'Marco Polo' (7 Parts) Story Code 'D' by John Lucarotti

Arriving in Central Asia in 1289, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan meet the famous Venetian explorer Marco Polo, who is travelling from the Pamir Plateau - the Roof of the World - across Cathay, en route for the palace of the mighty Kublai Kahn. He is accompanied by the warlord Tegana, who is acting as peace ambassador of the rival Mongol warlord, and Ping-Cho, a young girl who is about to unwillingly undergo an arranged marriage to a seventy-five year old nobleman at the Kahn's summer palace. Polo plans to present the TARDIS to the Kahn as a gift, and so forces the time travellers to join his caravan. They journey across the Gobi Desert and through the heart of Imperial Cathay, managing to survive a number of attempts on their life by the murderous and treacherous Tegana. Eventually arrive at the mighty Kublai Kahn's Summer Palace in Shang-tu, the Doctor befriends the aged ruler; the two old men play a game of backgammon with the TARDIS at stake, but the Doctor loses. Ping-Cho learns that her new husband to be has died after drinking an aphrodisiac, enabling her to continue her romance with Ling-Tau, a despatch rider. The caravan arrives at last at the Imperial Palace in Peking, where Tegana finally shows his true colours and attempts to assassinate the Kahn. He and Polo engage in a sword fight; the Venetian overpowers the warlord, who, humiliated, takes his own life. Polo shows his gratitude to the travellers by giving the Doctor back the TARDIS key, and the four adventurers leave in the ship.

William Hartnell (Dr Who), 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), Gabor Baraker (Wang-Lo), Tutte Lemkow (Kuiju), Peter Lawrence (Vizier), Martin Miller (Kublai Khan), Basil Tang (Office Foreman), Claire Davenport (Empress)

Produced by Verity Lambert
Directed by Waris Hussein (Parts 1-3,5-7) and John Crockett (Part 4)

TX:
'The Roof of the World' -22nd February, 1964 @ 5.15pm - 5.40pm
'The Singing Sands' -29th February, 1964 @ 5.15pm - 5.40pm
'Five Hundred Eyes' -7th March, 1964 @ 5.15pm - 5.40pm
'The Wall of Lies' -14th March, 1964 @ 5.15pm - 5.40pm
'Rider From Shang-Tu' -21st march, 1964 @ 5.15pm - 5.40pm
'Mighty Kublai Khan' -28th March, 1964 @ 5.30pm - 5.55pm
'Assassin at Peking' -4th April, 1964 @ 5.30pm - 5.55pm

Notes:
*Featuring the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan


*Also known collectively as 'A Journey to Cathay'
*No episodes exist apart from on audio recordings only