On Jan 20, 11:37 am, Alan Dicey 
wrote:
> Duggy wrote:
> >>  If they knew DT was leaving before writing the story then
> >> one would assume no.
>
> > Or that Moffat screwed up.
>
> Now that's offensive.  It is Moffat's story to begin with, so you're
> saying he's massively incompetent and can't remember significant details
> of plots that he's originated.
The script was completed around the end of 2007, filming began in
January 2008 and the eps were shown May/June 2008. DT announced
offically that he was leaving in in October 2008.
>
> River Song knows The Doctor very well indeed, knows he's a Time Lord,
> travels through time and space at will, and regenerates into a new
> external appearance every so often.  Having called him (and knowing that
> the Library was empty apart from her party) she would not be too
> surprised if the face wasn't the one she had last seen.  His presence,
> and his actions, would be enough to identify him as The Doctor, even
> before the sonic screwdriver was produced :-)
>
> So it is not good enough to say that the Doctor she sees in the Library
> is not the one she last saw.
>
> In any case, just how do you define continuity for a time traveller?
>
> "RIVER: You know when you see a photograph of someone you know, but it's
> from years before you knew them? It's like they're not quite...
> finished, they're not done yet. Well... yes, the Doctor's here. He came
> when I called, just like he always does. But not MY Doctor. Now my
> Doctor... I've seen whole armies turn and run away. And he'd just
> swagger off back to his TARDIS and open the doors with a snap of his
> fingers. The Doctor... in the TARDIS... Next stop: everywhere."
> Professor River Song, Forest of the Dead.
It is still as Dug said that seems to give a strong hint that it is
the tenth Doctor that River knows. But actors leave shows and thus
cause continuity problems for plots laid out in previous episodes
(sounds familar). But there is just enough ambiguity in River's
coments to turn them to mean a different regenerated Doctor.
This section carrys the impression that her Doctor is older, but this
is a younger version of her Doctor.
-------------------------------
RIVER: OK, shall we do diaries, then? Where are we this time? Uh,
going by your face, I'd say it's early days for you. Yes? So, um...
(she flips pages in the book) crash of the Byzantium, have we done
that yet?
The Doctor looks at her, expressionless.
RIVER: Obviously ringing no bells. (she turns several pages) Right,
um, oh. Picnic at Asgard. Have we done Asgard yet?
He just stares at her.
RIVER SONG: Obviously not. Blimey, very early days, then. Huh, life
with a time traveller, never knew it could be such hard work.
She examines the Doctor's face carefully and is surprised by what she
sees.
RIVER (whispering): Look at you! You're young.
DOCTOR: I'm really not, you know.
RIVER SONG: Nah, but you are. Your eyes. You're younger than I've ever
seen you.
DOCTOR: You've seen me before, then?
-------------------------------
I blame 'Turn Left' for messing the timelines up. Maybe the new
knowledge that the Doctor has now been exposed to has tipped the
timeline in a different direction changing it from the one River knew.
Dave
--- SBBSecho 2.12-Win32