10 False Doctor Who Facts You Probably Still Believe

Across many a Reddit post and online forum, it's believed that the identity of River Song was such a big secret that it was hidden from Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.

Some fans even believe that Gillan and Darvill only got this information when they were shooting the scene, so that their response was genuine. This is a tactic of beloved social-realist filmmaker Ken Loach, but Doctor Who is not a gritty kitchen sink drama. Unless it's being written by RTD.

While it's true that only Alex Kingston was briefed about her familial links to Amy and Rory far in advance, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill did find out before the moment was filmed, as explained by Kingston herself:

"I've even got a feeling that the crew were given different sides, so that they literally did not know until the words were spoken in the scene, and it was only on that day I think, or maybe the night before, that Karen, Arthur, and Matt got given the sides and they were let in on the secret."

So yes, while they were told quite late in the game that they were River's parents, it's not like they were reacting to the reveal in the moment, like viewers were at home.