The Star Beast (TV story)

The Star Beast was the first of the three 2023 specials of Doctor Who, broadcast on 25 November 2023 as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations.

It saw the first full onscreen adventure of David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor, the return of Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, and the first episode of Russell T Davies's second stint as showrunner.

This episode is an adaptation of the comic story Doctor Who and the Star Beast.

Synopsis
A spaceship crashes in North London. Not that Donna Noble (Tate) noticed; she had other things on her mind. Besides, there's no such thing as aliens — right?! But then one turns up in her garden shed: the Meep (voiced by Margolyes). Another — the Doctor (Tennant) — barges into her kitchen. By the time a squadron of Wrarth Warriors shows up on her doorstep, the Noble family must face facts: Donna's past is catching up to her. And her mind is about to be blown...

Plot
The TARDIS lands on Earth in 2023.

Meep, meep!

Cast

 * Fourteenth Doctor - David Tennant
 * Donna Noble - Catherine Tate
 * Rose Noble - Yasmin Finney
 * Sylvia Noble - Jacqueline King
 * Shaun Temple - Karl Collins
 * Shirley Anne Bingham - Ruth Madeley
 * The Meep - Cecily Fay
 * Voice of the Meep - Miriam Margolyes
 * Wrarth Warriors
 * Constable Zreeg - Stephen Love
 * Voice of Zreeg - John Hopkinson
 * Sergeant Zogroth
 * Voice of Zogroth - Ned Porteous
 * Major Singh - Ronak Patani
 * Colonel Chan - Jamie Hayden
 * Fudge Merchandani - Dara Lall
 * BBC reporter - Matt Green
 * Chief technician - Anna Martine Freeman
 * Sergeant - Archie Backhouse
 * Soldier - Isabella Carey
 * Lad - Harley McEvilly
 * Lad - Max Fincham

Uncredited cast
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Worldbuilding
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 * Rose Noble's toy designs appear to be based on a Dalek, a Cyberman of the Cyberiad, a Judoon, an Ood, and a Lupari.
 * The psychic paper takes time to properly reflect the Doctor's gender in titles; especially if the change was recent. When the Doctor attempts the title "Master", it says "Mistress" instead.
 * Wilfred Mott, due to being ninety-four years old and is unable to use the stairs in their home, has to stay in a cottage as "sheltered accommodation".
 * While the Nobles couldn't afford it, UNIT made an offer to cover most of the expenses, as Kate said she'd look after him as he was an "old soldier".
 * Rose Noble was born under the dead name of Jason.

Comparison with comic version
Doctor Who and the Star Beast is also a comic strip story by Pat Mills and John Wagner, which featured the Fourth Doctor meeting Sharon Davies after she had been tricked by Beep the Meep, with The Star Beast featuring the Fourteenth Doctor meeting Rose Noble during a reunion with Donna Noble that involves a Meep.

Myths
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Filming locations
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Production errors
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Influences
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Continuity

 * Although not explicit at the time of release, the Redacted audio drama leads directly into The Star Beast, as the characters Cleo Proctor and Apex Costa watch the Meep's star cruiser fly through the skies of Camden Town.
 * Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 contained several works of fiction which teased some of the characters in The Star Beast:
 * The short story hinted towards the reunion of the Nobles and the Doctor, and Rose meeting the Meep.
 * The Doctor mentions "wearing a bowtie", being "a Scotsman". and "a woman" in his last three incarnations.
 * Bingham briefly mistakes the Fourteenth Doctor for the Tenth, referencing his involvement with UNIT in, etc.
 * The TARDIS surprises the Doctor with a new console room, which it had previously done in and.
 * The Doctor carries a Barrister's Wig and conducts a trial like his fourth incarnation in.

Home media releases
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Gallery
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