Compact poster

Compact (1962)

50%Score
📺 4 Seasons🎞 374 Eps🌐 English📅 1962

Plot — What is Compact about?

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.

Top Cast & Creator

Created by: Peter Ling

Vincent BallRobert DesmondRachel GurneyClinton GreynCarmen SilveraMandy MillerPatrick TroughtonLionel MurtonEric BarkerRobert Flemyng

Quick Facts

TypeWeb Series
First Aired1962
GenreDrama, Soap
LanguageEnglish
Seasons4 (374 episodes)
Audience Score50% (5.0/10, 3 votes)

Compact — FAQ

Is Compact worth watching? Compact holds a 5.0/10 rating from 3 viewers. 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

Who is behind Compact? Created by Peter Ling.

Who is in the cast of Compact? It stars Vincent Ball, Robert Desmond, Rachel Gurney, Clinton Greyn, Carmen Silvera, Mandy Miller and more.

Where can I stream Compact? Streaming availability for Compact is listed above when a platform is confirmed. MovieLink App is an info guide and hosts no files.

When did Compact release? It first aired in 1962.

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