8. "The Massacre"
"The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve" is another great historical by John Lucarotti, although it's not quite as epic as "Marco Polo". Set entirely in Paris in 1572, the story builds up to the St Bartholomew's Day massacre, an incredibly horrific historical event that resulted in the deaths of thousands.
The story is just four episodes long and set in the same city for its duration, so that makes it an easier choice to animate than "Marco Polo". It's also another extremely good historical story, too. There's a feeling of dread that builds up throughout all four episodes, and there are some fantastic moments of drama, especially towards the end.
But there is one issue that would drive up the budget - the sheer number of characters that this story features. Looking at the cast list for this story, there are many important characters, all of which would have to be animated.
It might not be enough to rule out an animated version of "The Massacre" completely. It's a really great historical conspiracy story, one that has a real sense of dread throughout as it builds to its horrific conclusion. But it's probably enough to rule it out for the foreseeable future, at least.