Marco Polo - The Singing Sands

The title is very appropriate as when the sandstorm hits, it does sound like singing. Bad singing, the sort you would get on X-Factor but it’s a good title. The story is where Tegana’s plan will come to fruition and after the reprise, the narration starts again and I like this one as it shows how grumpy the Doctor is. Susan is letting the situation get to her. There’s a hint of the old Susan in this first scene and Barbara is doing the mother thing by trying to reassure Susan. Ping-Cho’s purpose seems to be to interact with Susan as they both appear to be the same age. They act in this episode like two friends trying to sneak out of their parents home. It’s due to this that they see Tegana leaving and leads to the first proper dramatic moment in the story. Susan uses 1960’s terms like crazy to describe the moon.

The Doctor hardly ‘appears’ in this story, instead all we get is a brief moment at the end where we discover that the heat is getting to him. As his involvement is kept to a minimum it’s really Ian, Barbara and Susan that are left to push the story along. Susan and Ping-Cho are following Tegana but get caught in the sandstorm whilst Ian is playing chess with Marco Polo. Jacqueline Hill is sort of floating around in the background and doesn’t really get a good deal in this episode.

There’s a moment where Marco questions how he can thank Tegana for saving Ping-Cho’s life which is amusing as the viewer knows the truth about what’s going on. Tegana is a cracking villain. He is as my mom would call a nasty bag of washing. Not only has he caused the situation that everyone finds themselves in but when he get to the oasis he gets some water and goads Marco Polo to “come for it”.  He really deserves that ending and Tegan is brilliantly played by Derren Nesbitt though Mark Eden continues to impress as Marco Polo and I am even starting to like Zienia Merton as Ping-Cho. This episode was definelty more about the supporting cast that the regulars. Which isn’t a bad thing as with the episode length being what it is means that we can learn a bit more about them.

By the latter stages of the episode Tegana’s plan has had its desired effect and they have little water to travel the desert and they are travelling less and less. It’s a shame that this episode doesn’t exit at all on videotape as I think that it would be one of the most visually stunning. Even from the telesnaps that I am looking at whilst listening to this on CD, it looks like a top production and its good that the acting matches it.

The cliffhanger is very enjoyable and makes up the previous episode’s lack of tension. It does really make you question who they are going to survive with Tegana being less than helpful and the lack of water being a real issue. I am for the first time really excited about this story and feel that the rest of the episode can make me forget this is a pure historical and excite me with a cracking story.