Netflix cancels 'Marco Polo' teleseries

The Asian and Asian/American cast of 'Marco Polo' will be missed.

THE BAD NEWS is that the grand, epic Marco Polo teleseries has been cancelled after two seasons. The good news is that a whole host of AAPI actors are now free to sign up for new projects.

Netflix opted to cancel the third season of the historical drama about the intrigue and sex surrounding the 13th century court of Mongol conquerer Kublai Khan.

"We want to thank and are grateful to our partners on Marco Polo from the actors, whose performances were enthralling and top-notch; to the committed producers, including John Fusco, Dan Minahan, Patrick Macmanus, and their crew, who poured their hearts into the series; and of course Harvey (Weinstein), David (Glasser) and our friends at TWC, who were great collaborators from start to finish," Netflix vp original content Cindy Holland said Monday in a statement.

A couple of months ago, showrunner John Fusco said the cast was ready and committed to continue into the third season, which would center around the death of the great Khan.

Executive producer Fusco and TWC's Harvey Weinstein are working on an idea "in a similar space," which raised speculation that they might move to another network. Fusco and his team are presumed to be discussing the issue with HBO's Richard Plepler, AMC's Josh Sapan, A+E's Nancy Dubuc and NBC Universal's Bonnie Hammer.

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Weinstein Co. co-chairman Weinstein, who with Fusco hinted they would soon be reteaming for another similarly themed drama in the works, added: "Netflix has been incredible to give us the room to make a series with a cast true to every principle of diversity. It’s a bold network that allows you to do that and support us in the way that Netflix did. As many people know, Asian history and the world of martial arts have fascinated me for all of my career — I’ve made many movies around these topics and this genre, and now this TV show I’m so proud of. John has been a great partner and we're both fascinated to continue exploring this exciting period in history on future projects together." 

Marco Polo was a unique product and there might not ever be another TV series like it again with its huge Asian and Asian/American cast with a storyline where the lone white actor is not the focus of most of the plotlines. The show introduced U.S. audiences to a plethora of AAPI talent, including the wonderful Benedict Wong, who played Kublai Khan, Zhu Zhu, Olivia Cheng, Claudia Kim, Tom Wu, veterans Joan Chen, Rick Yune and Michelle Yeoh  and a whole slew of other actors proving (once and for all) that there is no lack of AAPI talent if producers and casting agents bother to look.

Marco Polo had some serious flaws, but the show deserves a place in AAPI entertainment history for showing - all in one show - a wide range of Asians (Mongols, Indians, Chinese, Korean, Muslim, Christian, men, women, schemers, warriors, lovers). 

In a rare opportunity, non-Asian audiences were able to see a wide range of Asian characters with complex backgrounds and personalities demonstrating that if U.S. audiences were given the chance to see Asian characters as imperfect individuals, fear and cheer them as individuals - instead of seeing them as one huge amorphous, anonymous "other."

Set in China, Marco Polo showed American audiences that the history of the world did not center around Europe. While most of Europe was emerging from the Dark Ages, advanced and complex civilizations were thriving in Asia.

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Review: 'Marco Polo' on Netflix is bigger, better as its AAPI actors take over

Benedict Wong as Kublai Khan and a cast of thousands in Netflix's "Marco Polo."

WITH VERY LITTLE fanfare, Marco Polo, the dazzling epic television series, debuted its second season on Netflix over the Independence Day weekend.

If you have been following the #OscarsSoWhite or #WhitewashedOut controversy and want to see more Asians in television and the movies, this series Asians and Pacific Islanders - thousands of them.

If you want martial arts, this show has the best one-on-one choreographed fighting since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

If you want palace intrigue, complicated plots, back-stabbing or ...

If you're just suffering from Game of Throne withdrawals, this is a story that satisfy that craving.

If you want beautiful women and studly men in your entertainment ... well, Marco Polo has one of the best looking casts on television.

Season Two of this remarkable undertaking is noteworthy in a few ways. Although the show is named after the Italian explorer, the Asian cast is getting the better lines and more air time. That means a bigger role for Benedict Wong's Kublai Khan, whose strong presence demands your attention in every scene he's in. 

The old wise monk Hundred Eyes is delivering some of the series'  best lines. His role is kind of like old lady Crawley in Downton Abbey, getting in zingers to keep the seriousness at bay.

Joan Chen's role has expanded to be more than a beautiful prop. Her character as wife of the khan now pushes the plot forward and she has ambitions of her own as one of the Khan's trusted advisers.

The addition of Michelle Yeoh to the cast as the mysterious warrior fighting for the last remnants of the Song empire gives another excuse for those fantastic acrobatic fights Yeo made famous in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

With the reduction of Marco Polo, played by Lorenzo Richelmy, to a side story instead of the main storyline, the entire story enters a grander scale allowing more interesting plotlines to be explored.

It would be advised to watch the last episode of season one to reacquaint yourself with all the characters. So much plotting is going on between the different factions seeking power, it is a little difficult keeping everything straight.

It says a lot of how we've been brainwashed but I almost expect the characters to speak in British accents because the Brits are so good at historical dramatizations. When some of the characters begin to speak in modern cadence and American idioms, the effect is jarring and out of place.
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WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD (Skip the next paragraph)

Don't mistake Marco Polo as a documentary. The writers take liberty with real history for the sake of drama, but that's OK if we're looking for an interesting story. Kublai Khan does not kill the child emperor of the Song Dynasty. But when it occurs in the TV series, it is a powerful, powerful scene.

All in all, the second season looks like an improvement over the first season. It is well worth giving it a second look if you were disappointed with the first season. It's a beautiful production with its exotic sets and costumes. Thanks to CGI we can now see long shots of the Chinese cities giving us a sense of life in that era. 

As viewers become more familiar with the vast array of characters, (a lot is going on)  and untangle all the little subplots, it should develop a stronger following. It is only too bad that because it is on Netflix, the viewership will never approach that of Game of Thrones.

Marco Polo could serve another role its writers and producers probably didn't intend. Because of the shift of attention away from the Venetian adventurer to the Chinese and Mongols, U.S. audiences can see the world from a perspective that is not exclusively Euro-centric and the history and culture of the world did not all emanate from the west.

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For more news about Asian/Americans & Pacific Islanders, read AsAm News.

New 'Marco Polo' TV series will feature a lot of Asian actors, sorcery, swordplay & sex

OH MY GOSH! This looks exciting, sexy, intriguing.

Netflix will be airing a new series "Marco Polo" starting this December 12. This gives us something to do on those cold, wet winter months when we're cooped up with no desire to expose ourselves to the elements.

In my earlier post about fall TV series featuring Asian characters, this one skipped by me. What an oversight, but that's what happens when blogging is only a hobby, not a job. My apologies!

San Francisco's own Joan Chen.

The fictionalized account of the real-life explorer Marco Polo will also place Asia (China specifically, but who knows where it will go?) in America's living rooms. It will also give a lot of work for Asian actors, most of whom are unknown to American' viewers.

The great thing about a series like this is that it gives time to develop the characters beyond the one-dimensional characterizations given to most Asian characters. What it means is that American audiences will actually have a chance to "care" for or understand the motivations of people who might not look like them.

Billed as another "Game of Thrones," it stars Lorenzo Richelmy in the title role. Expect it to be heavy on the swordplay, drugs and sex. 

Marco Polo is played by Lorenzo Richelmy in a scene from the Netflix swashbuckler. 

"Marco, the blood of an adventurer courses through your veins," Marco is told in one scene. Speaking of blood, plenty of it appears to be getting spilled in the series," writes the Hollywood Reporter. 

In a world replete with greed, betrayal, sexual intrigue and rivalry, "Marco Polo" is based on the famed explorer's adventures in Kublai Khan's court in 13th century China.

Created by John Fusco, Marco Polo also features Benedict Wong (Prometheus), Joan Chen (Twin Peaks) and Chin Han (Arrow).

The show is produced by Netflix and The Weinstein Company.

At a cost of $90 million for the first ten episodes this is a BIG production. It is being filmed in Italy, Kazakhstan and Malaysia.

If the teaser trailer and if producer Fusco's resume of "Homeland" and "Game of Thrones," is any indication of what to expect, I can't wait!

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