The trailer gives us a glimpse of alien forces in action. There are two sets of beings that look like they could be new to Doctor Who. Most Doctor Who fans would agree that they are. As a celebration of 60 years of Doctor Who, they aren't new at all, and they have a very strange Doctor Who history.
This cute little guy isn't very cute once you know who he is. Beep the Meep is a comic book character that ran in Doctor Who Weekly in 1980. Sharon Davies, the first comics-original companion to the Doctor, and the first person of color to be a long-term companion in any medium, was introduced in the story.
Beep hails from the Wrarth galaxy, where his people were once a peaceful civilization. The Meeps were transformed into a hate-filled race after their planet crossed into the Black Sun's path. The Meeps used Black Sun radiation to enthrall their enemies into violent rages, as they were before them. A new police force was formed by the Star Council of other races to fight back against the Meeps.
Beep escaped to 1980s Earth after fleeing the war. Beep used his cute appearance to ingratiate himself to Sharon and her best friend, fooling the Doctor into thinking he was an innocent being hunted. The Doctor helped save Sharon and her hometown from Beep by using Black Sun radiation to brainwash them into repairing his ship. Beep tried to get vengeance on Earth and the Doctor for his detainment in future Doctor Who comics, a regular joke for the Doctor's comic adventures.
The Wrarth Warriors were created by the Star Council to fight the Meeps. The Meep armada was wiped out by the Wrarth after they pushed back the Meeps. Two Wrarth agents, Zogroth and Zreeg, pursued Beep to Earth, and although initially opposed by the Doctor, they eventually worked together with the Time Lord to detain Beep. The Wrarths never had quite the comic staying power as Beep himself did though, and although they would receive the occasional mention in other Doctor Who stories, the Wrarth was even less well known.
It is clear that Russell T. Davies will be allowed to do anything with his return to Doctor Who if Live action Beep the Meep is something that is happening. We don't know much about what to expect from the 60thanniversary specials. Is Beep and the Wrarth connected to Neil Patrick Harris? Will Doctor Who giving these two comics a place on the small screen be a chance to re-imagine them for a major audience or will the history of a 1980s comic strip be important to Doctor Who's anniversary celebrations? It looks like Rose is the one who first encounters Beep, so what is her role in this?
Doctor Who will return for three specials to celebrate its 60th anniversary in November of 2023.
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