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. Happy Birthday
Aired 1 January 1963 • 30 min
2. Merely Players
Aired 3 January 1963 • 30 min
3. Picture Page
Aired 8 January 1963 • 30 min
4. Research Pays Off
Aired 10 January 1963 • 30 min
5. Waiting For News
Aired 15 January 1963 • 30 min
6. Staff Changes
Aired 17 January 1963 • 30 min
7. The New Editor
Aired 22 January 1963 • 30 min
8. To See Ourselves
Aired 24 January 1963 • 30 min
9. Changing Step
Aired 29 January 1963 • 30 min
10. Military Honours
Aired 31 January 1963 • 30 min
11. Vital Talks
Aired 5 February 1963 • 30 min
12. The Man For The Job
Aired 7 February 1963 • 30 min
13. Black Ice
Aired 12 February 1963 • 30 min
14. The Magpie's Hoard
Aired 14 February 1963 • 30 min
15. The Thief
Aired 19 February 1963 • 30 min
16. United We Stand
Aired 21 February 1963 • 30 min
17. Shrove Tuesday
Aired 26 February 1963 • 30 min
18. Unofficial Strike
Aired 28 February 1963 • 30 min
19. Emergency
Aired 5 March 1963 • 30 min
20. Normal Working
Aired 7 March 1963 • 30 min
21. On The Edge
Aired 12 March 1963 • 30 min
22. Shock Tactics
Aired 14 March 1963 • 30 min
23. The Winner
Aired 19 March 1963 • 30 min
24. Chicken And Champagne
Aired 21 March 1963 • 30 min
25. The Highway Man
Aired 26 March 1963 • 30 min
26. A List Of Names
Aired 28 March 1963 • 30 min
27. The Wrong Idea
Aired 2 April 1963 • 30 min
28. Fire And Water
Aired 4 April 1963 • 30 min
29. A Question Of Age
Aired 9 April 1963 • 30 min
30. Tangled Web
Aired 11 April 1963 • 30 min
31. Little Boy Lost
Aired 16 April 1963 • 30 min
32. Sent To Coventry
Aired 18 April 1963 • 30 min
33. Money Trouble
Aired 23 April 1963 • 30 min
34. Mr Bruce Remembers
Aired 25 April 1963 • 30 min
35. Echo From The Past
Aired 30 April 1963 • 30 min
36. The Puffing Doctor
Aired 2 May 1963 • 30 min
37. A Novel Situation
Aired 7 May 1963 • 30 min
38. Bitter Wine
Aired 9 May 1963 • 30 min
39. Moments Of Truth
Aired 14 May 1963 • 30 min
40. The New Understanding
Aired 16 May 1963 • 30 min
41. I'll Be In Scotland Before Ye
Aired 21 May 1963 • 30 min
42. Auld Acquaintance
Aired 23 May 1963 • 30 min
43. Family Crisis
Aired 28 May 1963 • 30 min
44. The McDee In London
Aired 30 May 1963 • 30 min
45. A Day At The Seaside
Aired 4 June 1963 • 30 min
46. Run Away
Aired 6 June 1963 • 30 min
47. Truth Will Out
Aired 11 June 1963 • 30 min
48. Living In The Past
Aired 13 June 1963 • 30 min
49. Big Brother
Aired 18 June 1963 • 30 min
50. Out In Limbo
Aired 20 June 1963 • 30 min
51. A Case Of Desperation
Aired 26 June 1963 • 30 min
52. Welcome Home
Aired 28 June 1963 • 30 min
53. Missing Facts
Aired 2 July 1963 • 30 min
54. Artist Unknown
Aired 4 July 1963 • 30 min
55. Back To Work
Aired 9 July 1963 • 30 min
56. Where Is The Skeleton?
Aired 11 July 1963 • 30 min
57. A Mystery Solved
Aired 16 July 1963 • 30 min
58. Highland Fling
Aired 17 July 1963 • 30 min
59. The Ultimatum
Aired 23 July 1963 • 30 min
60. Power Play
Aired 25 July 1963 • 30 min
61. The Reluctant Heroine
Aired 30 July 1963 • 30 min
62. Principles Won't Stop James
Aired 1 August 1963 • 30 min
63. Who Pays For Leadership?
Aired 6 August 1963 • 30 min
64. Because Of Alan
Aired 8 August 1963 • 30 min
65. Stolen - One Cigarette Case, Gold
Aired 13 August 1963 • 30 min
66. Man Proposes
Aired 15 August 1963 • 30 min
67. Investigations Proceed
Aired 20 August 1963 • 30 min
68. A Shower Of Confetti
Aired 22 August 1963 • 30 min
69. On The Run
Aired 27 August 1963 • 30 min
70. The Gamblers
Aired 29 August 1963 • 30 min
71. Lost, Stolen, Or Strayed
Aired 3 September 1963 • 30 min
72. A Ring For Iris
Aired 5 September 1963 • 30 min
73. Faith And Begorra
Aired 10 September 1963 • 30 min
74. A Touch Of The Blarney
Aired 12 September 1963 • 30 min
75. Surprise Packet
Aired 17 September 1963 • 30 min
76. The Sound Of Fury
Aired 19 September 1963 • 30 min
77. Aftermath
Aired 24 September 1963 • 30 min
78. The Party Member
Aired 26 September 1963 • 30 min
79. The Mighty Fallen
Aired 1 October 1963 • 30 min
80. The Reception
Aired 3 October 1963 • 30 min
81. Alarms And Excursions
Aired 8 October 1963 • 30 min
82. Two Faced
Aired 10 October 1963 • 30 min
83. Stranded
Aired 15 October 1963 • 30 min
84. Two Lovely Black Eyes
Aired 17 October 1963 • 30 min
85. Chain Of Events
Aired 22 October 1963 • 30 min
86. Night Call
Aired 24 October 1963 • 30 min
87. Dinner At Eight
Aired 29 October 1963 • 30 min
88. Marmot James Again
Aired 31 October 1963 • 30 min
89. Fireworks All Round
Aired 5 November 1963 • 30 min
90. Wine and a Weekend
Aired 7 November 1963 • 30 min
91. You Have Talent - We Want It
Aired 12 November 1963 • 30 min
92. They Fell Among Thieves
Aired 14 November 1963 • 30 min
93. The News Breaks
Aired 19 November 1963 • 30 min
94. Happy Birthday
Aired 21 November 1963 • 30 min
95. The Tax Man Cometh
Aired 26 November 1963 • 30 min
96. Bottled On The Premises
Aired 28 November 1963 • 30 min
97. Celebration
Aired 3 December 1963 • 30 min
98. Afterthoughts
Aired 5 December 1963 • 30 min
99. No Promises - I'll Take Cash
Aired 10 December 1963 • 30 min
100. Wait For The Bang
Aired 12 December 1963 • 30 min
101. The New Editor
Aired 17 December 1963 • 30 min
102. A Job For The Boy
Aired 19 December 1963 • 30 min
103. Dress Rehearsal
Aired 24 December 1963 • 30 min
105. Happy New Year
Aired 31 December 1963 • 30 min
104. On Stage
Aired 26 December 1963 • 30 min