“There have been moments on set where we started to call it Doctor Blue…”

Not long now ’til the Doctor Who Christmas special – but just how saucy an episode will be served up alongside our turkey and sprouts?

Steven Moffat – showrunner on the BBC sci-fi – told press including Digital Spy that Peter Capaldi’s Doctor and Alex Kingston’s River Song are “very sexy together”.
And the pairing – he revealed – was at the insistence of his predecessor, Russell T Davies.

“Russell’s been at me for a while, saying, ‘You can’t write her [River] out yet! Capaldi and Kingston – it’s a sex storm!'”

Kingston herself also confirmed that there’d be no let-up in River’s flirtatious behaviour: “It’s a family show, but there have been moments on set where we started to call it Doctor Blue – say no more!”Even the title of the festive episode, ‘The Husbands of River Song’, hints that River might’ve been a bit naughty – and Kingston promised a “fast-paced comedy interaction” between her and Capaldi.

“It took me a few days to gauge Peter – but that’s part of the story as well. Becoming more familiar with who Peter has created as the Doctor was not only part of my learning journey – it’s been part of River’s.

“The script is great – it’s sort of like the old slapstick movies with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. That sort of screwball quality to it.
“They’re equals, absolute equals. River is never the sort of companion who’s asking questions, she always think she knows best. It’s a superb script and it’s a wonderful ending.”

In fact, Capaldi’s sizzling chemistry with Kingston provoked considerable jealousy in his own predecessor, Matt Smith…
“Matt was very cross with me,” Kingston joked. “I don’t want to say what he said, but he was very cross. I had to remind him that he and Peter are the same man!”

Doctor Who’s festive special, ‘The Husbands of River Song’, will air on Christmas Day (Friday, December 25) at 5.15pm on BBC One.