Marco Polo (TV story)

Marco Polo
Doctor:	[[doctor::First Doctor]]
Companion(s):	Susan Foreman Barbara Wright Ian Chesterton
Main enemy:	Tegana
Main setting:	1289
Key crew
Writer:	John Lucarotti
Director:	Waris Hussein (episode 1-3, 5-7) John Crockett (episode 4)
Producer:	Verity Lambert
Release details
Release number:	4
Premiere broadcast:	22nd February - 4th April 1964
Format:	7 25-minute Episodes The Roof of the World The Singing Sands Five Hundred Eyes The Wall of Lies Rider From Shang-Tu Mighty Kublai Khan Assassin at Peking
Production code:	D

Summary

The TARDIS lands in Central Asia in 1289, where the First Doctor and his companions fall in with Marco Polo as his caravan makes its way along the fabled Silk Road from the Pamir Plateau, across the treacherous Gobi Desert and over the Himalayas to end up in Peking at the height of its imperial power.

Along the way they face many dangers, from natural hazards to assassination attempts from a Mongol warlord. The Doctor strikes up a friendship with Kublai Khan in his summer palace, before eventually departing again in the TARDIS, which has been carried with them across thousands of miles.

Cast & Characters

• Dr. Who - William Hartnell
• Ian Chesterton - William Russell
• Barbara Wright - Jacqueline Hill
• Susan Foreman - Carole Ann Ford
• Marco Polo - Mark Eden
• Tegana - Derren Nesbitt
• Ping-Cho - Zienia Merton
• Kublai Khan - Martin Miller
• Chenchu - Jimmy Gardner
• Man at Lop - Leslie Bates
• Mongol Bandit - Michael Guest
• Malik - Charles Wade
• Acomat - Philip Voss
• Ling-Tau - Paul Carson
• Wang-Lo - Gabor Baraker
• Kuiju - Tutte Lemkow
• Empress - Claire Davenport
• Vizier - Peter Lawrence
• Office Foreman - Basil Tang
• Yeng - O. Ikeda

Crew

• Writer - John Lucarotti
• Director - Waris Hussein, John Crockett
• Producer - Verity Lambert
• Script Editor - David Whitaker
• Designer - Barry Newbury
• Assistant Floor Manager - Jeremy Hare
• Associate Producer - Mervyn Pinfield
• Costumes - Daphne Dare
• Make-Up - Ann Ferriggi
• Production Assistant - Tony Lightley
• Special Sounds - Brian Hodgson
• Studio Lighting - Dennis Channon
• Studio Sound - Jack Brummitt
• Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
• Title Music - Ron Grainer

Notes

• The first true Doctor Who Historical
• No footage of this story now exists having been lost in the purges of the 1970's
• Although Telesnaps of this story were made all of these have now been lost. Many colour and black and white photographs of this story however remain
• The original audio soundtrack of this episode remains and was released on CD as Marco Polo as part of the BBC Radio Collection in November 2003. This was narrated by William Russell

More Info

• Story Synopsis
• Story Transcript
• Story Novelization
• DVD Release
• Video Release