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Doctor Who Target Books (Numerical Order) #94
Doctor Who: Marco Polo
science fiction
144 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
January 6, 2016
The meeting of two iconic explorers!
WHO:
The First Doctor
Companions: Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright
WHEN & WHERE:
Cathay (former name of China)
Year: 1289
WHAT:
After suffering a malfunction on the TARDIS, the First Doctor and his companions traveled in a caravan lead by Marco Polo.
This is the novelization of the fourth story arc in the TV series which is was written by the same author of the screenplay used on the TV series. (Actually, John Lucarotti wrote the three novelizations of his three screenplays. Technically he wrote a fourth screenplay but since he was unable to do asked re-writes, the credit goes to the assigned writer to do those changes).
The narrative of this novel was SO GOOD that definitely I want to read the other two novelizations written by Lucarotti. I was so happy travelling through the lands of ancient Cathay.
This story is written in a smart way caring for details such as concern the use of the name of "Cathay" instead of the more familiar China nowadays. Also, explanations of how water boils in higher and colder terrains.
This was the first truly "historical fiction" adventure in the history of Doctor Who, since while they traveled, in the first story arc, to some age where cave people lived, there weren't reference to some familiar historical fact and also, even it's not sure if they were on Earth at that moment. Also, it's the first time to include "real" people from history such as Marco Polo and Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan).
The story lacks of many action but the narrative is so engaging and the characters' interaction is so rich, that I just enjoyed the journey and I didn't care if the thrills were quite seldom and many situations were solved in a very easy and/or convenient way. Also, there are some priceless humorous moments making this a very dear reading experience.
When one reads this, with knowledge of future events on the series, it's amusing when they mention the possibility of finding a Yeti, since they were gonna be used in several future stories. Also, reading that due the freezing, the First Doctor opted to use a scarf (any Fourth Doctor's fan will smile at this, like me!)
Marco Polo is used in a very interesting way, since he is a man of honor, but also he suffers personal issues that make him in a character hard to know what he will do next in the story.
Ping-Cho (a teenager "bride" which travels in the caravan to meet her arranged husband) is so adorable! Besides her good friendly relationship with Susan, she interacted with such respect and in a formal way to the First Doctor, Ian and Barbara, that it was great to read about her. Also she became a key ally to them.
Ling-Tau (a courier of Kublai Khan's court) had brief moments on the story, even when this was already quite advanced, but even so, he acomplished to be an enjoyable character to read about.
Tegana (a Warlord of the rival forces, traveling with the caravan in the understanding to negotiate an armistice) is revealed so early in the book that he is the villain of the story that it can't be call a spoiler. He is a good schemer but in the overall, he is not a real threat but barely a necessary nuisance in the narrative.
Kublai Khan and his wife are wonderful characters and their interactions with the First Doctor, his companions and the other characters are priceless.
GEEK MODE ACTIVATED:
It's odd to read that the TARDIS can inform in which planet (Earth) they are and the year (1289), but it seems unable to define an exact location (China or Cathay) or even an exact time (if it's day or night). At least on this particular story.
The TARDIS has a malfunction on its power distribution, so it shut down totally, it isn't generating any power at all. In that situation, even the Telepathic Universal Translation System should be inoperative too. However, the First Doctor and his companions (in special Ian and Barbara) are able to talk with the people there that they surely be using some Mongolian dialect.
Since the TARDIS is inoperative, and the Polo's caravan couldn't wait for the First Doctor to do the needed repairs, so they put the TARDIS in some cart to travel with them. Few men of the caravan were able to lift up the TARDIS and put it on a cart. However, the TARDIS is bigger on the inside, so that kind of mass shouldn't generate an impossible weight to be picked up?
These "oddities" aren't relevant to enjoy this wonderful novel, I just needed to express them out or my geek side couldn't be able to sleep! :P
WHO:
The First Doctor
Companions: Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright
WHEN & WHERE:
Cathay (former name of China)
Year: 1289
WHAT:
After suffering a malfunction on the TARDIS, the First Doctor and his companions traveled in a caravan lead by Marco Polo.
This is the novelization of the fourth story arc in the TV series which is was written by the same author of the screenplay used on the TV series. (Actually, John Lucarotti wrote the three novelizations of his three screenplays. Technically he wrote a fourth screenplay but since he was unable to do asked re-writes, the credit goes to the assigned writer to do those changes).
The narrative of this novel was SO GOOD that definitely I want to read the other two novelizations written by Lucarotti. I was so happy travelling through the lands of ancient Cathay.
This story is written in a smart way caring for details such as concern the use of the name of "Cathay" instead of the more familiar China nowadays. Also, explanations of how water boils in higher and colder terrains.
This was the first truly "historical fiction" adventure in the history of Doctor Who, since while they traveled, in the first story arc, to some age where cave people lived, there weren't reference to some familiar historical fact and also, even it's not sure if they were on Earth at that moment. Also, it's the first time to include "real" people from history such as Marco Polo and Kublai Khan (grandson of Genghis Khan).
The story lacks of many action but the narrative is so engaging and the characters' interaction is so rich, that I just enjoyed the journey and I didn't care if the thrills were quite seldom and many situations were solved in a very easy and/or convenient way. Also, there are some priceless humorous moments making this a very dear reading experience.
When one reads this, with knowledge of future events on the series, it's amusing when they mention the possibility of finding a Yeti, since they were gonna be used in several future stories. Also, reading that due the freezing, the First Doctor opted to use a scarf (any Fourth Doctor's fan will smile at this, like me!)
Marco Polo is used in a very interesting way, since he is a man of honor, but also he suffers personal issues that make him in a character hard to know what he will do next in the story.
Ping-Cho (a teenager "bride" which travels in the caravan to meet her arranged husband) is so adorable! Besides her good friendly relationship with Susan, she interacted with such respect and in a formal way to the First Doctor, Ian and Barbara, that it was great to read about her. Also she became a key ally to them.
Ling-Tau (a courier of Kublai Khan's court) had brief moments on the story, even when this was already quite advanced, but even so, he acomplished to be an enjoyable character to read about.
Tegana (a Warlord of the rival forces, traveling with the caravan in the understanding to negotiate an armistice) is revealed so early in the book that he is the villain of the story that it can't be call a spoiler. He is a good schemer but in the overall, he is not a real threat but barely a necessary nuisance in the narrative.
Kublai Khan and his wife are wonderful characters and their interactions with the First Doctor, his companions and the other characters are priceless.
GEEK MODE ACTIVATED:
It's odd to read that the TARDIS can inform in which planet (Earth) they are and the year (1289), but it seems unable to define an exact location (China or Cathay) or even an exact time (if it's day or night). At least on this particular story.
The TARDIS has a malfunction on its power distribution, so it shut down totally, it isn't generating any power at all. In that situation, even the Telepathic Universal Translation System should be inoperative too. However, the First Doctor and his companions (in special Ian and Barbara) are able to talk with the people there that they surely be using some Mongolian dialect.
Since the TARDIS is inoperative, and the Polo's caravan couldn't wait for the First Doctor to do the needed repairs, so they put the TARDIS in some cart to travel with them. Few men of the caravan were able to lift up the TARDIS and put it on a cart. However, the TARDIS is bigger on the inside, so that kind of mass shouldn't generate an impossible weight to be picked up?
These "oddities" aren't relevant to enjoy this wonderful novel, I just needed to express them out or my geek side couldn't be able to sleep! :P
February 27, 2022
This lost historical story has quite a reputation and I have to admit, there’s a lot to like. It’s got a fascinating setting and introduces us to some interesting new characters. The plot is quite simple and straight forward. Considering the number of episodes this serial had, I can imagine this could have been a bit boring to watch at the time. Though it does wonders for the pacing of this novel. Overall, an interesting short read.
September 29, 2021
This is a novelization of the fourth serial of the premiere season of Doctor Who, which was broadcast from February through April of 1964. John Lucarotti adapted his own teleplay from two decades earlier for the book. The original Doctor is accompanied by his granddaughter (?) Susan Foreman and her two kidnapped teachers, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright. It's one of the better of the historical stories, as the TARDIS crew lands in 1289 in the Himalayas and join Marco Polo on his way to visit Kublai Khan in Peking. The Doctor is uncharacteristically ineffective or passive much of the time, but the rest of the crew take up the slack. in preventing Tegana from sabotaging the mission. Lucarotti took a lot of care in presenting his historical details and characters convincingly, and this is an enjoyable adventure.
March 17, 2025
3⭐️ = Average.
Audio.
This wasn’t my favourite Doctor Who book that I have read, but it was entertaining all the same. I just would’ve liked a little more action.
Audio.
This wasn’t my favourite Doctor Who book that I have read, but it was entertaining all the same. I just would’ve liked a little more action.
March 30, 2019
When last we saw our intrepid travelers, they had just overcome the budgetary limitations that kept them confined to the TARDIS for the duration of the story. Now with the disaster averted (and funding secured for further episodes), the Doctor aims the TARDIS at Earth and pulls the switch. The ship lands in a whirl of whiteness to sub-zero temperatures and thin air...and a blown circuit that prevents them from taking off again. According to their instruments, they're on the right planet, but in the wrong time. The TARDIS has deposited them on top of an Eastern mountain range in the year 1289, where they're fortunate enough to run across a caravan traversing the terrain.
Led by none other than famed Venetian explorer Marco Polo, the caravan travels across China and Mongolia to the court of the great Kublai Khan. The Doctor, Susan, Ian, and Barbara are all welcomed as guests, though not every member of the caravan believes them to be ordinary people. The fierce warlord Tegana thinks they are deceptive devils come to lay curses and play tricks, and while Polo doesn't believe this to be the case, he's got a scheme of his own up his sleeve involving the strangely-dressed quartet and their flying caravan which appears barely large enough to hold one man, yet according to the Doctor can fit far more than four with no problems. The Doctor knows he and his companions must fix the TARDIS and escape, but under constant watch and unable to affect repairs, the caravan journeys inexorably onward to the palace where Kublai Khan holds court...and will be all too willing to add the TARDIS to his magnificent collection.
Holy cow--now this is a Doctor Who story! Marco Polo is the first installment of the creators' initial vision for the show, a story taking place on Earth meant to show kids how exciting history could be. Lucarotti novelizes his own 1964 script, and while I can't vouch for complete historical accuracy, I can absolutely appreciate his efforts. This is a sterling effort, a triumph of a story which spans seven episodes in the course of 144 pages. Lucarotti so clearly enjoyed bringing this story to life and it shines through in every aspect of his writing.
Most impressive to me is just how much mileage the author gets out of a story where the group cannot use the TARDIS. This is a complete about-face from the last episode, which was about nothing but the TARDIS, and while Edge of Destruction isn't a terrible story, Marco Polo exceeds it in every sense. The characters are beautifully developed, the history is woven in seamlessly, and Lucarotti's descriptions of the sweeping vistas laid out before them, from the so-called Roof of the World in the mountains to the sweeping, opulent palace of Khan in Peking, are gorgeous.
While she's played a lesser role in the previous three stories, and she's still not center stage here, I loved seeing Susan get the opportunity to be a teenage girl for a little while. She makes fast friends with Ping-Cho, a fifteen year old woman travelling with the caravan as both cook and future bride for an elder palace statesman, and the two form a bond of close friendship. They conspire, share secrets, share sleeping quarters, and discuss their past and future when the adults aren't around. With a story like this, it would have been easy for a writer to push Susan to the background while the adults take an active role in directing events. Cheers to Lucarotti for not taking the easy way out and giving Susan more to do than pout and be told to stay out from under foot.
Equally rich is the characterization of Polo. I don't know much about the real world traveler, but Lucarotti's depiction of him as a suave, debonair, and highly-intelligent agent within Kublai Khan's employ is fun and fascinating. Polo walks a fine line during the story: originally seen by the group as their saviors when he saves them from Tegana's sword, he's later revealed to be a cunning character with designs on separating the TARDIS from its crew. Despite this, Polo is a decent sort. He could easily have the four murdered, or abandoned to their fates while he walked away with the flying box, but he's not interested in causing undue harm to innocents. It's desperation, not malice, which sees Polo plot against the Doctor and his friends; a desire to get out from under the employ of Khan and return to his native Italy. Like our protagonists, Marco Polo ultimately just wants to go home and its this shared goal which allows him to work both for and against the interests of the Doctor.
I really can't praise this book and this story enough. The television serial has, unfortunately, been lost in its entirety (one of three episodes for which not a single frame of video exists), so it's impossible to compare Lucarotti's written visuals with the presentation of the program itself. Sad though this is, I almost feel glad this is the case. There's no way the BBC's budget could have produced anything as magnificent and sweeping as Lucarotti's novel depicts. Those wondering what it may have looked and sounded like will have to be content with a few random television snapshots available online, and an audio production using the original television soundtrack published on three discs in 2003. I've seen the images, but have yet to experience the audio version--something I hope to correct one of these days.
Marco Polo is shot through with the sort of fun, energy, and characterization that comes to mind when one considers the best Doctor Who stories. I went in with no preconceived notions or ideas, and was completely blown away. If the story played out on the air as well as it did in book form, it's just one more example of the BBC's commitment to quality during the show's formative years. Lucarotti's novel is a stunning example of just how much fun there is to be had with the concept of a time-traveling alien, his companions, and the entirety of galactic history ripe for the exploring.
Five towering, glittering, jewel-encrusted palace walls out of five.
Led by none other than famed Venetian explorer Marco Polo, the caravan travels across China and Mongolia to the court of the great Kublai Khan. The Doctor, Susan, Ian, and Barbara are all welcomed as guests, though not every member of the caravan believes them to be ordinary people. The fierce warlord Tegana thinks they are deceptive devils come to lay curses and play tricks, and while Polo doesn't believe this to be the case, he's got a scheme of his own up his sleeve involving the strangely-dressed quartet and their flying caravan which appears barely large enough to hold one man, yet according to the Doctor can fit far more than four with no problems. The Doctor knows he and his companions must fix the TARDIS and escape, but under constant watch and unable to affect repairs, the caravan journeys inexorably onward to the palace where Kublai Khan holds court...and will be all too willing to add the TARDIS to his magnificent collection.
Holy cow--now this is a Doctor Who story! Marco Polo is the first installment of the creators' initial vision for the show, a story taking place on Earth meant to show kids how exciting history could be. Lucarotti novelizes his own 1964 script, and while I can't vouch for complete historical accuracy, I can absolutely appreciate his efforts. This is a sterling effort, a triumph of a story which spans seven episodes in the course of 144 pages. Lucarotti so clearly enjoyed bringing this story to life and it shines through in every aspect of his writing.
Most impressive to me is just how much mileage the author gets out of a story where the group cannot use the TARDIS. This is a complete about-face from the last episode, which was about nothing but the TARDIS, and while Edge of Destruction isn't a terrible story, Marco Polo exceeds it in every sense. The characters are beautifully developed, the history is woven in seamlessly, and Lucarotti's descriptions of the sweeping vistas laid out before them, from the so-called Roof of the World in the mountains to the sweeping, opulent palace of Khan in Peking, are gorgeous.
While she's played a lesser role in the previous three stories, and she's still not center stage here, I loved seeing Susan get the opportunity to be a teenage girl for a little while. She makes fast friends with Ping-Cho, a fifteen year old woman travelling with the caravan as both cook and future bride for an elder palace statesman, and the two form a bond of close friendship. They conspire, share secrets, share sleeping quarters, and discuss their past and future when the adults aren't around. With a story like this, it would have been easy for a writer to push Susan to the background while the adults take an active role in directing events. Cheers to Lucarotti for not taking the easy way out and giving Susan more to do than pout and be told to stay out from under foot.
Equally rich is the characterization of Polo. I don't know much about the real world traveler, but Lucarotti's depiction of him as a suave, debonair, and highly-intelligent agent within Kublai Khan's employ is fun and fascinating. Polo walks a fine line during the story: originally seen by the group as their saviors when he saves them from Tegana's sword, he's later revealed to be a cunning character with designs on separating the TARDIS from its crew. Despite this, Polo is a decent sort. He could easily have the four murdered, or abandoned to their fates while he walked away with the flying box, but he's not interested in causing undue harm to innocents. It's desperation, not malice, which sees Polo plot against the Doctor and his friends; a desire to get out from under the employ of Khan and return to his native Italy. Like our protagonists, Marco Polo ultimately just wants to go home and its this shared goal which allows him to work both for and against the interests of the Doctor.
I really can't praise this book and this story enough. The television serial has, unfortunately, been lost in its entirety (one of three episodes for which not a single frame of video exists), so it's impossible to compare Lucarotti's written visuals with the presentation of the program itself. Sad though this is, I almost feel glad this is the case. There's no way the BBC's budget could have produced anything as magnificent and sweeping as Lucarotti's novel depicts. Those wondering what it may have looked and sounded like will have to be content with a few random television snapshots available online, and an audio production using the original television soundtrack published on three discs in 2003. I've seen the images, but have yet to experience the audio version--something I hope to correct one of these days.
Marco Polo is shot through with the sort of fun, energy, and characterization that comes to mind when one considers the best Doctor Who stories. I went in with no preconceived notions or ideas, and was completely blown away. If the story played out on the air as well as it did in book form, it's just one more example of the BBC's commitment to quality during the show's formative years. Lucarotti's novel is a stunning example of just how much fun there is to be had with the concept of a time-traveling alien, his companions, and the entirety of galactic history ripe for the exploring.
Five towering, glittering, jewel-encrusted palace walls out of five.
January 6, 2015
This is the novelisation of the 1964 Doctor Who serial of the same name. Lucarotti wrote the original TV script too. The story is one of many early Who stories which were literally thrown out by the UK so this novelisation is now one of the best ways to 'see' the story.
I was surprised to find I rather enjoyed it. In my head, Marco Polo was a dull story where nothing happened and with not much going for it. I was mostly wrong.
I have to concede that in many ways this is quite dull. The novelisation zooms through the plot fairly quickly (the TV story must have felt very slow) but even then not much happens for much of the book. The traitor within, here in the form of Tegana, is a tried and tested story and it works well here, although his plots to kill them all are farcically resolved.
What works really well here is the characters used. It’s fun having Marco Polo involved is fun and he comes across as a decent but not entirely moral man. The Doctor becoming friends with the similarly aged Kublai Khan who hides his gambling from his wife is really good fun and was my favorite part. I also felt that the character of Susan worked unusually well here as she had fellow teenager Peng-Cho to talk to and become friends with. I’m struggling to think of another time when Susan actually has a proper friend she can talk to on her level.
It was clear Lucarotti was a scriptwriter rather than a novelist as this wasn't what I would describe as well-written. It was told very simply and unpoetically and dialogue in particular felt a bit odd here, being described rather than actually written, which is odd consider the dialogue was already written in the script. On the plus side the form allows Lucarotti to fix a few minor issues that the story had thanks to its production- William Hartnell had a week off and didn't appear in one episode of the story but the Doctor barely disappears in this version. There's a few tinkerings like this which improve on the original TV story.
Overall, an endearing historical story which is an extremely slow-burner.
I was surprised to find I rather enjoyed it. In my head, Marco Polo was a dull story where nothing happened and with not much going for it. I was mostly wrong.
I have to concede that in many ways this is quite dull. The novelisation zooms through the plot fairly quickly (the TV story must have felt very slow) but even then not much happens for much of the book. The traitor within, here in the form of Tegana, is a tried and tested story and it works well here, although his plots to kill them all are farcically resolved.
What works really well here is the characters used. It’s fun having Marco Polo involved is fun and he comes across as a decent but not entirely moral man. The Doctor becoming friends with the similarly aged Kublai Khan who hides his gambling from his wife is really good fun and was my favorite part. I also felt that the character of Susan worked unusually well here as she had fellow teenager Peng-Cho to talk to and become friends with. I’m struggling to think of another time when Susan actually has a proper friend she can talk to on her level.
It was clear Lucarotti was a scriptwriter rather than a novelist as this wasn't what I would describe as well-written. It was told very simply and unpoetically and dialogue in particular felt a bit odd here, being described rather than actually written, which is odd consider the dialogue was already written in the script. On the plus side the form allows Lucarotti to fix a few minor issues that the story had thanks to its production- William Hartnell had a week off and didn't appear in one episode of the story but the Doctor barely disappears in this version. There's a few tinkerings like this which improve on the original TV story.
Overall, an endearing historical story which is an extremely slow-burner.
May 9, 2018
Before home video’s the only way to enjoy previous Doctor Who stories was the Target novelisations.
So during my rewatch I thought it would be a great way to enjoy the missing stories.
The first in chronological order was this one.
The TARDIS crew arrive at the Himalayas in 1289, they are picked up by Marco Polo whose traveling to meet the Kublai Kahn.
Lucarotti does a great job of condensing down he’s seven episode story into the standard size Target novel.
It’s a fun fast paced adventure that faithful to the original story.
So during my rewatch I thought it would be a great way to enjoy the missing stories.
The first in chronological order was this one.
The TARDIS crew arrive at the Himalayas in 1289, they are picked up by Marco Polo whose traveling to meet the Kublai Kahn.
Lucarotti does a great job of condensing down he’s seven episode story into the standard size Target novel.
It’s a fun fast paced adventure that faithful to the original story.
May 21, 2024
Novelization of the 1964 serial, and one of the only ways to experience it since the BBC erased it!
This is fun, and a thousand times more respectful of Chinese culture and its Chinese characters than baffling old-fandom favorite "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," which I hated, and which came out over ten years later. I wish I could have seen the actual episodes of this, as the visuals were supposed to have been impressive...on the other hand, the use of yellowface for almost all the Chinese roles would likely have been so offensive and distracting as to sap my enjoyment.
What a series of decisions by the BBC to have got us here!
This is fun, and a thousand times more respectful of Chinese culture and its Chinese characters than baffling old-fandom favorite "The Talons of Weng-Chiang," which I hated, and which came out over ten years later. I wish I could have seen the actual episodes of this, as the visuals were supposed to have been impressive...on the other hand, the use of yellowface for almost all the Chinese roles would likely have been so offensive and distracting as to sap my enjoyment.
What a series of decisions by the BBC to have got us here!
January 3, 2017
A fairly straightforward novelization of what appears to be a fairly straightforward early Dr Who story. Marco Polo sort of kidnaps the Doctor and his companions, they travel for a bit towards China, they stop for a bit, have some food (which is explained in minute detail and made me quite hungry), the Mongol warlord baddie accompanying Marco Polo's party tries some treachery and is foiled by the Doctor/Ian/Susan (Barbara didn't have much to do in this one). Then they start off travelling and it all happens again. It's a bit like Wacky Races actually, come to think of it, with Tegana the Mongol playing the part of Dick Dastardly.
The descriptions of the locations are very good, they make me very curious as to what the sets for the televised episodes would have looked like, but of course this is one of the early Dr Who stories that's completely missing, so we may well never know.
The ending is very rushed, the Mongol warlord baddie suddenly decides 'Right, well I'm gonna go and kill Kublai Khan now", and the Doctor stops him, which prompts Kublai Khan to give back the TARDIS and then they leave. It literally takes about a page and a half to go from 'We're stuck here forever' to 'That's us off then! Bye everyone!'
Fairly enjoyable overall, and never boring, just not a massive amount going on.
The descriptions of the locations are very good, they make me very curious as to what the sets for the televised episodes would have looked like, but of course this is one of the early Dr Who stories that's completely missing, so we may well never know.
The ending is very rushed, the Mongol warlord baddie suddenly decides 'Right, well I'm gonna go and kill Kublai Khan now", and the Doctor stops him, which prompts Kublai Khan to give back the TARDIS and then they leave. It literally takes about a page and a half to go from 'We're stuck here forever' to 'That's us off then! Bye everyone!'
Fairly enjoyable overall, and never boring, just not a massive amount going on.
November 22, 2024
I have experience Marco Polo many ways. I've seen the short recap of it on The Beginning DVD boxed set. I've listened to the BBC's narrated audio. I've watched the reconstruction. But my first Marco Polo was the Target novelization. This is what the adaptations are FOR, since it's especially true in the case of lost stories that we're never going to be able to watch them. And yet, it took 20 years for John Lucarotti to adapt his own script to the printed page. Having the same writer do both means he gets to make a few "corrections", and generally, I think the changes are better than the original treatment. Scrunching a 7-episode historical into the same size as most other novelizations means it's got a faster pace, and Lucarotti doesn't skimp on the budget. A bit too much emphasis on what everyone is eating at every meal, but still. Marco Polo IS a picaresque, with lots of stuff happening on the road (the Tartar warlord ties it all together), but it's got lots of little character moments which are precious to me. One of Who's great losses, but it lives in the pages of this book.
November 27, 2021
So this is still one of the missing stories, perhaps the BBC might release an animated version.
The Tardis lands in 1289 earth and they meet Marco Polo but he thinks he can win favour with the emperor if he can procure the machine but the doctor is to blame because he gambles it away to Kublai Khan.
It's a good read very short but I have to juggle reading with work.
The Tardis lands in 1289 earth and they meet Marco Polo but he thinks he can win favour with the emperor if he can procure the machine but the doctor is to blame because he gambles it away to Kublai Khan.
It's a good read very short but I have to juggle reading with work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2020
Enjoyable as I find most First Doctor stories to be. With some of my favorite companions. Unfortunately I felt it rather slow and the climax rather rushed. I have not seen the accompanying episodes however and perhaps things would make more sense if I had.
June 24, 2025
6.5/10
October 8, 2017
I read this because I'm watching Doctor Who from the first episodes in 1963, but all 7 episodes of the 'Marco Polo' serial are amongst the lost (well, actually, deleted) episodes.
The audio for all the episodes remains, because that many people used to record the sound of the broadcast at home, the only way of capturing an episode in the days before home video recorders. So various attempts have been made to reconstruct these episodes by combining a slideshow of production stills with the original audio, and I started watching the 'Marco Polo' one but it felt like quite hard work.
So I thought reading the novelisation would be a more satisfying way of experiencing the missing serial, and I was also a bit excited about the idea of reading a Dr Who novel - something quite pleasurably retro about the little 18cm novel with not that many words on a page - sure enough, it took me less than 24 hours to read.
It does feel like a fleshed-out screenplay, which is what it is - the novelisation was actually written in the 1980s by John Lucarotti himself, the original screen-writer, who also wrote 'The Aztecs' in Season One, which I've just watched and really enjoyed.
I really enjoyed the book, the story was gently compelling all the way through, I never got bored. The writing is uncomplicated and to the point, a little bit like reading a CS Lewis or an Ian Fleming. The classic device of the TARDIS being put out of reach gets the long-game treatment here, with countless moments where they either get it back or are on the cusp of doing so, only for fate to take it away again.
The setting is actually quite fun - although everyone seems to be eating 1980s Chinese takeaway food in 13th-century China, and all the names of the cities are barely googleable - Beijing becomes Peking, obviously, but Shangdu is Shang-Tu, Lanzhou becomes Lan-Chow, Suzhou becomes Su-Chow, etc - and to be fair, Lucarotti does overuse the word 'sumptuous' to a borderline criminal extent.
I'll definitely read novelisations of other missing serials as I go through, this was a great experience if not a literary feast.
The audio for all the episodes remains, because that many people used to record the sound of the broadcast at home, the only way of capturing an episode in the days before home video recorders. So various attempts have been made to reconstruct these episodes by combining a slideshow of production stills with the original audio, and I started watching the 'Marco Polo' one but it felt like quite hard work.
So I thought reading the novelisation would be a more satisfying way of experiencing the missing serial, and I was also a bit excited about the idea of reading a Dr Who novel - something quite pleasurably retro about the little 18cm novel with not that many words on a page - sure enough, it took me less than 24 hours to read.
It does feel like a fleshed-out screenplay, which is what it is - the novelisation was actually written in the 1980s by John Lucarotti himself, the original screen-writer, who also wrote 'The Aztecs' in Season One, which I've just watched and really enjoyed.
I really enjoyed the book, the story was gently compelling all the way through, I never got bored. The writing is uncomplicated and to the point, a little bit like reading a CS Lewis or an Ian Fleming. The classic device of the TARDIS being put out of reach gets the long-game treatment here, with countless moments where they either get it back or are on the cusp of doing so, only for fate to take it away again.
The setting is actually quite fun - although everyone seems to be eating 1980s Chinese takeaway food in 13th-century China, and all the names of the cities are barely googleable - Beijing becomes Peking, obviously, but Shangdu is Shang-Tu, Lanzhou becomes Lan-Chow, Suzhou becomes Su-Chow, etc - and to be fair, Lucarotti does overuse the word 'sumptuous' to a borderline criminal extent.
I'll definitely read novelisations of other missing serials as I go through, this was a great experience if not a literary feast.
December 9, 2018
I listened to this one on Audible, not something I do very often, but my son prefers it. As far as Doctor Who books go this is a good one. It's based on a missing serial from the first season of Doctor Who with William Hartnell as the Doctor and Susan, Barbara and Ian as companions. The TARDIS is not working properly and needs repairs but they find themselves on the silk road to east of Samarkand. The are "rescued" by a caravan being led by Marco Polo. The four of them and the TARDIS find themselves bound up in the machinations of the court of Kublai Khan. I like the older Doctor Who serials because they take their time to tell a story. It isn't rushed. I enjoy the slower nature, the plotting, the clues, the landscape, the people and their stories. Also, the Doctor isn't perfect and he does something foolish. However, despite being stranded, the companions take it in their stride and do their best to carry on. Susan makes a friend. Ian saves the day. Barbara doesn't get enough time though. Still, it's a good story and in Audible it is read by Zenia Morton who was one of the actors in the original broadcast.
March 14, 2023
I have been very leisurely making my way through the Who novels in the televised order and this is the first of the books for which there is no archive programme with which to compare. As a consequence it is tempting to get swept away with the vivid descriptions of ancient china and to imagine effects on a scale that would simply have not been possible at the dawn of the series. However, the writing style has been kept pretty light and seems to have been pretty loyal to the script, giving the characters narration the lead in determining pace and the chapters largely governed by the episode structure. It's hard to say whether a non Who person would gain much pleasure as it very much is a period piece but for those on-board, it is great. Recommended.
November 16, 2019
A bit basic, but still more entertaining than the actual episodes (if only because it's over faster). Admittedly, those episodes have been lost so I have only seen the recreation, which consists of photographs and the audio recording of the script, but even so it went on forever. Not so the novelisation, which is over in 140 pages or so - about 20 pages an episode. And honestly, I struggle to see the point of novelisations that don't add anything to the original story. Oh, there are minor differences here, and Ping Cho gets a love interest who is not her ancient husband to-be, but mostly it's a paper-thin copy of a not-very-interesting run of television.
September 25, 2021
Despite this kinda trickling out of narrative toward the end, I had fun with it!
I really liked that so much intrigue and courtly stuff surrounded the passing of the TARDIS key. How it was basically a travelogue story about them trying to GET OUT of a travelogue story. All the domestic stuff of them just hanging out and living across various camps on the journey.
All that stuff was so great. But you can tell by about half way in that that’s pretty much all the drive you are gonna get out of it. Happy I read it but just not sure this is an episode I will clamor to have reconstructed (though it could look pretty crazy and good animated).
I really liked that so much intrigue and courtly stuff surrounded the passing of the TARDIS key. How it was basically a travelogue story about them trying to GET OUT of a travelogue story. All the domestic stuff of them just hanging out and living across various camps on the journey.
All that stuff was so great. But you can tell by about half way in that that’s pretty much all the drive you are gonna get out of it. Happy I read it but just not sure this is an episode I will clamor to have reconstructed (though it could look pretty crazy and good animated).
March 28, 2018
Interesting to keep one going, but quite little action all the same. The Doctor in these days was more winning by wit than action so that's no fault to the book, nor is the dated in places language. Its a pity that this story was lost because its such a visual story. It would be interesting to find out how historically accurate it is and it is also interesting to see how the doctor's approach to interfering with events became more strict over time.
May 5, 2021
I enjoyed this book
October 26, 2024
The Doctor Crosses the Gobi
20 October 2024
The interesting thing about this story is that it is unlikely that it will be reconstructed, and sadly it is one of the many lost episodes. The reason for this is that since it was an historical epic then there were an awful lot of costumes, as well as characters that we have no idea what they looked like (namely because the episode has been lost).
Back when this episode was filmed the writers had access to the BBC’s wardrobe, which had a lot of historical costumes that they could use, which is why you have a number of these historical stories (though it is also because one of the reasons behind Doctor Who was to have historical epics). Apparently, it was similar to Star Trek in that they had access to the wardrobes from Paramount’s other works, which is why you had a number of historical set pieces (including the episode that Quentin Tarantino wanted to remake).
If you actually compare the historical epics with the sci-fi ones you will notice a huge difference in the costumes, namely because when they were doing the sci-fi ones they had to use their own costumes (which is why you would only see a handful of Daleks – Dr Who was well know for writing stories on a shoestring budget) and making costumes was rather expensive. Of course, they weren’t necessarily going to recycle them either. Like, it’s similar to Star Trek – especially with the original series.
Anyway, this story is about Marco Polo, and it is one that involves the Doctor losing access to his Tardis. Anyway, they end up travelling with Polo, but also there is a lot of intrigue going on behind in scenes. In one part I sort of expected that it would just be about his travel to China, but it turned out that when he reached China he became the servant of the Kahn (this was during the reign of Kublai Kahn, whose empire actually made it easier for China and Europe to trade) and wasn’t able to return to his home of Venice. So, basically Polo is attempting to find a gift for the Kahn so that might be allowed to return home. Of course, as I suggested, there are a number of competing interests.
What interested me though is the statement at the end that apparently the key to the Tardis is now on display in the Forbidden City in China, though since I’ve never been there I can’t confirm or deny (and I suspect that the writers of the episode couldn’t either, since at the time China was basically a closed country).
20 October 2024
The interesting thing about this story is that it is unlikely that it will be reconstructed, and sadly it is one of the many lost episodes. The reason for this is that since it was an historical epic then there were an awful lot of costumes, as well as characters that we have no idea what they looked like (namely because the episode has been lost).
Back when this episode was filmed the writers had access to the BBC’s wardrobe, which had a lot of historical costumes that they could use, which is why you have a number of these historical stories (though it is also because one of the reasons behind Doctor Who was to have historical epics). Apparently, it was similar to Star Trek in that they had access to the wardrobes from Paramount’s other works, which is why you had a number of historical set pieces (including the episode that Quentin Tarantino wanted to remake).
If you actually compare the historical epics with the sci-fi ones you will notice a huge difference in the costumes, namely because when they were doing the sci-fi ones they had to use their own costumes (which is why you would only see a handful of Daleks – Dr Who was well know for writing stories on a shoestring budget) and making costumes was rather expensive. Of course, they weren’t necessarily going to recycle them either. Like, it’s similar to Star Trek – especially with the original series.
Anyway, this story is about Marco Polo, and it is one that involves the Doctor losing access to his Tardis. Anyway, they end up travelling with Polo, but also there is a lot of intrigue going on behind in scenes. In one part I sort of expected that it would just be about his travel to China, but it turned out that when he reached China he became the servant of the Kahn (this was during the reign of Kublai Kahn, whose empire actually made it easier for China and Europe to trade) and wasn’t able to return to his home of Venice. So, basically Polo is attempting to find a gift for the Kahn so that might be allowed to return home. Of course, as I suggested, there are a number of competing interests.
What interested me though is the statement at the end that apparently the key to the Tardis is now on display in the Forbidden City in China, though since I’ve never been there I can’t confirm or deny (and I suspect that the writers of the episode couldn’t either, since at the time China was basically a closed country).
July 27, 2025
It's a pity that it's unlikely we'll ever see even a single frame of the televised story, so apart from the audio soundtrack, the Target novelisation is really our primary medium to enjoy this story through.
Additionally, since the author is also the writer of the original episode, we're in a rare position where can judge the quality of the actual story through the novelisation as well.
This was the show's first historical. It's mostly a journey rather than a drama set in one particular location, but I think that lends favours to the novelisation as it builds quite an expansive picture with some interesting locations - even in the middle of the desert, Lucarotti provides Terrance Dicks-levels of Target writing.
I found the ever-progressing nature of the plot and the flow of Marco Polo's journey to make this book a constant page-turner. At times, the fast pace does make it hard to keep up with the rapid change in locations, but to be fair, if we spent too long at any one particular way station, the pacing would then be too slow.
The characters are great as well. The most interesting was Ping-Cho, the first human outside of Ian and Barbara that we see Susan bond with, and ultimately acts as a turning point for her character from an entitled Time Lady to a keen and caring wanderer, straying from the image of her grandfather - Again, if only this story still existed in the Archives!
The only real drawback is that since Target novels were often written to be self-contained, the lead-in from "The Edge of Destruction" is omitted and replaced by a new opening sequence. I get that's par for the course with these novels but since the episode is missing, it's a shame that the opening pawprint scene is lost here too. The ending is also slightly abrupt, but the closing paragraph is clever.
And a final word, the cover art. Beautiful. A really fine and pristine collage. Target novels have often been collected for their covers, and I dare say this one is likely one of the most sought after, even without considering the text inside.
Additionally, since the author is also the writer of the original episode, we're in a rare position where can judge the quality of the actual story through the novelisation as well.
This was the show's first historical. It's mostly a journey rather than a drama set in one particular location, but I think that lends favours to the novelisation as it builds quite an expansive picture with some interesting locations - even in the middle of the desert, Lucarotti provides Terrance Dicks-levels of Target writing.
I found the ever-progressing nature of the plot and the flow of Marco Polo's journey to make this book a constant page-turner. At times, the fast pace does make it hard to keep up with the rapid change in locations, but to be fair, if we spent too long at any one particular way station, the pacing would then be too slow.
The characters are great as well. The most interesting was Ping-Cho, the first human outside of Ian and Barbara that we see Susan bond with, and ultimately acts as a turning point for her character from an entitled Time Lady to a keen and caring wanderer, straying from the image of her grandfather - Again, if only this story still existed in the Archives!
The only real drawback is that since Target novels were often written to be self-contained, the lead-in from "The Edge of Destruction" is omitted and replaced by a new opening sequence. I get that's par for the course with these novels but since the episode is missing, it's a shame that the opening pawprint scene is lost here too. The ending is also slightly abrupt, but the closing paragraph is clever.
And a final word, the cover art. Beautiful. A really fine and pristine collage. Target novels have often been collected for their covers, and I dare say this one is likely one of the most sought after, even without considering the text inside.
December 22, 2024
John Lucarotti's novelisation of Marco Polo is a superbly concise re-telling of the television story. Seven episodes reduced to 144 pages. It flows nicely, hits all the main story beats, and even manages to pause briefly for Ping Cho's story of Ala-eddin.
Marco Polo doesn't exist in the BBC archives any more, but the soundtrack and some telesnaps do so it is easy to picture the actors in their respective parts and hear the voices of the main cast reading their lines. The First Doctor gets to run through a whole gamut of feelings and behaviours - annoyance, rage, cunning, cleverness, arrogance, charm, and grandfatherlyness towards both Susan and Ping-Cho.
Giving Susan someone of her own age to interact with really helps.
The main villain of the piece is the War Lord Tegana. He is travelling with Marco Polo to the court of the Kublai Khan for peace talks, but he is up to no good. He manages to hide this from Marco Polo and plays Polo off against the TARDIS team quite effectively, even though - to me - his nefarious activities seems pretty obvious.
Marco Polo's decision to seize the TARDIS in order to present it to the Kublai Khan adds a tension to the whole story, which - as mentioned - helps Tegana to disguise what he is up to until it is almost too late.
There is some lovely comic bits towards the end when the Doctor meets the Kublai Khan and both of them complain about their old age and end up getting on like a house on fire. Their scenes together are a delight and Lucarotti writes them with the right lightness of touch required.
I really enjoyed re-reading this. I was going to give it three stars but as I was writing this review I found myself reminded of how much I had enjoyed this. For me these are so quick and delightful to read. Target books have a variable quality, but this one was pretty fine.
Marco Polo doesn't exist in the BBC archives any more, but the soundtrack and some telesnaps do so it is easy to picture the actors in their respective parts and hear the voices of the main cast reading their lines. The First Doctor gets to run through a whole gamut of feelings and behaviours - annoyance, rage, cunning, cleverness, arrogance, charm, and grandfatherlyness towards both Susan and Ping-Cho.
Giving Susan someone of her own age to interact with really helps.
The main villain of the piece is the War Lord Tegana. He is travelling with Marco Polo to the court of the Kublai Khan for peace talks, but he is up to no good. He manages to hide this from Marco Polo and plays Polo off against the TARDIS team quite effectively, even though - to me - his nefarious activities seems pretty obvious.
Marco Polo's decision to seize the TARDIS in order to present it to the Kublai Khan adds a tension to the whole story, which - as mentioned - helps Tegana to disguise what he is up to until it is almost too late.
There is some lovely comic bits towards the end when the Doctor meets the Kublai Khan and both of them complain about their old age and end up getting on like a house on fire. Their scenes together are a delight and Lucarotti writes them with the right lightness of touch required.
I really enjoyed re-reading this. I was going to give it three stars but as I was writing this review I found myself reminded of how much I had enjoyed this. For me these are so quick and delightful to read. Target books have a variable quality, but this one was pretty fine.
November 26, 2020
Written by the original screenwriter, in a rather dry way, I felt, (he's no Terrence Dicks), this novel changes a lot of 'small' details, though some are small and really quite important, or rather seem odd to have changed - I read it and listened to the BBC audio of the televised series at the same time, so was very aware of these changes. In a few instances he gives Chesterton's dialog to the Doctor, but in other instances he changes more important details, which I wont go into - but these small changes add up and its fair warning to say there are many differences from the original story which you may think were not needed. Though he does expand on the 'scope' of it, the essence of the story is still the same, and is, above all, the story of a long journey - and the author does take the opportunity to make the settings larger and more richly detailed, as a travelogue should be, and the journey is why I do like this story, it was and remains a different sort of Doctor Who story for that reason, talking place over several weeks rather than in a frantic few days There aren't many other Who books that do so - the very good First Doctor Novel 'Bunker Soldiers', and the somewhat dull (compared to Bunker Soldiers) First Doctor Novel 'Byzathium'. (And I suppose 'The Romans', which at least hints at a longer stay). I've mentioned these others just in case, like me, you like the idea of the Doctor and his companions hanging around a bit longer than usual and going a bit 'native'.
November 15, 2021
As the TV serial is entirely missing from the archives, this is a particularly important Doctor Who novelisation. The story is very unusual even in the context of the First Doctor, as it mainly consists of a very lengthy journey taking place over several weeks. This allows for an exploration of the geography and culture of Central Asia and China, fulfilling the original remit of the TV series to educate children. This is handled expertly by Lucarotti, who wrote both the original TV script and this later novelisation, as he includes plenty of atmospheric details and fairly well developed characters, particularly Ping-Cho. Where the story is let down is by the need to prevent the Doctor and his companions from simply leaving in the TARDIS - this is resolved by Marco Polo commandeering the TARDIS and the Doctor and his companions repeatedly failing in their attempts to gain access to it. The Doctor seems uncharacteristically lacking in initiative and ideas, accepting the indignity and pain of countless weeks of uncomfortable travel. The latter part of the novel, at the court of Kublai Khan, provides a refreshing contrast with its almost comical depiction of the elderly emperor and the equally decrepit Doctor. But how the Doctor manages to lose at backgammon is not satisfactorily explained.
August 11, 2025
These old novelizations are rather charming.
I read this decades ago in Junior High, as I was a nascent completionist and had no access to the earlier Doctor Who stories except via these novelizations. Still to this day, this story, considered one of the great early historical Doctor Who stories, remains entirely lost except for a few telesnaps.
I myself since this time have travelled along the old Silk Road, from Beijing to Kashgar. I also have a slight obsession with the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem "Kublai Khan", no doubt stemming from its inclusion as a major plot narrative in Douglas Adams' "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency." Douglas Adams, who has also written for Doctor Who. And finally, I have a love for the guqin piece "Parting At Yang Kwan" as performed by Wei Chung Loh, an old 78 RPM recording as featured on one of the Secret Museum of Mankind CDs. Yang Kwan, which I have been to, lies along the old Silk Road. It is the last extension of the Great Wall, and beyond the Gates, into the Wild, it is said "one will meet no old friends." Suffice to say, more than being a Doctor Who fan, this particular adventure has some personal resonance to me. It was a delight to read.
I read this decades ago in Junior High, as I was a nascent completionist and had no access to the earlier Doctor Who stories except via these novelizations. Still to this day, this story, considered one of the great early historical Doctor Who stories, remains entirely lost except for a few telesnaps.
I myself since this time have travelled along the old Silk Road, from Beijing to Kashgar. I also have a slight obsession with the Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem "Kublai Khan", no doubt stemming from its inclusion as a major plot narrative in Douglas Adams' "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency." Douglas Adams, who has also written for Doctor Who. And finally, I have a love for the guqin piece "Parting At Yang Kwan" as performed by Wei Chung Loh, an old 78 RPM recording as featured on one of the Secret Museum of Mankind CDs. Yang Kwan, which I have been to, lies along the old Silk Road. It is the last extension of the Great Wall, and beyond the Gates, into the Wild, it is said "one will meet no old friends." Suffice to say, more than being a Doctor Who fan, this particular adventure has some personal resonance to me. It was a delight to read.
September 11, 2023
This didn't work for me. I think the novel is too short for its own good, condensing seven TV episodes into a 140 page novella is just not enough space. Especially seeing as each of the episodes has a beginning, middle and climax in of themselves, condensing them down leaves the action and peril of the book to feel quiant and unimportant. At one point, Barbara gets kidnapped and they all go out to find her - which they do about a page later. There's very little suspense to proceedings and the book suffers because of it. I also find the story to be very monotonous - Marco Polo's allegiance is constantly shifting, something I didn't find to be terribly interesting. The plotline with Ping-Cho's unwanted marriage is given a little more room to breathe, but ultimate is just her repeatedly saying she doesn't want to, more and more kver the course of the book.
Its still and interesting read, especially given how different this style of story is - the travelogue aspect is one very rarely seen today and Marco Polo should definitely be commended for that, but I don't think this book is the incredible read a lot of people say it is.
Its still and interesting read, especially given how different this style of story is - the travelogue aspect is one very rarely seen today and Marco Polo should definitely be commended for that, but I don't think this book is the incredible read a lot of people say it is.
December 31, 2022
Novelisation of a missing TV story.
And it's a pretty good one. The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan arrive in 13th century China and by virtue of the fact of almost immediately losing access to the TARDIS have to stay there for a few months until they're able to leave. In the meantime they bump into the eponymous Venetian and meet the great Kublai Khan.
I enjoyed this. The voices of the characters are spot on. First Doctor being appropriately grumpy, Ian being the low-key action here and Susan, being not too annoying actually. Not enough Barbara for my taste but apart from that it was pretty good.
As an aside, this is what is known in DW fandom as a "pure historical" where the Doctor and companions travel to another time in history, have an adventure there and leave, and there's no "extra" SciFi (or fantastical) element. I've heard fans bemoan the fact that the show doesn't do these much any more. Personally I think it's a waste of a show with a time-travelling alien to "just" do a historical costume drama, even if the story is a good one.
And it's a pretty good one. The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan arrive in 13th century China and by virtue of the fact of almost immediately losing access to the TARDIS have to stay there for a few months until they're able to leave. In the meantime they bump into the eponymous Venetian and meet the great Kublai Khan.
I enjoyed this. The voices of the characters are spot on. First Doctor being appropriately grumpy, Ian being the low-key action here and Susan, being not too annoying actually. Not enough Barbara for my taste but apart from that it was pretty good.
As an aside, this is what is known in DW fandom as a "pure historical" where the Doctor and companions travel to another time in history, have an adventure there and leave, and there's no "extra" SciFi (or fantastical) element. I've heard fans bemoan the fact that the show doesn't do these much any more. Personally I think it's a waste of a show with a time-travelling alien to "just" do a historical costume drama, even if the story is a good one.
July 12, 2024
So I've only read one other classic novelisation and that was invasion of the dinosaur and getting to sit with a story for longer got me to like it more. Marco Polo being a missing story means that this book is the only way to *really* indulge in the story. So even tho I remembered the main plot I had forgotten so many small parts like the susan and Ping-cho subplot. It definitely feels like a serial made up of a lot of small cliffhangers but given its a long road trip story, this kinda fits. Very much enjoyed it and basically binged the second half in a day.
Also making marco polo the antagonist who has seized the tardis and refuses to let the dr and co go home. Inspired choice. Ik, Ik this is the first historical dr who story but its so refreshing having the 'celebrity' historical figure not being swooned over, like they are in modern who is so refreshing and I believe is a better approach to take with historicals, makes the characters a bit more nuanced, yk.
Also making marco polo the antagonist who has seized the tardis and refuses to let the dr and co go home. Inspired choice. Ik, Ik this is the first historical dr who story but its so refreshing having the 'celebrity' historical figure not being swooned over, like they are in modern who is so refreshing and I believe is a better approach to take with historicals, makes the characters a bit more nuanced, yk.
November 3, 2024
‘Doctor Who: Marco Polo’ by John Lucarotti is one of the popular Target books that is a tie in to the Doctor Who tv series. Target since the mid 1960’s have been making books of the Doctor Who tv serials.
‘Doctor Who: Marco Polo’ is written by John Lucarotti and is based on the fourth Doctor Who tv Serial with the first doctor, William Hartnell. In this story, The Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara land in the year 1289 in Cathay and end up meeting Marco Polo who is travelling to the Kublai Khan who Marco Polo decides he will give the Tardis to for his freedom, travelling with them is a young girl, Ping Cho and the evil war lord, Tegana.
‘Marco Polo’ is one of the many missing stories of Doctor Who and although a soundtrack and telesnaps exist, no tv episodes exist and this book really brings the story to life. It’s a well written book and really feels like you get a feeling and understanding of history as well as enjoying the story. A enjoyable read.
‘Doctor Who: Marco Polo’ is written by John Lucarotti and is based on the fourth Doctor Who tv Serial with the first doctor, William Hartnell. In this story, The Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara land in the year 1289 in Cathay and end up meeting Marco Polo who is travelling to the Kublai Khan who Marco Polo decides he will give the Tardis to for his freedom, travelling with them is a young girl, Ping Cho and the evil war lord, Tegana.
‘Marco Polo’ is one of the many missing stories of Doctor Who and although a soundtrack and telesnaps exist, no tv episodes exist and this book really brings the story to life. It’s a well written book and really feels like you get a feeling and understanding of history as well as enjoying the story. A enjoyable read.
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