D. Marco Polo

TRANSMISSION DETAILS:

14. The Roof of the World         22.02.64   5.15pm - 5.40pm   9.4M/33rd/63%
15. The Singing Sands             29.02.64   5.15pm - 5.40pm   9.4M/33rd/63%
16. Five Hundred Eyes             07.03.64   5.15pm - 5.40pm   9.4M/34th/62%
17. The Wall of Lies              14.03.64   5.15pm - 5.40pm   9.9M/31st/60%
18. Rider from Shang-Tu           21.03.64   5.15pm - 5.40pm   9.4M/37th/59%
19. Mighty Kublai Khan            28.03.64   5.30pm - 5.55pm   8.4M/48th/59%
20. Assassin at Peking            04.04.64   5.30pm - 5.55pm  10.4M/22nd/59%

MARCO POLO: Mark Eden; TEGANA: Derren Nesbitt; PING-CHO: Zienia Merton; MAN AT LOP: Leslie Bates (2); CHENCHU: Jimmy Gardner (3-4); ACOMAT: Philip Voss (3-5); MALIK: Charles Wade (3); MONGOL BANDIT: Michael Guest (5); LING-TAU: Paul Carson (5,7); WANG-LO: Gabor Baraker (5-6); KUIJU: Tutte Lemkow (5-7); VIZIER: Peter Lawrence (6-7); KUBLAI KHAN: Martin Miller (6-7); OFFICE FOREMAN: Basil Tang (6); EMPRESS: Claire Davenport (7). UNCREDITED: MARCO POLO'S WRITING HAND: John Woodcock; MONGOL EXTRAS: Leslie Bates, Gordon Bremworth, David Brewster, Ronald Chee, Stanley Chee, Clem Choy, Elton Fing-On, Arnold Lee, John Lee, Philip Lee, Valentino Musetti, Carlton Ngui, Arman Tokyo, Roy Vincente, Santos Wong; OTHER EXTRAS: David Anderson, Bill Brandon, Robert Chow, Harry Dillon, Kay Fong, Michael Guest, Maung Hlashwe, Irene Ho, O Ikeda, Lloyd Lam, Boon Wan Lee, Violet Leon, LL Lim, Henry Loy, Iris Loy, Suk Hee S'Hng, WA Scully, Zohra Segal, Peggy Sirr, Suchin, Doreen Tang, Aman Tokyo, Ying Wiu

STORY:

The TARDIS materialises in Central Asia, 1289. The Doctor and his companions meet Marco Polo, a Venetian emissary to the Kublai Khan. He is on his way to Kublai's court accompanied by Tegana, a Tartar warlord on a peace mission from the rival Mongol ruler, amd Ping-Cho, a Chinese girl.

Marco Polo forces the Doctor to joins his trek from the snowy heights of the Pamir Plateau, across the Gobi dessert and on through the Cathay. Marco Polo plans to offer the TARDIS to the Kublai Khan in the hope he will be allowed to return to Venice.

Tegana also wants the TARDIS, and he attempts to steal it believing it can fly. He also attempts to poisoning the party's water supply and drilling holes in the water carriers as they cross the desert. He escapes on the remaining horse. The rest of the group are left without water, but due to the heat and cold condensation forms on the inside of the TARDIS.

They make it to Peking, and the Doctor meets Kublai Khan. They get on well, and the Doctor starts winning at backgammon, but his luck turns and he ends up gambling, and losing, the TARDIS. Tegana tries to assassinate the Kublai Khan, and when the Doctor prevemts this the TARDIS is returned.

STUDIOS: Lime Grove Studio D, Ealing Television Film Studios

WORKING TILES: Doctor Who and a Journey to Cathy, Doctor Who and Kublai Khan; Part 3 - The Cave of 500 Eyes

NOTES: This is the longest historical story and part one was the first episode of Doctor Who to be accompanied by a Radio Times cover

NOVELISATION: Marco Polo John Lucarotti