Doctor Who: Summary: The Roof of the World

“The Roof of the World” is episode 1 of the 7-part 1964 serial Marco Polo, and the 14th episode overall of Classic Doctor Who Season 1. The TARDIS suffers a total power failure and lands in the Himalayas in 13th-century Asia. The First Doctor, Susan, Ian, and Barbara are taken in by the caravan of famed explorer Marco Polo. Polo becomes fascinated by the travelers’ claim that the TARDIS can fly, and seizes it as a gift for his employer, Kublai Khan. He hopes that presenting the Khan with such a marvel will earn him permission to finally leave the Khan’s service and return home to Venice.

Stranded without their ship, the Doctor and companions are forced to accompany Polo on his long trek across Asia to the Khan’s court in Peking. They make several attempts to reclaim the TARDIS, but are thwarted not only by Polo, but also by Tegana, a war lord traveling with the caravan who is supposedly on a peace mission yet has his own deadly plans for Kublai Khan. The episode sets up the journey and political intrigue that drive the rest of the Marco Polo serial, with the travelers caught between Polo’s ambitions and Tegana’s sabotage.

 

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