Compact
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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Cast
Seasons
- Ep 1
1.The First Issue
02-01-196230 min - Ep 2
2.Advice To Readers
04-01-196230 min - Ep 3
3.Efficiency Expert
09-01-196230 min - Ep 4
4.Cover Photograph
11-01-196230 min - Ep 5
5.Tea Break
16-01-196230 min - Ep 6
6.Personal Problem
18-01-196230 min - Ep 7
7.The New Broom
23-01-196230 min - Ep 8
8.Sally Speaks Up
25-01-196230 min - Ep 9
9.Question Of Identity
30-01-196230 min - Ep 10
10.Wedding Grove
01-02-196230 min - Ep 11
11.Suspicion Of Theft
06-02-196230 min - Ep 12
12.Happy Birthday
08-02-196230 min - Ep 13
13.Valentine's Day
13-02-196230 min - Ep 14
14.Testing Time
15-02-196230 min - Ep 15
15.Something To Celebrate
20-02-196230 min - Ep 16
16.Press Reception
22-02-196230 min - Ep 17
17.A True Story
27-02-196230 min - Ep 18
18.Circulation Figures
01-03-196230 min - Ep 19
19.News From New York
06-03-196230 min - Ep 20
20.A Breath Of Air
08-03-196230 min - Ep 21
21.The Party
13-03-196230 min - Ep 22
22.After The Ball
15-03-196230 min - Ep 23
23.Shocks And Bruises
20-03-196230 min - Ep 24
24.Weekend
22-03-196230 min - Ep 25
25.Action Stations
27-03-196230 min - Ep 26
26.The Ideal Husband
29-03-196230 min - Ep 27
27.Future Plans
03-04-196230 min - Ep 28
28.Facing The Facts
05-04-196230 min - Ep 29
29.A Night Out
10-04-196230 min - Ep 30
30.Point Of Departure
12-04-196230 min - Ep 31
31.Surprises By Post
17-04-196230 min - Ep 32
32.A Piece Of Cake
19-04-196230 min - Ep 33
33.Pets Corner
24-04-196230 min - Ep 34
34.The Man For The Job
26-04-196230 min - Ep 35
35.Down The Hatch
01-05-196230 min - Ep 36
36.Stormy Weather
03-05-196230 min - Ep 37
37.Musical Evening
08-05-196230 min - Ep 38
38.Talent Contest
10-05-196230 min - Ep 39
39.Visting Hours
15-05-196230 min - Ep 40
40.Mixed Receptions
17-05-196230 min - Ep 41
41.Home And Away
22-05-196230 min - Ep 42
42.Day Of Frenzy
24-05-196230 min - Ep 43
43.Moment Of Truth
29-05-196230 min - Ep 44
44.In A Spin
31-05-196230 min - Ep 45
45.The Big Chance
05-06-196230 min - Ep 46
46.Garden Party
07-06-196230 min - Ep 47
47.Happy Returns
12-06-196230 min - Ep 48
48.Man And Wife
14-06-196230 min - Ep 49
49.Blackmail
19-06-196230 min - Ep 50
50.Take-Over Time
21-06-196230 min - Ep 51
51.The Proposal
26-06-196230 min - Ep 52
52.Faraway Places
28-06-196230 min - Ep 53
53.Barbecue
03-07-196230 min - Ep 54
54.A Day Of Problems
05-07-196230 min - Ep 55
55.Comings And Goings
10-07-196230 min - Ep 56
56.Looking Ahead
12-07-196230 min - Ep 57
57.Weekend Plans
17-07-196230 min - Ep 58
58.Settlement Day
19-07-196230 min - Ep 59
59.Gone Astray
24-07-196230 min - Ep 60
60.Evening Date
26-07-196230 min - Ep 61
61.A Night Out
31-07-196230 min - Ep 62
62.Pay Off
02-08-196230 min - Ep 63
63.Moving Up
07-08-196230 min - Ep 64
64.Surprise Party
09-08-196230 min - Ep 65
65.Riding For A Fall
14-08-196230 min - Ep 66
66.Unguarded Moment
16-08-196230 min - Ep 67
67.Skin Deep
21-08-196230 min - Ep 68
68.The Contest
23-08-196230 min - Ep 69
69.Ebb And Flow
28-08-196230 min - Ep 70
70.Budget Leak
30-08-196230 min - Ep 71
71.Andiamo
04-09-196230 min - Ep 72
72.Out For The Count
06-09-196230 min - Ep 73
73.Finger Of Suspicion
11-09-196230 min - Ep 74
74.Detective Work
13-09-196230 min - Ep 75
75.The Elopement
18-09-196230 min - Ep 76
76.Heartbeat
20-09-196230 min - Ep 77
77.The First Clue
25-09-196230 min - Ep 78
78.Trapped
27-09-196230 min - Ep 79
79.The Morning After
02-10-196230 min - Ep 80
80.Facing The Facts
04-10-196230 min - Ep 81
81.Heart To Heart
09-10-196230 min - Ep 82
82.Day Of Revolutions
11-10-196230 min - Ep 83
83.True To Type
16-10-196230 min - Ep 84
84.Where There's Smoke
18-10-196230 min - Ep 85
85.Burns And Shock
23-10-196230 min - Ep 86
86.Who's Who?
25-10-196230 min - Ep 87
87.Horoscope
30-10-196230 min - Ep 88
88.Point Of Departure
01-11-196230 min - Ep 89
89.The Truth Of The Matter
06-11-196230 min - Ep 90
90.A Case Of Identity
08-11-196230 min - Ep 91
91.Questions And Answers
13-11-196230 min - Ep 92
92.French Leave
15-11-196230 min - Ep 93
93.Lost And Found
20-11-196230 min - Ep 94
94.Art And Craft
22-11-196230 min - Ep 95
95.The Best Laid Plans
27-11-196230 min - Ep 96
96.Profit And Loss
29-11-196230 min - Ep 97
97.Setting A Trap
04-12-196230 min - Ep 98
98.Sparks Flying
06-12-196230 min - Ep 99
99.The Bad Penny
12-12-196230 min - Ep 100
100.All That Jazz
14-12-196230 min - Ep 101
101.Five More Shopping Days
18-12-196230 min - Ep 102
102.Christmas Spirit
20-12-196230 min - Ep 103
103.Business As Usual
27-12-196230 min - Ep 121
121.Unofficial Strike
28-02-1963 - Ep 279
279.Many questions
07-09-1964
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