A villain from the classic Doctor Who 1980s comic strips has been confirmed to make their on-screen television debut in the 60th-anniversary specials that will air in late 2023. David Tennant will return to the long-running series to portray the Fourteenth incarnation of the Doctor across three specials to celebrate the show's history. Tennant made his first appearance as the Fourteenth Doctor in the final moments of 2022's "The Power of the Doctor", where he was shocked to discover his new-but-familiar face after he regenerated from Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor.
Through his personal Instagram, Millennium FX founder Neill Gorton confirmed the appearance of comic villain Beep the Meep in Doctor Who's latest 60th-anniversary trailer. Gorton confirmed that Beep, alongside the insectoid Wrarth Warriors, will make their on-screen debut in 2023, praising the work of the artists at the production company in adapting the characters from page to screen. Check out Gorton's full post below:
Beep the Meep Explained
Beep the Meep and the Wrarth Warriors made their first appearances in the 1980 Marvel Comics Doctor Who comic strips in the story, "Doctor Who and the Star Beast". Created by writers Pat Mills, John Wagner, and artist Dave Gibbons, Beep's cute appearance hides his true nature as a sadistic and manipulative intergalactic criminal who once led threatening armadas of starships. The Wrarth Warriors defeated Beep's fleet, sending him tumbling to Earth where he would first encounter the Fourth Doctor, portrayed by Tom Baker.
During his first appearance in "The Star Beast", Meep attempted to take control of the residents of the town of Blackcastle and force them to repair his crashed starship, but the Wrarth Warriors finally apprehended Meep and took him into custody thanks to the Fourth Doctor's intervention. Despite this, Meep would later escape and cause further chaos for the Time Lord in the Doctor Who audio drama, "The Ratings War", where he attempted to use subliminal messages to hypnotize television viewers into murdering one another, with the Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) putting a stop to his scheme by deceiving him. Beep the Meep is the second villain confirmed to appear in the 60th-anniversary specials, alongside Neil Patrick Harris' mysterious character.
Doctor Who's anniversary celebrations have always offered the franchise the opportunity to celebrate the show's history through large-scale stories, be it through uniting multiple incarnations of the Doctor on-screen as seen in "The Three Doctors", "The Five Doctors", "The Day of the Doctor", and the much-maligned "Dimensions in Time", or featuring returning foes in key roles such the Cybermen in "Silver Nemesis". As such, many longtime fans have anticipated how returning showrunner Russell T. Davies could celebrate the show's history, alongside featuring the returns of Tennant and Catherine Tate to lead the three celebratory episodes. And while news that previous Doctors have denied their involvement in the upcoming stories may leave some viewers disheartened, Meep's involvement in the story is a surprising addition that allows Doctor Who to celebrate the franchise's long history, both on-screen and in its expansive extended media.
Source: Neill Gorton/Instagram