'Doctor Who': Everything You Need To Know About Beep The Meep

We are now just days away from the premiere of 'The Star Beast', the first of three 60th anniversary specials for Doctor Who, starring David Tennant, originally The Tenth Doctor, as The Fourteenth Doctor, alongside Catherine Tate as returning companion Donna Noble. As well as reuniting Donna with The Doctor, 'The Star Beast' is set to introduce cuddly looking alien Beep the Meep.

While a new character to television fans, those who enjoy a wider range of Whoniverse content may already be aware of the character. For those who are not, here's everything you need to know about Beep the Meep.

Beep isn't as cute and cuddly as it looks

Prior to the stories in which the character appears, Beep's race, the Meeps, were peaceful beings of advanced intelligence. However, this changed when their planet was exposed to the radiation of a Black Sun. The Meeps were strangely mutated by the radiation, as while they retained their adorable appearance, their peaceful personalities had been destroyed, replaced with enhanced aggression.

The Meeps also developed an urge to expand the power and influence of their race. Under the leadership of Meep, the adorable but evil creatures embarked on a horrible campaign across the galaxy, conquering other planets and peoples as they went.

Beep the Meep made his Whoniverse debut in a comic strip

Titled Doctor Who and The Starbeast, the strip debuted in February 1980, running across six issues of Doctor Who Weekly magazine. After his forces are destroyed by Wrarth Warriors, Beep the Meep, now the last survivor of his race, crashes his ship on Earth, in the English city of Blackcastle. There, he is found by two children, who, believing Beep adorable and harmless, take him home with them, soon followed by the Fourth Doctor, who had his attention drawn by Beep's crashing ship. The children vow to protect Beep from the Wrarth Warriors who arrive in pursuit, but The Doctor soon realises the little Starbeast may not be as sweet as he looks.

Fifteen years after Beep's first appearance, The Starbeast II, a sequel to the first strip, was published in the 1996 Doctor Who Magazine yearbook. Thereafter, Beep The Meep became a semi-regular recurring villain in Doctor Who comic strips and audio dramas.

Beep The Meep has done battle with three incarnations of The Doctor

Across his appearances in both comic strips and audio, Beep the Meep has gone head to head with three different incarnations of The Doctor. In comic strips, Beep battles both the Fourth and Eighth Doctors, while in his first audio drama appearance, 'The Ratings War', Beep faces Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor.

Beep the Meep will appear alongside The Fourteenth Doctor in 'The Starbeast', but as the canon status of comic strips and audio stories vary, whether Fourteen adds to or resets Beep's official tally of Doctors faced is uncertain at this point in time.

'The Starbeast' marks Beep the Meep's first televised appearance

Originally, Doctor Who and the Starbeast was written as a potential TV adventure for The Fourth Doctor. However, when the script was rejected for TV, the story was reworked as a comic strip.

Now, over forty years since the strip was published, Beep the Meep is making it's first official onscreen appearance in 'The Starbeast'. Given the similar title, and that it is believed to include both Beep and Wrarth Warriors, some Whovians believe the special may be adapted from, or inspired by the original comic strip. However, rather than local children, it seems it may be the Temple-Nobles who initially fall for Beep's charms.

Miriam Margolyes will voice Beep the Meep

In 'The Ratings War', Toby Longworth voiced Beep, while in the 2019 audio adaptation of Doctor Who and The Starbeast, Bethan Dixon Bate performed the role. For the character's onscreen debut, Beep the Meep will be voiced by British-Australian actress Miriam Margolyes.

To modern audiences, Margolyes is probably best known as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter franchise. It is a piece of clever casting, possibly helping to preserve the twist of Beep's villainy for those not already aware. No-one would expect the voice of a warm, familiar figure to steer them wrong.

We can't wait to see Beep onscreen when Doctor Who returns on November 25th!