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.

RELATED:

• Go East, young man
• AAPI actors shine in Marco Polo

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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Marco Polo: Go East, young man

Benedict Wong, left, has a commanding presence as Kublai Khan. Lead actor Lorenzo Richelmy, right,
not so much even though the show is named after his character.

IF YOU haven't started watching Marco Polo on Netflix yet, don't worry. The 10-part season of the adventure epic will be there for you to watch at your convenience either as a bingefest or stretch it out as long as you like.

Marco Polo is grand, a spectacle, a swashbuckler and a sweeping epic. It is on the scale of Game of Thrones with political intrigue, clash of cultures and a bit of titillation thrown in for the producers and sponsors.

UPDATE: The future of Marco Polo is still up in the air. If you want a second season of this show, click here.

Oh, and by the way, it gives a lot of work to Asian thespians. What I like about the series is that it gives the writers the luxury of time to flesh out the complex characters, something that wouldn't happen if the characters were token minorities on a TV show. Well ... at least, I hope that's what happens. Lazy writers will fall back on the old stereotypes but I'm hoping Marco takes  advantage of their excellent cast and their talents.

It's a huge cast rivaling HBO's GoT but with the advantage of history instead of fantasy. I already find some of the characters fascinating and can't wait to see how their roles in this historic epic will unfold.

I have to point out, I never thought I'd be rooting for Kublai Khan, one of the ruthless figures in world history but Benedict Wong, who plays Khan has won me over as a fan (of Wong).

His commanding presence in scenes nearly makes the title character, played by Lorenzo Richelmy, nearly invisible. And therein lies one of the weakness of the show; if Richelmy doesn't pick it up, this could be a one-season series because Richelmy's Marco is the hook for white viewers who have difficulty relating to non-whites.

I have to admit to some trepidation about this series. I am hoping that it isn't the "white man saves the world," type storyline that is so typical Hollywood. So far, two episodes in, the producers are giving the Chinese and Mongol characters equal time. My fingers are crossed that they keep this up.

The reported $90 million spent for production shows. It is beautiful show to watch, from the silks waving in they wind, the fabulous costumes, the computer driven sets, the beautifully choreographed fighting scenes or the sweeping shots of the steppes. Who would have thought the treeless steppes with its wide open, endless grasslands could be so beautiful a portrayed so sensually by writer and creator John Fusco. 

Fusco's drive and passion for his subject is what got this series produced because most producers would shy away from a show with only one white actor. Credit super-producer Harvey Weinstein for taking the leap.

Fusco uses Polo not as the protagonist or as an instigator of the action, but as the eyes of Netflix's western audience. He's an observer of the actions of Khan and his court; exactly why Khan allowed the real Marco Polo to stick around.

“That’s what fascinates me. We all think of the travelogue part [of his life] … but then he spent 17 years in the court of Kublai Khan,” Fusco told an interviewer.  “He was basically a special agent, journalist, and diplomat. One of the reasons why he used Marco is he was a European and he had no dog in the fight. He could go [to these places] objectively.”

In the eyes of western history, Marco Polo is an important figure. But I wonder, how is he viewed in Asian history? Is he merely a single figure in the Khan's court without any importance other than an objective set of eyes? 

Joan Chen in "Marco Polo."

The writers' attempts to give Marco a love interest are awkward and seem forced. Therein is the weakness to Fusco's writing. His female characters are intelligent and feisty enough; but still, the women are reduced to sexual objects in order to (1) titillate the TV audience used to the GoT standards; and (2) to satisfy the studio heads who adhere to the "sex sells" adage. Hopefully, after the producers feel that they've capture an audience, they'll rely less on the T&A fallback perpetuating this stereotype of "exotic" Asian women.

But as actress Joan Chen, who plays Khan's wife Chabi, says, for that time period, there was no feminist movement and as much as we would like to empower women, in that era, in that country, women were not treated well. We shouldn't impose our modern day values on people who lived in an age when women were treated like second-class citizens.

The first two episodes moved slowly at times, and sometimes the dialogue is bait pompous and stuffy, but I understand the pacing picks up later in the series after we get to know who's who and the political landscape of the time period.

The mixed reviews the show as garnered hit on all those negatives, but, for me, a show wherein Asian actors can show their talent, with Asian characters with depth and with an underlying plot in which Europe is NOT the center of the world, and an historical perspective that is not Eurocentric, is an important step forward and we shouldn't lose sight of that, even though we wish it could be more.

In the larger scheme of things, in this time of China-bashing and North Korean dictators, it is vitally critical for the future of this country that U.S. audiences get used to seeing Asian faces, whether it be at work, school or in the movies and on the TV screen.

If you're tired of the reruns and the umpteenth showing of the "Christmas Story" or "White Christmas," Marco Polo is a good way to pass the winter months. 

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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