About this season
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.
Episodes (105)
1. The First Issue
Aired 2 January 1962 • 30 min
2. Advice To Readers
Aired 4 January 1962 • 30 min
3. Efficiency Expert
Aired 9 January 1962 • 30 min
4. Cover Photograph
Aired 11 January 1962 • 30 min
5. Tea Break
Aired 16 January 1962 • 30 min
6. Personal Problem
Aired 18 January 1962 • 30 min
7. The New Broom
Aired 23 January 1962 • 30 min
8. Sally Speaks Up
Aired 25 January 1962 • 30 min
9. Question Of Identity
Aired 30 January 1962 • 30 min
10. Wedding Grove
Aired 1 February 1962 • 30 min
11. Suspicion Of Theft
Aired 6 February 1962 • 30 min
12. Happy Birthday
Aired 8 February 1962 • 30 min
13. Valentine's Day
Aired 13 February 1962 • 30 min
14. Testing Time
Aired 15 February 1962 • 30 min
15. Something To Celebrate
Aired 20 February 1962 • 30 min
16. Press Reception
Aired 22 February 1962 • 30 min
17. A True Story
Aired 27 February 1962 • 30 min
18. Circulation Figures
Aired 1 March 1962 • 30 min
19. News From New York
Aired 6 March 1962 • 30 min
20. A Breath Of Air
Aired 8 March 1962 • 30 min
21. The Party
Aired 13 March 1962 • 30 min
22. After The Ball
Aired 15 March 1962 • 30 min
23. Shocks And Bruises
Aired 20 March 1962 • 30 min
24. Weekend
Aired 22 March 1962 • 30 min
25. Action Stations
Aired 27 March 1962 • 30 min
26. The Ideal Husband
Aired 29 March 1962 • 30 min
27. Future Plans
Aired 3 April 1962 • 30 min
28. Facing The Facts
Aired 5 April 1962 • 30 min
29. A Night Out
Aired 10 April 1962 • 30 min
30. Point Of Departure
Aired 12 April 1962 • 30 min
31. Surprises By Post
Aired 17 April 1962 • 30 min
32. A Piece Of Cake
Aired 19 April 1962 • 30 min
33. Pets Corner
Aired 24 April 1962 • 30 min
34. The Man For The Job
Aired 26 April 1962 • 30 min
35. Down The Hatch
Aired 1 May 1962 • 30 min
36. Stormy Weather
Aired 3 May 1962 • 30 min
37. Musical Evening
Aired 8 May 1962 • 30 min
38. Talent Contest
Aired 10 May 1962 • 30 min
39. Visting Hours
Aired 15 May 1962 • 30 min
40. Mixed Receptions
Aired 17 May 1962 • 30 min
41. Home And Away
Aired 22 May 1962 • 30 min
42. Day Of Frenzy
Aired 24 May 1962 • 30 min
43. Moment Of Truth
Aired 29 May 1962 • 30 min
44. In A Spin
Aired 31 May 1962 • 30 min
45. The Big Chance
Aired 5 June 1962 • 30 min
46. Garden Party
Aired 7 June 1962 • 30 min
47. Happy Returns
Aired 12 June 1962 • 30 min
48. Man And Wife
Aired 14 June 1962 • 30 min
49. Blackmail
Aired 19 June 1962 • 30 min
50. Take-Over Time
Aired 21 June 1962 • 30 min
51. The Proposal
Aired 26 June 1962 • 30 min
52. Faraway Places
Aired 28 June 1962 • 30 min
53. Barbecue
Aired 3 July 1962 • 30 min
54. A Day Of Problems
Aired 5 July 1962 • 30 min
55. Comings And Goings
Aired 10 July 1962 • 30 min
56. Looking Ahead
Aired 12 July 1962 • 30 min
57. Weekend Plans
Aired 17 July 1962 • 30 min
58. Settlement Day
Aired 19 July 1962 • 30 min
59. Gone Astray
Aired 24 July 1962 • 30 min
60. Evening Date
Aired 26 July 1962 • 30 min
61. A Night Out
Aired 31 July 1962 • 30 min
62. Pay Off
Aired 2 August 1962 • 30 min
63. Moving Up
Aired 7 August 1962 • 30 min
64. Surprise Party
Aired 9 August 1962 • 30 min
65. Riding For A Fall
Aired 14 August 1962 • 30 min
66. Unguarded Moment
Aired 16 August 1962 • 30 min
67. Skin Deep
Aired 21 August 1962 • 30 min
68. The Contest
Aired 23 August 1962 • 30 min
69. Ebb And Flow
Aired 28 August 1962 • 30 min
70. Budget Leak
Aired 30 August 1962 • 30 min
71. Andiamo
Aired 4 September 1962 • 30 min
72. Out For The Count
Aired 6 September 1962 • 30 min
73. Finger Of Suspicion
Aired 11 September 1962 • 30 min
74. Detective Work
Aired 13 September 1962 • 30 min
75. The Elopement
Aired 18 September 1962 • 30 min
76. Heartbeat
Aired 20 September 1962 • 30 min
77. The First Clue
Aired 25 September 1962 • 30 min
78. Trapped
Aired 27 September 1962 • 30 min
79. The Morning After
Aired 2 October 1962 • 30 min
80. Facing The Facts
Aired 4 October 1962 • 30 min
81. Heart To Heart
Aired 9 October 1962 • 30 min
82. Day Of Revolutions
Aired 11 October 1962 • 30 min
83. True To Type
Aired 16 October 1962 • 30 min
84. Where There's Smoke
Aired 18 October 1962 • 30 min
85. Burns And Shock
Aired 23 October 1962 • 30 min
86. Who's Who?
Aired 25 October 1962 • 30 min
87. Horoscope
Aired 30 October 1962 • 30 min
88. Point Of Departure
Aired 1 November 1962 • 30 min
89. The Truth Of The Matter
Aired 6 November 1962 • 30 min
90. A Case Of Identity
Aired 8 November 1962 • 30 min
91. Questions And Answers
Aired 13 November 1962 • 30 min
92. French Leave
Aired 15 November 1962 • 30 min
93. Lost And Found
Aired 20 November 1962 • 30 min
94. Art And Craft
Aired 22 November 1962 • 30 min
95. The Best Laid Plans
Aired 27 November 1962 • 30 min
96. Profit And Loss
Aired 29 November 1962 • 30 min
97. Setting A Trap
Aired 4 December 1962 • 30 min
98. Sparks Flying
Aired 6 December 1962 • 30 min
99. The Bad Penny
Aired 12 December 1962 • 30 min
100. All That Jazz
Aired 14 December 1962 • 30 min
101. Five More Shopping Days
Aired 18 December 1962 • 30 min
102. Christmas Spirit
Aired 20 December 1962 • 30 min
103. Business As Usual
Aired 27 December 1962 • 30 min
121. Unofficial Strike
Aired 28 February 1963
279. Many questions
Aired 7 September 1964