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River Song is coming to Big Finish in 2016, just one of a number of new series elements that will be appearing alongside Classic Doctors as the audio company expands its horizons.

A number of memorable characters from the BBC’s Doctor Who TV series will be headlining in full cast audio plays to be released in 2016. The productions are being made in a licensing deal with BBC Worldwide.

Alex Kingston will return as time travelling archaeologist River Song in Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 2 in March 2016, stepping into the era of the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) and his companions Liv Chenka (Nicola Walker) and Helen Sinclair (Hattie Morahan) as they fight to save the universe. But how can River help her husband if, in this incarnation, she must never actually meet him?

“The idea of River meeting previous Doctors was actually proposed by Steven Moffat,” says producer David Richardson, “and it’s just irresistible isn’t it? Alex embraced the idea of returning to the role, and so she will be starring in no less than two box sets next year. And yes, we are still pinching ourselves!”

River will then return later in 2016 in Doctor Who: The Diary of River Song, an epic four-hour adventure that takes River across space and time, seeking out the secret rulers of the universe. Paul McGann will reprise the role of the Eighth Doctor in the final instalment. Update: This has now been brought forward to January 2016, so this will mark River’s first Big Finish appearance.

Alex Kingston’s wealth of memorable credits include Arrow, Upstairs Downstairs and Marchlands, and these two release will mark her first return to River Song since the character kissed goodbye to Matt’s Smith’s Doctor in 2012.

Another highlight in 2016 is Doctor Who: The Churchill Years, in which Ian McNeice returns as the indomitable Winston Churchill. In the four-hour saga, Winston relates a number of encounters with the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Doctors in his memoirs, battling alien incursions, metamorphosing creatures… and a Dalek! The stories are told by Ian McNeice, supported by a full cast of guest actors.

“Ian has played Churchill in just four episodes on TV, and yet it feels like it was many more,” says executive producer Nicholas Briggs. “It was such a brilliant, definitive performance, and how wonderful that we will be continuing Churchill’s adventures with the Doctor on audio.”

In Doctor Who: Classic Doctors, New Monsters, the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors battle creatures from the New Series. Peter Davison takes on the Weeping Angels, Colin Baker encounters the Judoon, Sylvester McCoy will meet the Sycorax, while Paul McGann visits the era of the Time War and faces the latest clone batch of Sontarans.

“It’s the ultimate mash-up,” says executive producer Jason Haigh-Ellery, “and we have some great scripts lined up for these landmark stories. There is no doubt that 2016 is going to be a brilliant year for Big Finish!”

All four box sets will be available during 2016, and can be pre-ordered from http:// http://www.bigfinish.com