TV ShowEnded

Compact

3.0 / 10

1962

4 seasons

372 episodes

DramaSoap

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

Vincent Ball

Robert Desmond

Rachel Gurney

Clinton Greyn

Carmen Silvera

Mandy Miller

Patrick Troughton

Lionel Murton

Eric Barker

Robert Flemyng

David Langton

Sandra Payne

Seasons

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

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