📝8/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

"Marco Polo: A Lost Classic with Some Bumps Along the Way"

Marco Polo shines as one of Doctor Who's most unique serials, with its travel-diary format and animated map sequences that visually track the journey, a feature never seen again in the series. The story seamlessly blends historical, cultural, and scientific lessons, staying true to the educational roots of the show.

The production values are impressively high, given the BBC's budget, giving the story a cinematic, period-drama feel, which only heightens the regret that it’s mostly lost. Despite this, the surviving stills and telesnaps showcase what could’ve been a truly iconic visual experience.

Performances across the board are excellent. Mark Eden delivers a nuanced portrayal of Marco Polo, straddling the line between ally and adversary. This version of Polo is a conflicted, yet commanding leader, which adds depth to the narrative. William Hartnell’s Doctor, though not in control of the situation for once, desperately works to outwit his circumstances, giving his character a fresh angle that’s fascinating to watch.

Susan benefits from being separated from the group, and while her teenage companion Ping-Cho proves more competent, it’s nice to see Susan have moments of growth and agency. As for the villain, Tegana stands out as the first truly memorable foe in the series, calm, calculating, and unnervingly methodical—his subtle threat creates a sense of quiet tension throughout.

However, some elements don’t hold up as well in the reconstructed form. The sandstorm in Part 2 is a frustrating auditory mess, and the fight scene in Part 5 loses its impact in stills. The story is slow-moving, with much of the middle bogged down by repetitiveness and long filler sequences like Ping-Cho’s subplot, which stretches the narrative unnecessarily. Still, the final episodes regain the mystery and tension, culminating in a satisfying resolution that leaves us with a hauntingly unresolved fate.

While Marco Polo offers a fascinating historical adventure, the slow pacing and occasionally problematic stereotypes, particularly in the portrayal of certain characters, prevent it from being an absolute classic. It’s an ambitious, well-crafted serial that ultimately shows both the series’ potential and its growing pains.