It's the only decent telling of the tale of Marco Polo. Incredible cast! You can find it in DVD on Amazon for about $40. I just got one. It's about 8 hours long.I returned from a trip to Venice and wanted to know more about this history of Venice. This DVD is great at painting a picture of the way Venice looked in the 1200s, centuries before the style of Venetian Gothic we now associate with Venice was born.The series has an all star cast - Burt Lancaster, John Gielgud, John Houseman, Anne Bancroft - the true greats - sprinkled in with lesser known but very good actors, like Ken Marshall in the title role.The opening scenes are riveting - you'll find yourself wondering if this could possibly be true and then going to wikipedia to check the historical facts and finding out everything, pretty much, comes from real historical sources.Not available on Netflix, so you might visit Amazon and grab one of the rare copies that surfaces there.

This DVD needs to be produced in DVD format. This epic story line is excellent and well written. There can not be enough said about this production as the all-star cast weaves the tale of the Marco Polo's life, the political and economic reasons began his journey, and the problems he encountered the from start to finish. Ken Marshall's portrayal of Marco Polo developing from young Marco beginning his journey to a more mature Marco through the friendships and experiences that he encounters is excellent. I remember Sada Thompson's great performance as Marco's Aunt Flora. The location shots will take the watcher round the world without ever leaving a seat. The richness of costumes and many locations thrust the watcher back into the time of Marco Polo. It has been a while since I have watched Marco Polo, but I still remember the pageantry, the great performances of each actor, and the the fact that this could also be a documentary -drama about Marco Polo. The watcher can truly develop a picture of the life and times of Marco Polo. NBC really needs to find this in its archives and re-issue this Emmy winning epic in DVD, perhaps for a 25 year anniversary!

I saw this mini series when it was broadcasted in Sweden 1982. It made an enormous impact on me, and ever since then I have been fascinated by China and its history. It is actually thanks to that series that I now work and live in Hong Kong.Even though I was rather young when I saw it on TV, I remember the autencity, the detailed surroundings, the beatiful photo, the great actors and much more that made me eager to know more.

This is one of the better Mini series to be put forth by made for t.v series, showing when t.v. studio production gets it right they get it right. If anyone knows where I can locate a video copy of this please let me know. It's a exquisite story based on the true life adventures and experiences of Marco Polo the Venetian explorer and traveler. It spell binds you to the true life adventures and times of Marco Polo. You are made aware of the intrigues both politcal and as well as economic that send Marco Polo on this long journey. You feel the horror, terror and devastation that the black plague brings to a Middle Eastern port city where death seems to abound around every corner. You feel the majesty and the pageantry of the Great Khan's court and the simple humanity of friendship, expressed between two human beings from different worlds, the Great Khan and Marco Polo. You see Leonard Nimoy in his in between days of Star Trek the t.v. series and the Star Trek bigscreen productions; as Ahmet the evil Muslim administrator in the court of the Great Khan who trys to destroy Marco Polo because he's a rising star in the court of the Great Khan. This is one panoramic, cinemagraphic feast for the eyes truly a miniseries masterpiece and I don't say that lightly. This production could easily serve as historic docu-drama of the life and times of Marco Polo it entertains as well as educates. NBC the originating broadcaster needs to dig into there vaults and dust this one off and let a new generation experience the passion, the majesty and the adventure that is Marco Polo.