Marco Polo
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Marco Polo tends to play loose with historical facts in favor of eye-catching visuals, from bloody battles to graphic orgies with full-frontal nudity. Which is to say, it's intended for mature audiences. Language is minor, but you'll see frank depictions of sex and violence and characters using mind-altering substances such as opium.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Basically Pornography
Depends on the kid
What's the story?
Is it any good?
Launched in the wake of critically acclaimed Netflix series such as House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black, Marco Polo seeks to capitalize on the streaming service's forward momentum as a maker of popular original content. But, although the sweeping period drama boasts stunning vistas, meticulous costuming, and some impressive action, what it lacks is a compelling story and three-dimensional characters who are actually worth caring about. What you're left with is a series that looks expensive but somehow makes you feel like you got shortchanged.
What it has in abundance, of course, is sex -- lots and lots of sex -- which is likely by design to keep audiences watching. And, although there are historical tidbits amid all the bed-hopping, facts generally take a backseat to flashy visuals and improbable plot twists that take The Travels of Marco Polo (the 13th-century travel tome that inspired this series) into boldly mature territory.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about the real-life Marco Polo and how accurately this series portrays his experiences. What creative liberties do the writers take, and why? How important is it to stick to the facts when centering a show on a historical figure?
Is a series that's engineered for "binge-watching" such as Marco Polo structured differently from other shows? How have online content providers such as Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu changed the way television is created and consumed?
When it comes to content, are there lines that an exclusively streaming series like Marco Polo can cross that network and even pay-cable shows can't? What are the advantages and disadvantages when a show is available via streaming-only?
TV details
- Premiere date: December 12, 2014
- Cast: Lorenzo Richelmy, Benedict Wong, Chin Han
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Adventures, History
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Available on: Streaming
- Last updated: November 2, 2020
Our editors recommend
For kids who love history
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
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