Doctor Who: Marco Polo [1964]

Date(s) of Broadcast: 22 February 1964 - 4 April 1964
Number of Episodes: 7
Average Episode Running Times: 24 mins
Format: black and white
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Producer: Verity Lambert
Associate Producer: Mervyn Pinfield

SCRIPT
Script: John Lucarotti
Story Editor: David Whitaker

DIRECTION
Directors: Waris Hussein, John Crockett

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio Lighting: John Treays, Howard King

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Film Editors: John House, Elmer Davies, Richard Barclay

MUSIC
Incidental Music: Tristram Cary
Music Performed By: The Eddie Walker Ensemble [uncredited]

SOUND
Studio Sound: Jack Brummitt, Hugh Barker, Derek Martin-Timmins
Special Sound: Brian Hodgson

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Ann Ferriggi
Costumes: Daphne Dare

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Barry Newbery

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistants: Douglas Camfield, Penny Joy
Assistant Floor Manager: Catherine Childs
Dance Coach: Zorah Segal - uncredited

STUNTS
Sword Fight Arranger: Derek Ware

CAST
EPISODE 1: The Roof of the World
William Hartnell [Dr Who]
Carole Ann Ford [Susan Foreman]
William Russell [Ian Chesterton]
Jacqueline Hill [Barbara Wright]
Mark Eden [Marco Polo]
Derren Nesbitt [Tegana]
Zienia Merton [Ping-Cho]
Leslie Bates [man at Lop]

EPISODE 2: The Singing Sands
William Hartnell [Dr Who]
Carole Ann Ford [Susan Foreman]
William Russell [Ian Chesterton]
Jacqueline Hill [Barbara Wright]
Mark Eden [Marco Polo]
Derren Nesbitt [Tegana]
Zienia Merton [Ping-Cho]

EPISODE 3: Five Hundred Eyes
William Hartnell [Dr Who]
Carole Ann Ford [Susan Foreman]
William Russell [Ian Chesterton]
Jacqueline Hill [Barbara Wright]
Mark Eden [Marco Polo]
Derren Nesbitt [Tegana]
Zienia Merton [Ping-Cho]
Jimmy Gardner [Chenchu]
Charles Wade [Malik]
Philip Voss [Acomat]

EPISODE 4: The Wall of Lies
William Hartnell [Dr Who]
Carole Ann Ford [Susan Foreman]
William Russell [Ian Chesterton]
Jacqueline Hill [Barbara Wright]
Mark Eden [Marco Polo]
Derren Nesbitt [Tegana]
Zienia Merton [Ping-Cho]
Jimmy Gardner [Chenchu]
Philip Voss [Acomat]

EPISODE 5: Rider From Shang-tu
William Hartnell [Dr Who]
Carole Ann Ford [Susan Foreman]
William Russell [Ian Chesterton]
Jacqueline Hill [Barbara Wright]
Mark Eden [Marco Polo]
Derren Nesbitt [Tegana]
Zienia Merton [Ping-Cho]
Philip Voss [Acomat]
Michael Guest [Mongol bandit]
Paul Carson [Ling-Tau]
Gabor Baraker [Wang-lo]
Tutte Lemkow [Kuiju]

EPISODE 6: Mighty Kublai Khan
William Hartnell [Dr Who]
Carole Ann Ford [Susan Foreman]
William Russell [Ian Chesterton]
Jacqueline Hill [Barbara Wright]
Mark Eden [Marco Polo]
Derren Nesbitt [Tegana]
Zienia Merton [Ping-Cho]
Gabor Baraker [Wang-lo]
Tutte Lemkow [Kuiju]
Peter Lawrence [Vizier]
Basil Tang [office foreman]

EPISODE 7: Assassin at Peking
William Hartnell [Dr Who]
Carole Ann Ford [Susan Foreman]
William Russell [Ian Chesterton]
Jacqueline Hill [Barbara Wright]
Mark Eden [Marco Polo]
Derren Nesbitt [Tegana]
Zienia Merton [Ping-Cho]
Paul Carson [Ling-Tau]
Tutte Lemkow [Kuiju]
Peter Lawrence [Vizier]
Claire Davenport [Empress]
Basil Tang [office foreman (uncredited)]

EPISODES

1. The Roof Of The World
2. The Singing Sands
3. Five Hundred Eyes
4. The Wall Of Lies
5. Rider From Shang-Tu
6. Mighty Kublai Khan
7. Assassin At Peking

The Doctor and his companions join Marco Polo on his historic journey across the Gobi Desert to Cathay. The Doctor befriends Kublai Khan at Shang-tu and help to save him from an assassination attempt by the Mongol warlord Tegana in Peking.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

1964
January
13: UK - filming begins at Ealing
17: UK - filming ends at Ealing
31: UK - studio recording at BBC Lime Green Studio D

February
7: UK - studio recording at BBC Lime Green Studio D
14: UK - studio recording at BBC Lime Green Studio D
21: UK - studio recording at BBC Lime Green Studio D
22: UK - Episode One: The Roof of the World television broadcast [on BBC1]
28: UK - studio recording at BBC Lime Green Studio D
29: UK - Episode Two: The Singing Sands television broadcast [on BBC1]

March
6: UK - studio recording at BBC Lime Green Studio D
7: UK - Episode Three: Five Hundred Eyes television broadcast [on BBC1]
13: UK - studio recording at BBC Lime Green Studio D
14: UK - Episode Four: The Wall of Lies television broadcast [on BBC1]
21: UK - Episode Five: Rider From Shang-Tu television broadcast [on BBC1]
28: UK - Episode Six: Mighty Kublai Khan television broadcast [on BBC1]

April
4: UK - Episode Seven: Assassin at Peking television broadcast [on BBC1]

A Journey To Cathay - working title
Doctor Who And Kublai Khan

MAGAZINES

Oracle vol.2 no.2 [November 1978]
review [by John Peel]

BOOKS

Doctor Who: An Adventure in Time and Space [1980]
review [by John Peel]

Doctor Who Programme Guide pp.21-22
credits, synopsis [by Jean-Marc Lofficier]

Doctor Who The Discontinuity Guide pp.15-17
credits, trivia, review [by Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping]

Doctor Who: The Handbook: The First Doctor pp.65-68
credits, synopsis, review [by David J. Howe, Mark Stammers, Stephen James Walker]

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.18-21
credits, synopsis, review [by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker]

KEYWORDS

aliens, attempted assassinations, deserts, time travel

Last Updated: 21 April, 2008