comes to David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor), and hopes remain high that fans could see River team up with Jodie Whittaker’s Time Lord in the latter’s (rumoured) final series.

Given her enduring influence, it’s not hard to see why some consider River one of Doctor Who’s greatest companions – assuming, of course, that she can be counted as a companion at all…

Want more Doctor Who chat? Check out our most recent interview with Alex Kingston about (you guessed it) the return of River Song, or last week’s podcast about Auton rumours for series 13.

Read more: Alex Kingston wants Doctor Who’s River Song to meet Missy and the Cybermen

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Doctor Who returns to BBC One later this year. Check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide for more.

Authors

Huw FullertonSci-Fi and Fantasy Editor, RadioTimes.com

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