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