Many Fans that post on Boards, are "Over" River Song. Me, I personally enjoy her still, and would welcome her back again, especially to see her relationship with a new Doctor. I have 5 or 6 casual fans at work, but, I haven't polled how they feel about River, so, I don't even have anecdotal evidence of General Audience current opinion of River.
However, I don't like the idea of her taking on The Mantle of "The Doctor". If we're gonna make The Doctor Female, have him regenerate into one, and play with the expected Memes. There are definitely many ways River Song could be brought back (out of Time Sync Alex Kingston still, a "Flesh" Body, an android with her memories dumped in, a Resurrection by The Timelords when The Doctor finds Gallifrey and restores it, your ideas of Slef-Evolution as a Program...)
As far as a new Main Female character, to take The Doctor's place, if he is rested, I'd love to see a Romana, (Lala Ward, especially, but, Juliet Landau would be cool too) running loose throughout the Universe, but, again, leave the Mantle of "The Doctor" to the being who originally took it on, IMHO.
However, I don't like the idea of her taking on The Mantle of "The Doctor". If we're gonna make The Doctor Female, have him regenerate into one, and play with the expected Memes. There are definitely many ways River Song could be brought back (out of Time Sync Alex Kingston still, a "Flesh" Body, an android with her memories dumped in, a Resurrection by The Timelords when The Doctor finds Gallifrey and restores it, your ideas of Slef-Evolution as a Program...)
As far as a new Main Female character, to take The Doctor's place, if he is rested, I'd love to see a Romana, (Lala Ward, especially, but, Juliet Landau would be cool too) running loose throughout the Universe, but, again, leave the Mantle of "The Doctor" to the being who originally took it on, IMHO.