4) MARCO POLO
Plot: The Tardis crew joins Marco Polo on his journey to Peking in the year 1289
Cast
William Hartnell (The Doctor), William Russell (Ian Chesterton), Jacqueline Hill (Barbara Wright), Carole Ann Ford (Susan Foreman)
Mark Eden (Marco Polo), Derren Nesbitt (Tegana), Zienia Merton (Ping-Cho), Leslie Bates (Man at Lop), Jimmy Gardner (Chenchu)
Charles Wade (Malik), Philip Voss (Acomat), Michael Guest (Mongol Bandit),Paul Carson (Ling-Tau), Gabon Baraker (Wang-Lo)
Tutte Lemkow (Kuiju), Peter Lawrence (Vizier), Martin Miller (Kublai Khan), Basil Tang (Office Foreman), Claire Davenport (Empress)
Crew
John Lucarotti (Writer), Derek Ware (Sword Fight Arranger), Ron Grainer (Title Music), Tristram Cary (Incidental Music)
Daphne Dare (Costume Supervisor), Ann Ferriggi (Make-Up Supervisor), David Whitaker (Story Editor), Barry Newbery (Designer)
Mervyn Pinfield (Associate Producer), Verity Lambert (Producer), Waris Hussein, John Crockett (Directors)
Broadcast: 22 February-4 April 1964
Number of Production Days: 12
Average Viewing Figure: 9.5M
Filming Locations
-
Ealing Film Studios: Stage 3B
-
Lime Grove: Studio D
Death the Constant Companion
-
Tegana [takes his own life]
-
Acomat [stabbed by Tegana]
-
Kuiju [killed by one of Ling-Tau's men]
-
Vizier [killed by Tegana]
Production Errors
-
During episode seven, Kublai Khan refers to backgammon as a game of cards
-
Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, Marco Polo's father and uncle are strangely missing from the story's narrative. Historical evidence reveals they accompanied Marco Polo on his travels
Working Titles
-
Doctor Who: Journey to Cathy
-
Doctor Who and Kublai Khan
-
Episode 3: The Cave of Five Hundred Eyes
Verdict: Cannot give a review due to serial being lost from the BBC Archives.