"So how did I sway all the haters and got them to love this? Spoilers, sweetie..."

Okay, I'm gonna get killed for this one.... I like River Song. I like her today, especially in the recent Christmas Special, and I've liked her since her first appearance... wait, EIGHT YEARS AGO?!?! But I remember it so clearly! (Christ I feel old now...) I am very well aware that there are some problems with the character when she's on the telly (you only need talk to Ollie for that!) but when done right (like every scene she shared with Capaldi in the last Christmas Special), she's a brilliant character. So Big Finish have now got their hands on her... This is either going to be the best thing ever or the worst excuse for narratives in the history of mankind...

DOCTOR WHO NEW SERIES REVIEW

THE DIARY OF RIVER SONG: SERIES 1
BY JACK RYAN

BEWARE: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

I AM BLOODY WELL CONVINCED THAT SCOTT CAWTHON WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RELEASE WINDOW OF THIS BLOODY THING!!!!! What do I mean by that? This box was originally set for January when it was announced back in June last year. Then in December they decided to push the download release to December 26th. THEN, ON CHRISTMAS DAY, THE MINUTE THE SPECIAL FINISHED.... "SURPRISE, ME LUVVIES!!! HERE YA GO!!!" Now I'm all for getting things early, but the release of this just seemed to be all over the place. Just like one of Scott's recent games....
(NB. If you are gonna look him up, quick warning. He and the stuff he's made is good and decent.... it's just a good majority of the fanbase that aren't...)

The Diary Of River Song: one of the most mysterious books in the history of the universe, along with Oolon Colluophid's God series, The History of the Time War, and Biggles Learns To Fly. Within its pages lie the adventures and exploits of one of the most dangerous and glamorous women in the universe: Professor River Song, the wife of the legendary time traveller, The Doctor. These four stories, taken from her personal notes, tell of a seemingly random encounter in an ancient burial tomb, which lead to the greatest party in the universe, to an epic chase across the universe with Mr Song, leading back to the party's newest guest; the only problem is, he's far, far too early and not the Doctor she was expecting...

I was excited for this one. Nervous, but excited. The prospect of Big Finish taking on one of the most dividing characters, not just in Nu-Who, but in the show in general, was always going to be interesting. But of course, the thing that most people find interest in is the end result. So did this deliver and silence the critics? Well, to say yes would be an understatement.

The stories presented are perfect. Simply perfect. There isn't another word simple enough to describe the amount of care and dedication these stories were given by their authors. As per BF standards, four hour long episodes with an overarching plot, and despite the fact there are going to be more series, the greater plot in this is kept within the boundaries of the four episodes. It's more a UNIT Dominion than a Doom Coalition. As for the individual stories themselves, each stand up perfectly. Jenny T Colgan's The Boundless Sea is a brilliant Indiana Jones-esque story dashed off with a good helping of sci-fi. Justin Richard's I Went To A Marvellous Party is a intriguing but well crafted whodunit in space with the details of the larger plot being sown neatly in. James Goss' Signs is an amazing two-hander piece, expertly showcasing the talents of Kingston and her co-star, Samuel West, and Matt Fitton's Rulers Of The Universe is the perfect dramatic, action packed finale to round of the set.

The cast are also top notch and not only do I get to hear the soothing sounds of the lovely Alex Kingston again, but also the fantastic Paul McGann as the Doctor about to embrace the Time War. And not to mention appearances from the aforementioned Samuel West as well as John Banks and Imogen Stubbs. But the best part of this boxset's cast.....

ALEXANDER BLOODY VLAHOS!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't even care that he's not Dorian Gray in this, Alex Vlahos presence in this box is one of the defining reasons this set needs to be got and enjoyed. Not to mention he really shows off his range of acting skills in this boxset. I'm not saying any more but I am so, SO HAPPY that he's in this!

Oh, bloody hell I love his voice. What? this thing is still typing? SHIT!!!

Ahem... er where was I? Ah yes. Sound and music. Howard Carter creates his usual medley of brilliance for the music and sound in this package, with the fantastic assistance of Steve Foxon for The Boundless Sea. And another thing he can claim is another fantastic theme tune for his collection. It's a brilliant, bombastic, Bond-esque theme that is just a pure delight to listen to.

Simply put, this set could not have gone better. Writing, acting, sound design, production, everything is top notch and shows that the New Series is completely safe in Big Finish's hands. But that's not River's only appearance this year, oh no.....

VERDICT: 5/5 YES, YES, ALL OF THE YES!!! MORE PLEASE!!!! Oh what's this? Doom Coalition 2?

Excuse me for a minute, I've more McGann/Kingston brilliance to listen to.... ;D