The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The monsters in Doctor Who’s 2023 anniversary specials come from two different corners of the show’s past. Beep the Meep and the Wrarth Warriors arrived in “The Star Beast” by way of a 1980 comic strip; the Celestial Toymaker returned in “The Giggle” from a four-part television serial first broadcast in 1966.
Who is the Meep?
Beep the Meep looks like a small, furry creature in need of help. In “The Star Beast,” Rose Noble shelters the crash-landed Meep while the Wrarth Warriors pursue it. The apparent victim turns out to be a cruel and ambitious leader: the Meep has prepared to destroy London and tries to escape when its plan is exposed. The BBC’s character profile describes the Meep’s people as having been changed by radiation from a “psychedelic sun.” That is the Meep’s account within the story, not an independently established scientific explanation.
The character’s defining trick is the gap between appearance and allegiance. The Meep’s cuteness invites Rose—and the viewer—to see a fugitive in need of rescue, while the episode gradually reveals that its pursuers have a legitimate reason to stop it.
Who are the Wrarth Warriors?
The Wrarth Warriors are the insectoid pursuers who arrive looking for the Meep. In the original comic-strip story, their role was to bring Beep to justice, according to the Royal Television Society. The contrast is central to the premise: the fuzzy creature is the antagonist, and the frightening-looking pursuers are law enforcers.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
- Ages: 8+
- Underground Toys P/N: 01298
What was Beep the Meep originally from?
Beep the Meep and the Wrarth Warriors began in “The Star Beast,” a Doctor Who comic strip published in Doctor Who Magazine in 1980, as dated by the Royal Television Society. They did not originate in an earlier televised Doctor Who episode.
The BBC adapted that comic-strip story for the first 60th-anniversary special, “The Star Beast,” broadcast on 25 November 2023. The episode was written by Russell T Davies from a story by Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons; the BBC’s casting announcement identifies the Meep as adapted from the comic strip. Miriam Margolyes voiced the Meep. The BBC announcement quoted her saying: “I’m relieved I got to work on Doctor Who before I died. With sci-fi you never know. Thank you for making an old woman very happy.”
Rank #2
- Celebrate 50 years of the Doctor and his greatest monsters with a unique figurine collection based on the world's longest-running Sci-Fi television series with this Doctor Who 10th Doctor Collector Figure! The series draws from every era of the show
- Cast in a specially formulated metallic resin and painted by hand, this 10th Doctor figure is sculpted with incredible care and attention to detail. The 10th Doctor is shown in a classic moment from a specific episode
- The process begins by collecting detailed reference material from the Doctor Who archives, which is then sent to the sculptor who produces a 3D digital sculpt. This sculpt is refined in consultation with the BBC's Doctor Who team before it is finally
- The factory scales the digital files to exactly 1:21-scale and uses them to make precision tools. The figurines are cast in a special metallic resin and painted by hand, using original production color references, and then given final approval by the
- Ages 14 and up
The television version brings those comic-origin characters to Doctor Who on screen, but the available episode and historical accounts do not establish a detailed, scene-by-scene comparison with the strip.
Who is the Toymaker in Doctor Who?
The Celestial Toymaker is a villain from Doctor Who’s original television run, not a character imported from the comics. He first appeared in the four-part serial “The Celestial Toymaker,” broadcast from 2 to 23 April 1966. The BBC’s classic-story page credits Brian Hayles and describes the Toymaker setting deadly games for the First Doctor and companions Dodo and Steven. Steven and Dodo face dangerous nursery figures; the Doctor is rendered invisible and challenged to play the Trilogic Game. Michael Gough played the Toymaker in the original serial.
Rank #3
- Ages: 8+
- Underground Toys P/N: 01356
A BBC retrospective describes the Toymaker as an immortal being able to create universes and manipulate his own realm. That is the character’s franchise mythology. In the 2023 special “The Giggle,” Neil Patrick Harris plays him. The episode, broadcast on 9 December 2023, is the third of the anniversary specials and marks the Toymaker’s return to Doctor Who television after his 1966 debut.
How the two anniversary deep cuts differ
| Character or group | Original medium and date | Role in the original story | 2023 anniversary appearance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beep the Meep | Comic strip “The Star Beast,” Doctor Who Magazine, 1980 (date attributed to the Royal Television Society) | A cute-looking fugitive revealed as a cruel leader | “The Star Beast,” 25 November; voiced by Miriam Margolyes |
| Wrarth Warriors | Comic strip “The Star Beast,” Doctor Who Magazine, 1980 (date attributed to the Royal Television Society) | Pursue Beep to bring the Meep to justice | “The Star Beast,” 25 November |
| Celestial Toymaker | Television serial “The Celestial Toymaker,” 2–23 April 1966 | Traps the First Doctor, Dodo and Steven in dangerous games | “The Giggle,” 9 December; played by Neil Patrick Harris |
The dates and episode credits are listed on the BBC classic-story page, the “The Star Beast” episode page and the BBC’s anniversary coverage. “Wild Blue Yonder,” the second special, aired on 2 December 2023; it sits between the two stories in the broadcast order, but it is not the origin of either monster.
Rank #4
- DOCTOR WHO: EP 73-MONSTER OF PELADON (DVD MOVIE)
Why these monsters count as deep cuts
The anniversary framing links the specials, but it does not give their monsters the same history. “The Star Beast” adapts a comic-strip story for television, introducing the Meep and Wrarth Warriors to that medium. “The Giggle” brings back a character already established in the television series. One is a comic-to-screen adaptation; the other is a return to classic TV Doctor Who.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- From "The Pandorica Opens" Episode
- Matt Smith action figure
- Stand Included
- Collect them all
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →
