Marco Polo

Directed by

UK Viewers

9.4 million

Appreciation Index

63

Synopsis

The TARDIS experiences a total power failure and is stranded in the Himalayas in the 13th century. The travellers are forced to join the caravan of the famous explorer, Marco Polo, in order to survive -- but Polo, fascinated by their claims that the TARDIS can fly through the air, seizes it on behalf of Kublai Khan in the hope that presenting the Khan with such a fabulous gift will convince him to let Polo return home to Venice. The travellers are forced to accompany Polo on his long trek across Asia to the Khan's court, but their many attempts to reclaim their property are foiled -- not just by Polo, but by the war lord Tegana, who is apparently on a mission of peace but has entirely different plans for dealing with Kublai Khan...

The Singing Sands Missing

First aired

Saturday, February 29, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

9.4 million

Appreciation Index

62

Synopsis

Tegana sabotages the party's water bags, leaving them in dire need of fresh supplies.

Five Hundred Eyes Missing

First aired

Saturday, March 7, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

9.4 million

Appreciation Index

62

Synopsis

The Doctor and Susan are able to supply Marco with condensation that has formed inside the TARDIS, saving the group from dying of thirst. When the group are reunited with Tegana, the travellers begin to suspect he is up to something.

The Wall of Lies Missing

First aired

Saturday, March 14, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

John Crockett

UK Viewers

9.9 million

Appreciation Index

60

Synopsis

The Doctor's group manage to rescue Barbara from the Mongols but once more Marco remains unaware of Tegana's involvement.

Rider from Shang-Tu Missing

First aired

Saturday, March 21, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

9.4 million

Appreciation Index

59

Synopsis

The Doctor and his friends elect to warn Marco of Acomat's attack even though it means losing their chance to gain access to the TARDIS.

Mighty Kublai Khan Missing

First aired

Saturday, March 28, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

8.4 million

Appreciation Index

59

Synopsis

The Doctor, Ian and Barbara are forced to surrender to Tegana and Marco, leaving both of them the opportunity to gain possession of the TARDIS.

Assassin at Peking Missing

First aired

Saturday, April 4, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

10.4 million

Appreciation Index

59

Synopsis

Tegana finally makes his move to assassinate the Khan, giving the Doctor and his friends an opportunity to thwart his plans and regain the TARDIS.

Characters

First Doctor

William Hartnell

Susan

Carole Ann Ford

How to watch Marco Polo:

DVD

The Beginning – An Unearthly Child / The Daleks / The Edge of Destruction

Reviews
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17 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

I genuinely thought it'd be tedious and tiring to watch this, since it's lost, but that wasn't at all the case! It's such an interesting historical. Tbh, my favorite thing about it must be Barbara. She shines in this one, and I'm so glad she does and shows her bravery and the way she can and will act on her own if she desires to prove her beliefs and protect others. On the other hand, Susan and Ping-cho's storyline was so sweet and I have a weak spot for dynamics like that. Plot-wise overall is also great but I preferred the girls in this one!

rainbownixie

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Review last edited on 30-03-25

I'm sure this would be great if it was found or animated. Being lost does hamper my enjoyment. I did get to see an AI version of episode 1 which I thought was good, which made me give this an extra half star.

Scottybguud

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Review last edited on 25-03-25

se essa historia tivesse o vídeo e fosse mais curta seria obra prima, só pelas imagens da pra ver que eles se empenharam nas roupas e cenários uma pena isso ter sido perdido no tempo.

If this story had a video and was shorter, it would be a masterpiece; just from the pictures you can see that they put effort into the clothes and settings, it’s a pity this was lost over time.

(Translation generated by AI, so mistakes are possible).

GGVICTOR

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Review last edited on 21-03-25

This review contains spoilers!

Marco Polo was recommended to me a long time ago as a great example of a historical story from the early days, and a personal favourite of said person. There is indeed a lot to like here. The structure of this one - going from destination to destination and showcasing the journey on a map as they travel - was very creative and definitely ahead of its time a bit. What we know and have seen of the costumes and sets are quite impressive, too.

The characters are pretty good even if there are a lot of white actors playing other races. It's harder to be overly critical of that kind of stuff when looking back on a low-budget show from 1964. The culture of the time simply did not even think such a thing could be considered, well, racist. Yet it is certainly racist. I won't excuse that or pretend it doesn't exist.

But I won't pretend that it still isn't a fundamentally pleasant watch, either. While it is important to discuss and mention these racist depictions (Kublai Khan is particularly problematic) it is worth pointing out that the most important Asian role in Marco Polo is played by an Asian woman. Ping-Cho is a pretty well realized character and a critical part of the story. Personally, I liked her quite a bit and found her desire not to be married well done on the whole. Sure, that sort of plot point is so old it is literally used in fairy tales, but Marco Polo does a good job at making it work as a plot point anyways. It's pretty impressive how they wrote her character on the whole. Plus, it is an important reminder that even in 1964, Doctor Who was able to cast an Asian actor to play an Asian role. That is critical in remembering The Talons of Weng-Chiang being produced a decade later as it kind of highlights just how embarrassing the racism is in that story.

It should also be applauded and noted there is a lot of great character work here for pretty much our entire main cast, Ping-Cho included. The Doctor is fun and it really feels like the companions are all a big part of this story, too. Marco Polo is also an entertaining character. I like how he narrates this story and a lot of this content could be argued as being seen from his perspective.

dema1020

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Review last edited on 26-02-25

This review contains spoilers!

I did not expect a story comprised of seven missing episodes to be as enjoyable as this is. While I do think they could have cut down as episode for a tighter story, this serial is remarkably engaging. I mostly wasn't bored during it, and found that there were enough pictures to keep me engaged. I didn't get nearly as much knitting done as I had expected to.

Marco Polo and Ping-Cho are both likeable and realistic characters. I like their dynamics with the main cast, as well as the dynamic between Khan and the Doctor.

The story was a little repetitive with the constant escape attempts and all the things Tegana tried to do throughout their travels. Thankfully, it didn't drag the story down too much.

The costumes and sets look gorgeous, even in black and white telesnaps. This is a serial I would love a colourisation of, though I know it's an impossible dream unless the film is found.

uss-genderprise

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Review last edited on 17-02-25