THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING! THIS SEASON TAKES PLACE INSIDE A SHOW! Huge Doctor Who Theory! 

"The One Who Waits" is Davina McCall

Making a reference to Star Trek as a show and The Doctor saying we should visit them in The Space Babies.

The fact that the Doctor said, "We should go visit them." About Star Trek, I think the Doctor knows he's trapped in a meta-universe. A metaverse if you will.

This newest episode also showed that The Doctor can hear the show's background music. Ruby hears Murray Gold's music. And when she asks The Doctor if he can hear it, he responds "I always thought that was non-diagetic!" (Diagetic music is music the characters can hear. Non-diagetic only the audience can hear.)

When Ruby says, “you ran. You never run”, I was thinking “how would you know, you just met him”. But then, later on in the TARDIS, the Doctor asks “where she is now”, and they agree that her personal timeline is currently June 2024 (in our future). So, Ruby has been with the Doctor for six months, our time - plenty of time for her to have some insight into the Doctor’s personality. I thought it was interesting, that they mention this exposition after her comment earlier, as it was an easy miss, as opposed to mentioning it prior to the comment. But in was very typical of the “wait and see” style of storytelling we get from RTD. Honestly, I hope you, and Ellie, are right, and the whole season has been under the influence of the Toymaker’s pantheon, since the 60th specials, as I find all these fourth wall breaks very out of place in the show. It would also explain the musical number, which was, by far, my biggest ever WTF in Doctor Who. 😊 Cheers,

If the one who waits is related to the land of fiction I’ll be jumping up and down. Been wanting a sequel to that storyline for the longest time.

This really does make the 4th wall breaks, and the music number, make much more sense.

You’ve absolutely hit the nail on the head, it’ll be like the charmed episode ‘witch wars’. Ruby’s been dropped at the church for Ncuti to adopt as a companion so their adventures can be followed by an unseen audience (of Gods?) maybe they’ll be voting like a big brother audience, ie send in the Maestro! Send in the goblins! Make them do a dance routine! Ruby would be unaware that she’s being used like this. I’m loving this season so far, haven’t seen this much excitement for years

There's definitely something weird going on, and the idea that it's all a Truman Show based concept for The Pantheon of Gods, or the One Who Waits, as they watch on from beyond the universe is really intriguing. There's always a twist at the end 😉

I don't know if anyone has already pointed out the scene when the song hidden in Ruby played. When Maestro asks what kind of music it is, the Doctor replies "Music that was playing in the night she was born." This answer immediately struck me as odd. Because this music was non-diagetic. The Doctor shouldn't even know it. Unless ... see theories above. 🤔

Yeah I think you've nailed it - fiction becoming reality, fiction as reality, myth and legends becoming real, emphasis on screens, the constant fourth-wall breaks. It's all there.

This makes so much sense. I commented on your “what do you think?” community-poll, saying I really didn’t like the meta stuff, and the musical stuff and so on. But if this turns out to be true, I think I love it. We’ll see!

This is a very interesting theory. The heightened reality of the Ncuit era has been very noticeable. It’s also very similar to the old theory that the Toymaker was going to be a meta take on Doctor Who fandom, bringing back their favourite Doctor and companion to play with etc. Could this have been RTD’s original idea but expanded to this wider arc for season 1?

i thought i was going genuinely insane this weekend because things just feel SO incredibly off from the normal dw universe but i couldn't find anyone talking about it until now! i just can't wrap my head around several things like: - 15 slapping the tardis with a hammer and just instantly making another one??? didn't 10 give the meta-crisis doctor a chunk of the tardis and said it takes 1k years to grow in a deleted scene? - ruby making snow appear in weird places - ruby stepping on a butterfly and instantaneously turning into another species - the 4th wall breaking on a level i've never seen before (or don't remember) and certainly not in every episode - that dance sequence was eerie and the melody to "there's always a twist at the end" sounds like the giggle. - the way 15 winks before the twist song starts is exactly how the toymaker winks including the exact same sound effect - the toymaker being so easily defeated and the emphasis on him "not cheating" yet he usually tends to bend things in his favor - 15 saying "press the button" every time he pressed a button in space babies stood out to me. it seemed as if he was speaking a part of a script that you shouldn't say out loud but i may have missed a reference to something else or i'm just reaching

Ellie from WhoCulture has been saying this for a really long time.

It would be so funny if the one who waits is just Russel t davies lol

I had a thought that the Susan Twist thing is a double bluff... We're all looking for her and trying to work out what is going on with her.. but what if RTD has just put her in as a distraction from some other story thread?

I think the reason in episode 2 when they go "back" to June 2024, is because at the time when they filmed that sceen the broadcast date had not yet been finallised because the special effects were slowing production down a bit it it was thought then it would go out in June, not May. I think that makes most sense, rather than a clever plot point.

The kicker for me is the Doctor saying he thought the music was non-diegetic. Non-diegetic music is music that is outside the world of the show, i.e., underscoring (as opposed to music being performed or heard by characters in the show). Unless he knows he's in a show, how would he think that music he was able to hear could be non-diegetic? Unless the Doctor has a soundtrack playing in his head for everything he does...

the doctor starting church of ruby road with narration and referring to himself in third person is making this even more credible

"The One who Waits" could be US. waiting for the next episode (very Neverending Story-ish) .... THis is an AWESOME theory, and the more I think about it ., the more I think you are probably right!

I think you are onto somethings! We know Russell plays a long game and it’s always clever, so maybe a whole season extension of the mind robber is part of it too!

To further validate this, a quote from the season finalé being said by Mel: "It's your life, Doctor. It's telling the story of your life."

That is SO odd. I said on a podcast today that it's like they're on a TV show and they know about it. You might be on to something here.

That explains the Sonic Screwdriver looking like a TV remote this season... I knew there was going to be something more to that design lol. (There's always something more when it comes to Davies.) Russell said in an interview it was cause he didn't want children thinking it looked like a gun, but that's clearly nonsense when you factor 14 had a similar looking screwdriver to past designs and that this season is all centred around meta concept of Doctor Who being Directed by one of the Pantheons.

With the falling snow, it obvious that they're trapped in a Snow Globe! 🥶

The pantheon seem to literally be the narrators, directors and writers of our reality now. They’ve been invited in, and they are exercising their power to mess with the programming, dissolving barriers between our universe and myth/fiction, to create what is effectively a diegesis (narrative) out of the reality of the Whoniverse. It’s has been getting more explicit as it rolls along. In a very real sense, I can imagine RTD having the moment of inspiration when the words ‘Reality TV’ suddenly gave him the story arc for season 40/14/1

So essentially we’ve had the toymaker, the one who makes the games, the maestro, the one who controls music and soon to be seen, the director, the one who controls the script, the one who waits for the perfect shoot

OK I just finished watching this. Not only does this make sense, not only do I agree with you, but I’m gonna step out to give you something you made me think of, and you might compare this to… WandaVision.

After watching your videos for a while now, I think Russell and the team (and doctor who) could benefit from your input. You have already proven this with the Tharries ramp. I'm rooting for you!

I think you are bang on. A gamble from RTD to keep the fans on board but we should learn to trust RTD with the show, myself included. He loves the show so would seem strange to massively change it. Well done!

Maybe it's confirmation of Stubagful's idea that the Doctor never left the Land of Fiction after the events of The Mind Robber...

if it is placed inside a show it would be hilarious to see if the one who waits is just rtd

Ok this is extremely far fetched, but consider that the star trek reference is actually a reference to the DW star trek crossover comic. Then there's also liberation of the daleks. Russell seems to be putting at least some focus on the comics universe this time around, which is obviously nice, but then remember that maybe one of the most iconic DW comics is "The girl who loved Doctor who" where The doctor specifically travels to a universe where Doctor Who is just a TV show.

several people seem to have hit on this as a notion but this is the most complete discussion of how it may play out by far.

Question: have you noticed that the Tardis colours have inverted?

Michael Grade is the one who waits But for real, your Gods of Ragnarok theory makes sense, especially because they were originally a metaphor for the BBC higher ups looking for a reason to get rid of the show in the 80s, and I hope it comes true

That's what will happen when you travel in the Toymakers TARDIS.... Actually, could the abandoned TARDIS we see be 14ths? 15th has been rocking about a fictional reality and only realises this towards the end of the series, which ends with him taking back the "original" TARDIS, long abandoned after 14 has gone?

There's definitely something up and it's all connected to the Ruby/Pantheon arc. Even the 15th Doctor is born out of unusual circumstance. Russell is definitely doing a thing.

Ngl Tharries, I feel like you're onto something here. Maybe it won't play out quite how you described, but perhaps there is something there... 🤔

This is a common theory… I’ve been mentioning it to all my mates (poor them XD) especially after the title reveals with Legend of Ruby Sunday being on cameras… then confirmed by loaaaads of things in the show (u could even include Tennant at beginning of 60th) - even memories/flashbacks cross over/actually happen (hence the snow) Who culture channel also been saying this for a while. This alongside Trickster and Susan Twist/STriad theory all fits.

100% correct I'm sure, I was actually planning a video similar to this but now there's not much point but yes I completely agree with this, so annoyed you got there first lol. Something I was gonna mention is how in the original Celestial Toymaker he manages to control these real people and create this fictional game land where the inhabitants are almost convinced there toys themselves which, when you consider musical numbers and that, is very much how the characters of the show are taking this idea right now (in the show world instead of a toy world).

I would also mention the rumor that this season's finale has a connection the Third Doctor's era... maybe the title, Empire of Death, is a hint itself to the overall story arch.

i’m so on board with this theory. that musical number at the end of devils chord went on so long as to be a bit eery - i half expected ruby and the doctor to end with, “wait why did we just do that?” i also think there could be a lot of really cool themes and conversations about the Ruby and doctors dynamic. maybe they could realize that their dynamic was SO perfect, they became best friends SO quick, and it maybe wasn’t entirely within their control? could be kind of dark and cool! also - my new crack theory is that susan twist/mrs merridew is susan foreman, who saw her grandpa trapped in this tv show/being broadcast out to the universe and is now trying to infiltrate the “show” to get her grandpa’s attention/get him out? you keep saying you think this theory is super wrong, but honestly, I think it’s the most likely reason why they’re doing all these fourth wall breaks…! a bunch of bros who make it their hobby to hate whatever’s new are right now complaining about the 4th wall breaks, meta, dance number, inconsistencies etc and every time someone tries to make a theory as to why these things keep happening I see all kinds of comments about how the show sucks now and we’re just taking copium 😭 but honestly it’s so obvious that the writers and rtd are crafting something here and i’m going to wait to pass judgement on its quality until it’s actually all out!! whatever it is I think it’s gonna be super cool. can NOT wait and am loving ur theories and the positivity that u bring to the dw community !!

I'm glad you brought up the space babies episode having the characters recognize that the environment was conjured being like a meta introduction to the idea within the show. The characters calling out that computer made up a bad guy for the babies, but got it slightly wrong. Also the Doctor recognizes it being a reference to how it's not real but a trope or based off of existing monster stories. I like the idea that aybe something has made this universe, but gotten some things wrong.

If you're right, you deserve a biscuit.

I was thinking this too. As you say, Ruby even starts out on a TV show with Davina McCall, and the giggle was attached to John Logie Baird's invention of television. ALSO MAESTRO TURNS RUINED LONDON INTO A STAGE SET WITH A BACKDROP. Some of the clunky visual choices might be explained away via this theory too: the space baby CGI, for example, and a weird cut in the same episode where Ruby goes from carrying her jacket to wearing it slightly too quickly. Perhaps, this is also why we have a strange time jump in episode 2 -- it seems Ruby has been with the doctor for 6 months but is still asking early days questions such as: what about the clothes? This time choice and the changing of the Doctor's memory regarding Ruby's mother could be linked to editing processes that are happening around the show they are in. The Doctor's winking at the camera and reference to the non-diagetic suggests he already knows where he is, as do Maestro and Mrs. Flood.

I'd be down for a modern followup to the Mind Robber. Big Finish did one with six and it was pretty wild. Give it a Disney budget and it'd be crazy

Ruby also playing her own theme: 'Life of Sunday' by Murray Gold in The Devil's Chord.

I agree with this 1000% I actually said this to my partner the other night; breaking of the 4th wall continually, all of the super meta behavior. "I thought it was non-diegetic (music)" from the Doctor; It's like "off" somehow, and I feel like Russel is a better showrunner than making something bad with this many holes. Also did you catch that Susan Twist showed up in every episode? She was Mrs. Meridu or in the 16th Century, The Bar lady in Ruby Road, she was the Communications Officer in the ship's logs (I think that's what she said she was) who evacuated the ship in Space Babies, and she was the Tea lady in Devils Chord. Also, do you think the "Ancient one" who was present on the day Ruby was born, is the same as "the one who waits?" I am just hoping that "BOOM" is a bit more of a ... serious straight faced ... episode. We need that kind of tone change to get people hooked in, these first two episodes were really not great if there is not a super big payoff at the end, and it was all done on purpose. RTD DOES Lie, for example, with Bi-generation - saying that it maybe happened to all of the Doctor's incarnations, except 15 says that it "Split his soul in half" and he couldn't survive it again. I thought that was a great way to make Bi-generation 1 and done.

“The One Who Waits” is Russel T Davis. The ending will be in Bad Wolf studios hahaa!

This doesn't disprove this theory, but does make it more interesting... Susan Twist first appeared in WBY, but *before* 14 lets the toymaker into the universe, so if she is related in some way to another being pulling the strings, they would have had to have already been setting things up before the toymaker is even involved.

Tharries, I came up with a similar conclusion but I think there is more to it. One thing the show keeps doing is making references to season one (1963), especially Susan. But season one (1963) isn't the only season one. There is also the 2005 season one. And we saw two episodes set around television in season one (2005), both written by RTD: The Long Game and Bad Wolf. Now, if you put together a villain who played a long game, and who personified the concept of a bad wolf, a villain forced to watch, who was on who waits, who could easily be tied to the Gods of Ragnarok, and who enjoys games of his own, you get... Fenric. I know, I know, mad right? But there is more! Fenrir, the wolf who eats the sun during Ragnarok, is obviously an inspiration for Fenric - the name, his wolves. Fenrir also follows Loki, his father, the trickster god archetype. Fenrir's siblings are Jormungandr and Hela. They are feared by the gods and imprisoned because of a long-running prophecy. In the end, only the now-orphaned children of the Norse gods survive, including the daughter of Sol, the sun goddess. Empire of Death sees the TARDIS trapped in a sunless void, much the same as The Toymaker and Maestro trap The Doctor in, in The Giggle and The Devil's Chord. The Toymaker who wraps his madness around the world (admittedly, this is my weakest link - Bad Wolf reference, there, though). Maestro who is summoned by a Devil's Chord. Much like Jormungandr wraps around the world and Hela rules over Hel. Also, during Ragnarok, Jormungandr and Thor kill each other - much like how The Toymaker defeats The Doctor, and The Doctor's defeat The Toymaker. Neither wins but they do manage to defeat the other. Also, Jormungandr, Hela and Fenrir; The Toymaker, Maestro and possibly Fenric... wouldn't that be a triad? The idea that the last of this pantheon might eat the sun should also be ominous - the wolf also defeats and kills Odin. It's easy to see 14 as Thor and 15, the older and wiser Doctor, as Odin. 14 did have to regenerate. What awaits 15? Not only this, but let's move onto Ruby. Her second name is SUNday. Many of the days of the week correspond to Norse gods. Wednesday is Wodan, the Germanic name for Odin. Thursday is Thor. SUNday would likely correspond to Sol, whose daughter survives Ragnarok but is orphaned. And, if the lights have gone out on the gone out on Earth because a wolf has eaten the sun, you're going to need a sun to brighten things up. But there is more to this: did you notice anything about the costume worn by the person who leaves Ruby on the church steps? A long hooded black cloak? Correct me if I'm wrong, by but we never see their eyes, do we? Even more than that, The Doctor refers to these beings as a pantheon in The Devil's Chord. Pantheon. Chord. Have we heard those two terms mentioned in a RTD Doctor Who show before? Yes. We have. In The Sarah Jane Adventures. Where someone without eyes wearing a long hooded black cloak with similar powers to The Toymaker and Maestro, and a similar name to The Toymaker, terrorised Sarah Jane Smith: The Trickster. A trickster, much like Loki, who is the father and instigator of Ragnarok, and a member of The Pantheon of Discord. Don't believe me? The first thing RTD did when coming back was adapt a comic strip, The Star Beast. So far, it is the one story which doesn't seem to have many hints to this ongoing plot. Or does it? There is another comic strip which features The Pantheon of Discord, again messing with The Doctor's companions, Amy, Rory and Mels (River Song, obviously). The villain and Pantheon member? Krampus. A Germanic being, likely the Norse gods, associated with Christmas. Say, what accent did The Toymaker put on again? Could he have gone back to another comic strip to inspire this ongoing arc? Again, tenuous, but still interesting. Especially if Mrs Flood's first name is Carol - and with it being a Christmas episode, would you put it past RTD? Melody Pond, River Song, Carol Flood? We even had a reference to carollers in The Devil's Chord. It would also explain why she recognises the TARDIS and is hanging around Ruby. Not to mention that targeting The Doctor via his companions, is very, very Fenric - and didn't 13 meet one of his wolves, Ace, just before turning into 14? Anyway, back to the specials: they kind of reflect the end of season one (2005) and season four (2008). The Doctor-Donna and a powered up Rose stop Beep the Meep. The bad guy uses television to control people. The TARDIS ends up out of control because of a companion. We end up with two Doctors after David Tennant splits in two. 14 even stays with Rose again. But look a little closer at what kicks off both those adventures. The Doctor, Rose and Jack end up at Satellite 5, introduced in The Long Game where television is being used to control people, run by the Bad Wolf Corporation, which is being used to hide a waiting threat. Who created the Bad Wolf Corporation? Rose, in a bootstrap paradox, or the corporation itself? Has it been a message to The Doctor, a warning from The One Who Waits all this time? Then there are the events of Turn Left/The Stolen Earth/Journey's End. Donna is literally trapped in a parallel timeline where the stars are going out by a minion of The Trickster, setting her down the path to become The Doctor-Donna the moment she says, "Bad Wolf." And the moment we get the real Donna back, she immediately throws a cup of coffee onto the TARDIS, sending The Doctor to exactly the point in time and space where he will set these things god-like beings free. Could Fenric, the Bad Wolf, have been playing a very Long Game this entire time? It fits in with the theme of abandonment that is a huge part of this season - The Doctor abandoned on Gallifrey, Ruby abandoned at the church, bringing up Susan who was abandoned, the Space Babies were abandoned, music was abandoned, Maestro was abandoned, why not the god-like being that The Doctor abandoned so long ago, too?

Honestly I’ve been thinking about the same thing since Maestro started playing the theme and then it playing in the Tardis. Love the brain tease this whole season is ❤

I like it a lot! Would explain the "silliness" vibe. But a risky thing to pull when you are relaunch Who to past heights. I can't imagine new viewers will be captived by these 3 adventures. 😬

I wouldn't be surprised if connected to this theory, episode 7 reveals a new version of the Land of Fiction.

Think you’ve got something here man. Just rewatched all 3 eps so far and in the devils cord when the doctor asked ruby to play the piano he says he was there when she played the piano in the Xmas special but said it was on the 23rd but if you watch the Xmas ep it says in big text at the beginning of that seen 22nd December another continuity error

I came to a very similar conclusion a couple of days ago too Posted it on reddit and a few people seemed to agree with me It's the only theory right now that seems 100% possible. The ending of The Devils Chord was really what made it click for me

we could be seeing the Land of Fiction at play but on a bigger scale

I think your onto something big Tharries The other thing that has made me think is about the concept and theme of Memories as it seems to come up a lot. Memory Tardis, Rubys Church Memory Changing, maybe meddling monk directing a tv show??? Ooooo who knows… also the fact the meep refers to the boss as having two hearts in the star beast could this be the master? I hope not as we need some fresh characters but I can’t ignore it tbh. I know Russell said the master is having a break but I just keep coming back to it. Also the fact Donna mentions a strange man at the start of the star beast that sounds master esc

What's fun is the fanbase is (mostly) totally receptive to this stuff as an interesting new direction for the show and, while the fourth wall breaks are sometimes taken as meh writing, it's not breaking people's suspension of disbelief to do this more fantastical stuff.

You know u might be on to something. Remember when the doctor jumps around in ruby road ep as well. he's there to catch Ruby's glass from across the room even..... Hmmmmmm I think Susan twist the actor is the TWIST that they all sang about as well...

OMG this makes so much sense! Sorry RTD. Tharries has cracked the plot

The end of the giggle was in a state of play. The end number in the devils cord was a similar state...

Great theory! Two things to possibly consider: the Doctor broke the fourth wall with a wink at one point, and did I detect the musical scale of 'The Giggle' in the chorus of "There's always a Twist in the End"...?

Between Ruby saying "its literally a children story" and Gatwa saying "I thought it was non-diagetic" this is one of those theories that NEEDS to be true, otherwise Davies saw Capaldi say "I'm nothing without an audience" and took it too far.

I think Whoculture did make a video about this around the time that the episode titles were released and The Legend Of Ruby Sunday had all the camera equipment in it. Also there's the evidence that this era opens on a show with Ruby being on lost families with Davina McCall which they brought up.

What if the one who waits is either a metaphor for the inevitability of the valeyard, Susan literally waiting for him or RTD himself since he controls the universe

Clever lad! It will be interesting to see if your theory pans out!

I like this theory :)

It will indeed be interesting if this all ties in with John Logie Baird again. Also, if anybody is a fan of the classic series UFO, then there is the episode Mindbender, but I don't think Doctor Who would quite go down this bonkers route. 😀

That's what I have been saying, my good friend. Its an alternative Universe.

Some very astute observations in this video, mate. RTD has hinted at something meta in this mysterious “73 Yards” episode of which he speaks. He seems to think that it will be a TV landmark, like the last episode of “The Prisoner” in 1968, although the latter, surreal, episode was written in about two days, after McGoohan told Lou Grade that they “did not have an ending”.

I will admit I've seen this theory from a few other RU-vidrs, but I think it is a very solid Theory and is seemingly more likely each episode.

This did cross my mind earlier. With the Toymaker's legions now an established thing, what could follow Play God and Music God? The first one that came to mind was Imagination God (maybe connected to The Mind Robber perhaps). After seeing this, you've fully convinced me that that's where this series is going.

I can't wait for the next member of the Pantheon to be Vox lmao

“He who waits” is waiting for the Doctor to get to the end of the show within a show. 🤯. Awesome theory!

A second watch through of these two episodes, and something subtle that I think may bolster your theory - snow. That white stuff that falls from the sky in winter. Also the name given to the static on a television when it’s not been tuned correctly (not so much these days, but in the time of Magpie Electronics....). Things have been very literal so far. The bogey man, the rather (to me anyway) jarring depiction of music in Western musical notation. Maybe the snow is a literal representation of the electronic interference. Maybe the Doctor is on some VHS recoding of an evening of Saturday NIght telly..... The more I think about this idea, the more I like it. A good catch if you are right.

Ruby saying “you never hide” is because there is a six month gap between space babies and the devils chord

I think the visit Star Trek line is about visiting the cast and watching it getting filmed

Literally said same thing on a video earlier today and that it might let Peter Cushing doctor become a part of this universe as show within a show 😊

Other fun observations: All 3 stories so far have contained alternate timelines. Hints this all could be an alternate timeline, the ruby show! Both episode 1 and 2 have contained very similar scenes to both rose and marthas first adventure: roses phone becoming a superphone. Martha questioning how the witches could end the world in 1599 "im living proof". Is the show referential to the doctors life? Would be a interesting trend if episode 3 features a Donna-similar scene from her first companion adventure, Fires of Pompei.

I've been hearing whispers about this but nobody made sense of it so well! I think this is the case, and I have rarely chosen an incorrect theory in all whostory (born in 84 & raised on the show so much it's basically the source of my morality) Plus that freaking dance scene was insane and the way the doctor described it, like the fact they were having a dance scene at all IS THE TWIST! Although, I think Ms Flood is definitely evil.

This is much my train of thought, I'm so intrigued on where the rest on the season is heading

This is my theory too 😮 I have mentioned it in a few people's videos BUT I should say my theories have rarely panned out. I had a theory for the 60th and the only parts of it that were correct were Mavity and the salt being more important than people were realising.

Hence Mavity

I've been thinking something similar, yes. Things are just way too meta for there NOT to be something like this going on. All will be made clear, I'm sure!

Your theory makes a lot of sense It would be really meta if the big bad is basically a deity that has control over fictional stories like how the Toymaker was with games and toys and Maestro with music. They could be called something like ‘the Play-writer’, ‘the Director’, ‘the Story Teller’ or ‘the Showrunner‘. If they want to be really Meta maybe Russel T Davies himself could play them. Maybe the season is actually happening inside the land of fiction from the Mind Robbers?

It's the triad organization. Consisting of time travellers. The actress Susan twist has already played more than 1 character in different times in history. Anita dobson was also spotted filming an episode for season 2 that's set in the past. Lots of people in top hats in modern day were also spotted during filming. Time is definitely being messed with.

This is really really interesting, its sort of what i was thinking. That the doctor is in another kind of reality which is controlled by some powerful being

@Tharries It'd be an intentional mirroring to the conclusion of Satelite Five in Season 1 of Russel's original tenure. Instead of Daleks brainwashing people with various Reality TV Shows, The Pantheons have turned this season of Doctor Who into one.

Ellie suggested it, you’ve done a cracking job of piecing it together…now I’ll be disappointed if it doesn’t happen 😄

There’s always a Twist at the end? Susan Twist is in the closing credits due to her cameos…so a Susan Twist…could be a Susan twist!

You may well be right and there are two problems that, if true, it would cause. First, the "anything goes, no need to explain, it's not real" approach is already driving fans like me^ away and by the time there is an explanation it will be too late to get us back. Second, it's a variation on the tiredest, most lazy trope in writing history. The "and it was all a dream" trope. The trouble with that is that it removes all stakes from the individual episodes. (*I'm old. I watched the first episode in 1963 on our first TV set. I have NEVER missed an episode. And these two episodes have convinced me that now is the time to stop.)

On first blush, given the episodes we have so far, this theory of your makes a lot of sense. It certainly would be a bold thing to do.

This is the first video I’ve seen on this theory, but I have seen a couple people advance it in comment sections on fan sites. I do not think it is crazy at all, and think it may be at least partially correct.

It makes sense one of the 12th doctor episode were we find out they were in a simulation

To quote the great Paul Heyman: "This isn't a prediction, it's a spoiler"

I think you've cracked it there mate, susan twist is just a recurring background actor as its a tv show

You're the only one making sense. The whole random dance number, the mystical BS, time working completely the wrong way etc