Directed by Waris Hussein
Main Cast-
The Doctor - William Hartnell
Ian - William Russell
Barbara - Jacqueline Hill
Susan - Carole Ann Ford
Main Guest Cast-
Marco Polo - Mark Eded
Ping Cho - Zienia Merton
Tegana - Derren Nesbitt
Kublai Khan - Martin Miller
Synopsis-
Marco Polo is a completely missing story. The audio to all of the missing episodes still exists thanks to dedicated fans who, back in the 1960s, taped the audio of each episode on their cassette decks. Thanks to these fans, along with the authors of the Target novelizations, we still can experience these wonderful Doctor Who adventures.
For the missing stories like Marco Polo, I've decided on a multi-pronged approach. For some, I will listen to the audio and for others I will read the Target novelization. There are also some wonderful fan-made reconstructions out there, along with some animated reconstructions done by the BBC for both the Reign of Terror and the Invasion and I will enjoy some of the stories via the reconstructions as well. With Marco Polo, I chose to listen to the full-length audio version.
Marco Polo is the first of the historical stories. Historical stories in Doctor Who take place during Earth's recorded past but do not feature monsters or extraterrestrial threats. The First Doctor era was known for featuring historical stories, but the format was eventually dropped after The Highlanders, the second story to feature the Second Doctor.
After the events of The Edge of Destruction, the Tardis finds itself sitting on a plateau high up in the Pamir mountains. This ship is damaged and in need of repair. The travelers are found by Marco Polo's caravan, which is journeying to Cathay (China) with a young woman by the name of Ping Cho and a Mongol warrior and ambassador by the name of Tegana. Ping Cho is destined to marry a much older but influential member of Kublai Khan's court.
The set-up to the story is great, Marco Polo hopes to give Kublai Khan the "flying caravan" aka the Tardis in hopes of being allowed to return to his home in Venice. The problem is this, most of the middle episodes consist of Tegana plotting against Marco Polo in hopes of attaining possession of the Tardis, the Doctor and his companions attempting to regain possession of the Tardis key so they can return to their travels and their slow progress despite all this towards the Khan's court.
Once we do get to Kublai Khan's court, the story picks up. The Doctor befriends the Khan, but loses the Tardis in a game of chance. Fortunately, the Doctor and his companions reveal Tegana's treachery, and Tegana's attempt to assassinate the Khan is foiled. Ping Cho, whom after befriending Susan during the long journey and has qualms about marrying a man much older than herself, finds out that her intended husband has died. She remains at the Khan's court by request of the Khan himself. The Khan allows The Doctor and his companions to leave and gives Marco Polo his permission to return to his home in Venice.
Review-
Now, as a general rule, I have a fondness for the historical stories. Marco Polo, however, stretches that fondness pretty much to the breaking point. A condensed 30 minute version is available on The Beginning DVD set, and is in my humble opinion probably the best way for most fans to experience this story. Sitting through Marco Polo in its entirety can really test one's patience. Fortunately, the other two historical stories from Series One are big improvements, as we shall soon see.
