Compact

1962–1965 · Ended · 4 seasons · 374 episodes · Drama, Soap · United Kingdom

Creator Peter Ling · Channel BBC One · Starring Vincent Ball, Robert Desmond, Rachel Gurney

Compact was a British television soap opera shown by the BBC between 1962 and 1965. The series was created by Hazel Adair and Peter Ling, who together went on to devise Crossroads. In contrast to the kitchen sink realism of Coronation Street, Compact was a distinctly middle-class serial, set in the more "sophisticated" arena of magazine publishing. An early "avarice" soap, it took the viewer into the business workplace, and aligned the professional lives of the characters with more personal storylines. The show was scheduled for broadcast on Tuesdays and Thursdays, thus avoiding a clash with ITV's Coronation Street on Mondays and Wednesdays. When Compact began, the editor was a woman, Joanne Minster, yet it was not long before she was replaced by Ian Harmon, the son of the magazine's owner. Despite being largely criticised by reviewers, Compact was popular with the general public, and in 1964 a regular omnibus edition was introduced, broadcast on Sundays. Morris Barry, a some-time actor and BBC director – he directed several Doctor Who stories in the 1960s – took over as producer and was given a brief to spice the series up in view of the criticism it had received from the national press. But the BBC, never comfortable with the concept of soap opera, quietly dropped the series in 1965.
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Episodes

103 episodes · January 1964 – December 1964
  1. Episode 1: 1. Weekend GuestJanuary 2, 1964 · 30 min
  2. Episode 2: 2. A Place Of Your OwnJanuary 4, 1964 · 30 min
  3. Episode 3: 3. A Question Of MoralsJanuary 6, 1964 · 30 min
  4. Episode 4: 4. The EnquiryJanuary 14, 1964 · 30 min
  5. Episode 5: 5. The OpeningJanuary 16, 1964 · 30 min
  6. Episode 6: 6. Hand In MarriageJanuary 21, 1964 · 30 min
Show 97 more episodes
  1. Episode 7: 7. The Best PolicyJanuary 23, 1964 · 30 min
  2. Episode 8: 8. One Of Us Must GoJanuary 28, 1964 · 30 min
  3. Episode 9: 9. Love You And Leave YouJanuary 30, 1964 · 30 min
  4. Episode 10: 10. Battle Of The SexesFebruary 4, 1964 · 30 min
  5. Episode 11: 11. Unexpected GuestsFebruary 6, 1964 · 30 min
  6. Episode 12: 12. Mutual UnderstandingFebruary 11, 1964 · 30 min
  7. Episode 13: 13. SurprisesFebruary 13, 1964 · 30 min
  8. Episode 14: 14. Walls Have EarsFebruary 16, 1964 · 30 min
  9. Episode 15: 15. In The AirFebruary 17, 1964 · 30 min
  10. Episode 16: 16. The Poison SpreadsFebruary 25, 1964 · 30 min
  11. Episode 17: 17. The Fatal CallFebruary 27, 1964 · 30 min
  12. Episode 18: 18. An End And A BeginningMarch 3, 1964 · 30 min
  13. Episode 19: 19. The Night VisitorsMarch 5, 1964 · 30 min
  14. Episode 20: 20. Plots And PlansMarch 10, 1964 · 30 min
  15. Episode 21: 21. Secrets And LiesMarch 12, 1964 · 30 min
  16. Episode 22: 22. The Ides Of MarchMarch 17, 1964 · 30 min
  17. Episode 23: 23. False EvidenceMarch 19, 1964 · 30 min
  18. Episode 24: 24. A Difficult AssignmentMarch 24, 1964 · 30 min
  19. Episode 25: 25. The Eve Of The WeddingMarch 26, 1964 · 30 min
  20. Episode 26: 26. Just Married - Good LuckMarch 31, 1964 · 30 min
  21. Episode 27: 27. Honeymoon And HolidaysApril 2, 1964 · 30 min
  22. Episode 28: 28. Rush JobApril 7, 1964 · 30 min
  23. Episode 29: 29. Moment Of TruthApril 9, 1964 · 30 min
  24. Episode 30: 30. Hot And ColdApril 14, 1964 · 30 min
  25. Episode 31: 31. Home And AwayApril 16, 1964 · 30 min
  26. Episode 32: 32. Ian In DangerApril 19, 1964 · 30 min
  27. Episode 33: 33. InvestigationsApril 24, 1964 · 30 min
  28. Episode 34: 34. Guilty ConscienceApril 28, 1964 · 30 min
  29. Episode 35: 35. To Be Delivered By HandApril 30, 1964 · 30 min
  30. Episode 36: 36. Business Not BlackmailMay 5, 1964 · 30 min
  31. Episode 37: 37. A Ray Of HopeMay 7, 1964 · 30 min
  32. Episode 38: 38. Success StoryMay 12, 1964 · 30 min
  33. Episode 39: 39. Wine, Women, And SongMay 14, 1964 · 30 min
  34. Episode 40: 40. Delicate NegotiationsMay 19, 1964 · 30 min
  35. Episode 41: 41. Parties And QuarrelsMay 21, 1964 · 30 min
  36. Episode 42: 42. Who Is Eddie Pritchard?May 26, 1964 · 30 min
  37. Episode 43: 43. Crossed SwordsMay 28, 1964 · 30 min
  38. Episode 44: 44. A Question Of LoyaltiesJune 2, 1964 · 30 min
  39. Episode 45: 45. Picture ClueJune 4, 1964 · 30 min
  40. Episode 46: 46. To Catch A ThiefJune 9, 1964 · 30 min
  41. Episode 47: 47. Play On CrimeJune 11, 1964 · 30 min
  42. Episode 48: 48. The UnexpectedJune 16, 1964 · 30 min
  43. Episode 49: 49. EncounterJune 18, 1964 · 30 min
  44. Episode 50: 50. The Verdict Was GuiltyJune 23, 1964 · 30 min
  45. Episode 51: 51. Emergency CallJune 25, 1964 · 30 min
  46. Episode 52: 52. The Kiss Of LifeJune 30, 1964 · 30 min
  47. Episode 53: 53. Have You Anything To Say?July 2, 1964 · 30 min
  48. Episode 54: 54. Hide And SeekJuly 7, 1964 · 30 min
  49. Episode 55: 55. Find The LadyJuly 9, 1964 · 30 min
  50. Episode 56: 56. ResponsibilitiesJuly 14, 1964 · 30 min
  51. Episode 57: 57. Time Of TrialJuly 16, 1964 · 30 min
  52. Episode 58: 58. A Boy Comes HomeJuly 21, 1964 · 30 min
  53. Episode 59: 59. Old Friends And Familiar FacesJuly 23, 1964 · 30 min
  54. Episode 60: 60. The OfferJuly 28, 1964 · 30 min
  55. Episode 61: 61. The DilemmaJuly 30, 1964 · 30 min
  56. Episode 62: 62. The Bowler Hat TrickAugust 4, 1964 · 30 min
  57. Episode 63: 63. A Game Of ConsequencesAugust 6, 1964 · 30 min
  58. Episode 64: 64. Model MysteryAugust 11, 1964 · 30 min
  59. Episode 65: 65. Unexpected TemperamentAugust 17, 1964 · 30 min
  60. Episode 66: 66. Paradise - My Island HomeAugust 20, 1964 · 30 min
  61. Episode 67: 67. DeparturesAugust 24, 1964 · 30 min
  62. Episode 68: 68. BackfireAugust 27, 1964 · 30 min
  63. Episode 69: 69. Business With PleasureAugust 31, 1964 · 30 min
  64. Episode 70: 70. Treasure HuntSeptember 3, 1964 · 30 min
  65. Episode 71: 71. Many QuestionsSeptember 7, 1964 · 30 min
  66. Episode 72: 72. Blow The Wind - WesterlySeptember 9, 1964 · 30 min
  67. Episode 73: 73. Dear Mister BruceSeptember 14, 1964 · 30 min
  68. Episode 74: 74. Unconditional SurrenderSeptember 17, 1964 · 30 min
  69. Episode 75: 75. Best Laid PlansSeptember 22, 1964 · 30 min
  70. Episode 76: 76. Credit Where Credit's DueSeptember 25, 1964 · 30 min
  71. Episode 77: 77. The WarningSeptember 29, 1964 · 30 min
  72. Episode 78: 78. Departure And ReturnOctober 2, 1964 · 30 min
  73. Episode 79: 79. Friends And RelationsOctober 6, 1964 · 30 min
  74. Episode 80: 80. Goodbye ForeverOctober 9, 1964 · 30 min
  75. Episode 81: 81. The Shadow Of DangerOctober 13, 1964 · 30 min
  76. Episode 82: 82. Between Life And DeathOctober 16, 1964 · 30 min
  77. Episode 83: 83. A Spy In The CampOctober 20, 1964 · 30 min
  78. Episode 84: 84. Smugglers GoldOctober 23, 1964 · 30 min
  79. Episode 85: 85. Kooky ChristeningOctober 27, 1964 · 30 min
  80. Episode 86: 86. Moving OnOctober 30, 1964 · 30 min
  81. Episode 87: 87. To The RescueNovember 3, 1964 · 30 min
  82. Episode 88: 88. Over The WallNovember 6, 1964 · 30 min
  83. Episode 89: 89. Mistaken IdentityNovember 10, 1964 · 30 min
  84. Episode 90: 90. Home And DryNovember 13, 1964 · 30 min
  85. Episode 91: 91. Maiden VoyageNovember 17, 1964 · 30 min
  86. Episode 92: 92. Tangled WebNovember 20, 1964 · 30 min
  87. Episode 93: 93. Secrets All RoundNovember 24, 1964 · 30 min
  88. Episode 94: 94. Lost PropertyNovember 27, 1964 · 30 min
  89. Episode 95: 95. The Truth Will OutDecember 1, 1964 · 30 min
  90. Episode 96: 96. Weekend PlansDecember 3, 1964 · 30 min
  91. Episode 97: 97. Accident - Presumed DrownedDecember 8, 1964 · 30 min
  92. Episode 98: 98. On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner And Blitzen!December 11, 1964 · 30 min
  93. Episode 99: 99. Seven More Shopping DaysDecember 15, 1964 · 30 min
  94. Episode 100: 100. Change PartnersDecember 18, 1964 · 30 min
  95. Episode 101: 101. Do Me A Favour!December 22, 1964 · 30 min
  96. Episode 102: 102. A Surprise For ChristmasDecember 25, 1964 · 30 min
  97. Episode 103: 103. A Partridge In A Pear TreeDecember 29, 1964 · 30 min

Credits

Film and series details

EPISODE LENGTH
30 minutes
FIRST AIRED
January 2, 1962
LAST AIRED
July 30, 1965

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