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.
The first issue
Advice to readers
Efficiency expert
Cover photograph
Tea break
Personal problem
The new broom
Sally speaks up
Question of identity
Wedding grove
Suspicion of theft
Happy birthday
Valentine's day
Testing time
Something to celebrate
Press reception
A true story
Circulation figures
News from new york
A breath of air
The party
After the ball
Shocks and bruises
Weekend
Action stations
The ideal husband
Future plans
Facing the facts
A night out
Point of departure
Surprises by post
A piece of cake
Pets corner
The man for the job
Down the hatch
Stormy weather
Musical evening
Talent contest
Visting hours
Mixed receptions
Home and away
Day of frenzy
Moment of truth
In a spin
The big chance
Garden party
Happy returns
Man and wife
Blackmail
Take-over time
The proposal
Faraway places
Barbecue
A day of problems
Comings and goings
Looking ahead
Weekend plans
Settlement day
Gone astray
Evening date
A night out
Pay off
Moving up
Surprise party
Riding for a fall
Unguarded moment
Skin deep
The contest
Ebb and flow
Budget leak
Andiamo
Out for the count
Finger of suspicion
Detective work
The elopement
Heartbeat
The first clue
Trapped
The morning after
Facing the facts
Heart to heart
Day of revolutions
True to type
Where there's smoke
Burns and shock
Who's who?
Horoscope
Point of departure
The truth of the matter
A case of identity
Questions and answers
French leave
Lost and found
Art and craft
The best laid plans
Profit and loss
Setting a trap
Sparks flying
The bad penny
All that jazz
Five more shopping days
Christmas spirit
Business as usual
Unofficial strike
Many questions
Happy birthday
Merely players
Picture page
Research pays off
Waiting for news
Staff changes
The new editor
To see ourselves
Changing step
Military honours
Vital talks
The man for the job
Black ice
The magpie's hoard
The thief
United we stand
Shrove tuesday
Unofficial strike
Emergency
Normal working
On the edge
Shock tactics
The winner
Chicken and champagne
The highway man
A list of names
The wrong idea
Fire and water
A question of age
Tangled web
Little boy lost
Sent to coventry
Money trouble
Mr bruce remembers
Echo from the past
The puffing doctor
A novel situation
Bitter wine
Moments of truth
The new understanding
I'll be in scotland before ye
Auld acquaintance
Family crisis
The mcdee in london
A day at the seaside
Run away
Truth will out
Living in the past
Big brother
Out in limbo
A case of desperation
Welcome home
Missing facts
Artist unknown
Back to work
Where is the skeleton?
A mystery solved
Highland fling
The ultimatum
Power play
The reluctant heroine
Principles won't stop james
Who pays for leadership?
Because of alan
Stolen - one cigarette case, gold
Man proposes
Investigations proceed
A shower of confetti
On the run
The gamblers
Lost, stolen, or strayed
A ring for iris
Faith and begorra
A touch of the blarney
Surprise packet
The sound of fury
Aftermath
The party member
The mighty fallen
The reception
Alarms and excursions
Two faced
Stranded
Two lovely black eyes
Chain of events
Night call
Dinner at eight
Marmot james again
Fireworks all round
Fire and water
You have talent - we want it
They fell among thieves
The news breaks
Happy birthday
The tax man cometh
Bottled on the premises
Celebration
Afterthoughts
No promises - i'll take cash
Wait for the bang
The new editor
A job for the boy
Dress rehearsal
Happy new year
On stage
Weekend guest
A place of your own
A question of morals
The enquiry
The opening
Hand in marriage
The best policy
One of us must go
Love you and leave you
Battle of the sexes
Unexpected guests
Mutual understanding
Surprises
Walls have ears
In the air
The poison spreads
The fatal call
An end and a beginning
The night visitors
Plots and plans
Secrets and lies
The ides of march
False evidence
A difficult assignment
The eve of the wedding
Just married - good luck
Honeymoon and holidays
Rush job
Moment of truth
Hot and cold
Home and away
Ian in danger
Investigations
Guilty conscience
To be delivered by hand
Business not blackmail
A ray of hope
Success story
Wine, women, and song
Delicate negotiations
Parties and quarrels
Who is eddie pritchard?
Crossed swords
A question of loyalties
To catch a thief
Play on crime
The unexpected
Encounter
The verdict was guilty
Emergency call
The kiss of life
Have you anything to say?
Hide and seek
Find the lady
Responsibilities
Time of trial
A boy comes home
Old friends and familiar faces
The offer
The dilemma
The bowler hat trick
A game of consequences
Model mystery
Unexpected temperament
Paradise - my island home
Departures
Backfire
Business with pleasure
Treasure hunt
Many questions
Blow the wind - westerly
Dear mister bruce
Unconditional surrender
Best laid plans
Credit where credit's due
The warning
Departure and return
Friends and relations
Goodbye forever
The shadow of danger
Between life and death
A spy in the camp
Smugglers gold
Kooky christening
Moving on
To the rescue
Over the wall
Mistaken identity
Home and dry
Maiden voyage
Tangled web
Secrets all round
Lost property
The truth will out
Weekend plans
Accident - presumed drowned
On, comet! on, cupid! on, donner and blitzen!
Seven more shopping days
Change partners
Do me a favour!
A surprise for christmas
A partridge in a pear tree
Ring in the new
Day of deliverance
Fare thee well, for i must leave thee
Discoveries of the day
Togetherness
Troublemaker
The last straw
Heart to heart
Late call
A marriage has been arranged…
Many a slip
Thunder on the left
Tell it not in faith
A family affair
Change of plan
Kidnapped
It happens to other people
Where there's smoke
Patience on a monument
Blow hot, blow cold
Change of heart
Food for thought
The end of a song
The man from paris
The wrong set
The egnet sings
A cigarette that bears a lipstick's trace
The last act
A tangled web
Who's who?
Never trust a woman
Travellers return
Gone away
Publish and be damned
Action for libel
Testing time
Plots, plans, and a party
True or false?
Hide and seek
Wild goose chase
High court, low court
Best laid schemes
Trouble brewing
Any other business?
Time flies
Friends and enemies
Day of decision
Hidden depths
Appearances can be deceptive
The truth will out
The off-white elephant
Winners and losers
Engagements at sea
Storm warning
Change of plans
Trouble across the water
Destination - paris
Paris is for lovers
If the shoe fits…
Journey's end
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