Covered in icicles, the TARDIS sits on a snowy village street on a Christmas Day of the future, awaiting its next adventure.

That will be the status of things somewhere in the story leading to River Song meeting her husband, The Doctor, in his latest incarnation as Peter Capaldi as Alex Kingston reprises her role on Doctor Who Season 9.

Stephen Moffat has written the episode, filled with humor and guest castings, surprising even Kingston, who wasn't sure she would ever make another appearance on the show.

In a statement she said he was in top form, even glittering, "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!"

As for how the meeting between husband and wife will take place? Moffat left that rather ambiguous, and that's really how we like it. 

"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." 

If you're wondering what all the fuss is about, you can watch Doctor Who online for some earlier River Song appearances.

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Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.