Talk:Marco Polo (Doctor Who)/Archive 1

The First Purely Historical Story

In another of the fun debates among fans some feel that it is actually the three episodes that make up the Tribe of Gum segment of the first serial that are the first historical story. An interview that I read many years ago with Verity Lambert indicated that she felt that way, but I lost that mag long ago and so can't give a proper source for it. The way to split the hair is to say that Marco Polo is the first recorded historical story. It's not important enough to make any change to this fine article. But, I think noting it here on the talk page will help give food for thought to any who might stumble on this. MarnetteD | Talk 05:45, 1 May 2005 (UTC)

Absolutely not; history is recorded past. MartinSFSA (talk) 11:49, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

Hartnell in episode 2

The Doctor is absent from the whole of episode two (William Hartnell having earned a holiday). When the character returns in episode three, Hartnell's portrayal of the Doctor shows less cantankerousness and more empathy. While occasionally dictatorial and selfish, the Doctor is no longer spiteful or bitter; neither would he contemplate murder in response to threatening situations, as he had done in 100,000 BC and Inside the Spaceship.

I thought this was a myth that had been cleared up. Doesn't the Doctor have a few lines in the episode? Timrollpickering 13:58, 17 January 2006 (UTC)

For what it's worth (very little) I've just listened to Ep 2, and Hartnell has no lines whatsoever DrVxD (talk) 21:05, 29 September 2009 (UTC)

I'm currently watching the reconstruction of that episode, and Hartnell has at least one line ("Is that all we'll get until tonight" when being given water, before collapsing). I suspect that was pre-recorded. Stealth Munchkin (talk) 16:57, 10 July 2010 (UTC)

See this:

• Howe, David J.; Walker, Stephen James (1998). Doctor Who: The Television Companion. London: BBC Worldwide. p. 20. ISBN 0 563 40588 0. Although not on holiday as such, William Hartnell had only one line of dialogue in The Singing Sands. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)

--Redrose64 (talk) 18:23, 10 July 2010 (UTC)

Episode 4 reappears on Ebay

Have a look at this link. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130003773168&fromMakeTrack=true

With the discovery of telesnaps for the fourth episode of Marco Polo (provided the Ebay item was real) what are the odds that the whole thing will eventually be reconstructed? I read from one source that all except one had been found (I think the missing one was 4 according to the source). I was searching for a DVD or a tape (s) of Marco Polo and found out that this was one of the "lost episodes (or perhaps collection of episodes."The Tollan 01:24, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Two reconstructions exit. One is a 30-minuted reduced episode of the entire serial found on the DVD of the third serial. The other is a reconstruction of the entire serial, but it it not commercially available. AstérixSméagol (talk) 23:04, 27 December 2008 (UTC)

It isn't worth discussing the endless rumours here; I suggest making the Restoration Team's say so the criteria on missing/recovered episodes. This story and episode four are notable targets in hoaxes. MartinSFSA (talk) 10:15, 28 December 2008 (UTC)

Telesnaps for episode four were never commissioned, for unknown reasons, so anything claiming to be from episode four (bar the soundtrack) is almost guaranteed to be a hoax.Paul75 (talk) 03:19, 20 January 2009 (UTC)

The Wall of Lies is listed as having been telesnapped, it's just that Waris Hussein retained copies and John Crocket is long dead. Crocket did not commission snaps for his other story, The Aztecs, and it may be Cura recorded episode four of Marco Polo only to find no buyers.MartinSFSA (talk) 12:02, 17 February 2009 (UTC)

Mission to the Unknown

Mission to the Unknown hardly qualifies as a serial. And if it does form part of a serial, it would be joined with The Daleks' Master Plan, of which three episodes exist in their entirety. I can't think of a better wording for the article at the moment though. Perhaps someone else can help. The Tribe of Gum 21:09, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

I changed it to "stories" - not ideal, but it seemed the least awkward of the alternatives I could think of. --Brian Olsen 15:07, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

Continuity

In this episode, Marco Polo suggests the Doctor could build a new Tardis, and Ian objects that that can't be done cause "you need special metals that can't be found here" or the like. The doctor doesn't give his opinion on this, so we don't know if it's simply due to Marco and Ian being mistaken, but later, somewhere in the series with the tenth doctor, I think "Impossible Planet", the doctor states that Tardisses aren't built, they are grown. Might we want to add that under "Continuity"? --Mithcoriel (talk) 19:06, 17 May 2008 (UTC)

Add it to "The Impossible Planet" article, not this one. DonQuixote (talk) 01:31, 18 May 2008 (UTC)

Episode table

Does anyone object if I change the episode table? The template is uneditable and the information within the present table is incorrect. Paul75 (talk) 03:16, 20 January 2009 (UTC)