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

61 episodes · January 1965 – July 1965
  1. Episode 1: 1. Ring In The NewJanuary 1, 1965 · 30 min
  2. Episode 2: 2. Day Of DeliveranceJanuary 5, 1965 · 30 min
  3. Episode 3: 3. Fare Thee Well, For I Must Leave TheeJanuary 8, 1965 · 30 min
  4. Episode 4: 4. Discoveries Of The DayJanuary 12, 1965 · 30 min
  5. Episode 5: 5. TogethernessJanuary 15, 1965 · 30 min
  6. Episode 6: 6. TroublemakerJanuary 19, 1965 · 30 min
Show 55 more episodes
  1. Episode 7: 7. The Last StrawJanuary 22, 1965 · 30 min
  2. Episode 8: 8. Heart To HeartJanuary 26, 1965 · 30 min
  3. Episode 9: 9. Late CallJanuary 29, 1965 · 30 min
  4. Episode 10: 10. A Marriage Has Been Arranged…February 2, 1965 · 30 min
  5. Episode 11: 11. Many A SlipFebruary 5, 1965 · 30 min
  6. Episode 12: 12. Thunder On The LeftFebruary 9, 1965 · 30 min
  7. Episode 13: 13. Tell It Not In FaithFebruary 12, 1965 · 30 min
  8. Episode 14: 14. A Family AffairFebruary 16, 1965 · 30 min
  9. Episode 15: 15. Change Of PlanFebruary 19, 1965 · 30 min
  10. Episode 16: 16. KidnappedFebruary 23, 1965 · 30 min
  11. Episode 17: 17. It Happens To Other PeopleFebruary 26, 1965 · 30 min
  12. Episode 18: 18. Where There's SmokeMarch 2, 1965 · 30 min
  13. Episode 19: 19. Patience On A MonumentMarch 5, 1965 · 30 min
  14. Episode 20: 20. Blow Hot, Blow ColdMarch 9, 1965 · 30 min
  15. Episode 21: 21. Change Of HeartMarch 12, 1965 · 30 min
  16. Episode 22: 22. Food For ThoughtMarch 16, 1965 · 30 min
  17. Episode 23: 23. The End Of A SongMarch 19, 1965 · 30 min
  18. Episode 24: 24. The Man From ParisMarch 23, 1965 · 30 min
  19. Episode 25: 25. The Wrong SetMarch 26, 1965 · 30 min
  20. Episode 26: 26. The Egnet SingsMarch 30, 1965 · 30 min
  21. Episode 27: 27. A Cigarette That Bears A Lipstick's TraceApril 2, 1965 · 30 min
  22. Episode 28: 28. The Last ActApril 6, 1965 · 30 min
  23. Episode 29: 29. A Tangled WebApril 9, 1965 · 30 min
  24. Episode 30: 30. Who's Who?April 13, 1965 · 30 min
  25. Episode 31: 31. Never Trust A WomanApril 16, 1965 · 30 min
  26. Episode 32: 32. Travellers ReturnApril 20, 1965 · 30 min
  27. Episode 33: 33. Gone AwayApril 23, 1965 · 30 min
  28. Episode 34: 34. Publish And Be DamnedApril 27, 1965 · 30 min
  29. Episode 35: 35. Action For LibelApril 30, 1965 · 30 min
  30. Episode 36: 36. Testing TimeMay 4, 1965 · 30 min
  31. Episode 37: 37. Plots, Plans, And A PartyMay 7, 1965 · 30 min
  32. Episode 38: 38. True Or False?May 11, 1965 · 30 min
  33. Episode 39: 39. Hide And SeekMay 14, 1965 · 30 min
  34. Episode 40: 40. Wild Goose ChaseMay 18, 1965 · 30 min
  35. Episode 41: 41. High Court, Low CourtMay 21, 1965 · 30 min
  36. Episode 42: 42. Hostilities Called OffMay 25, 1965 · 30 min
  37. Episode 43: 43. Best Laid SchemesMay 28, 1965 · 30 min
  38. Episode 44: 44. Trouble BrewingJune 1, 1965 · 30 min
  39. Episode 45: 45. Any Other Business?June 4, 1965 · 30 min
  40. Episode 46: 46. Time FliesJune 8, 1965 · 30 min
  41. Episode 47: 47. Friends And EnemiesJune 11, 1965 · 30 min
  42. Episode 48: 48. Day Of DecisionJune 15, 1965 · 30 min
  43. Episode 49: 49. Hidden DepthsJune 18, 1965 · 30 min
  44. Episode 50: 50. Appearances Can Be DeceptiveJune 22, 1965 · 30 min
  45. Episode 51: 51. The Truth Will OutJune 25, 1965 · 30 min
  46. Episode 52: 52. The Off-White ElephantJune 29, 1965 · 30 min
  47. Episode 53: 53. Winners And LosersJuly 2, 1965 · 30 min
  48. Episode 54: 54. Engagements At SeaJuly 6, 1965 · 30 min
  49. Episode 55: 55. Storm WarningJuly 9, 1965 · 30 min
  50. Episode 56: 56. Change Of PlansJuly 13, 1965 · 30 min
  51. Episode 57: 57. Trouble Across The WaterJuly 16, 1965 · 30 min
  52. Episode 58: 58. Destination - ParisJuly 20, 1965 · 30 min
  53. Episode 59: 59. Paris Is For LoversJuly 23, 1965 · 30 min
  54. Episode 60: 60. If The Shoe Fits…July 27, 1965 · 30 min
  55. Episode 61: 61. Journey's EndJuly 30, 1965 · 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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