Compact (TV series) - Misplaced Pages

British TV soap (1962–1965)

Compact

Genre	Drama
Created by	Hazel Adair Peter Ling
Starring	Frances Bennett Robert Desmond Vincent Ball Beryl Cooke Ronald Allen Jackie Lane Penelope Keith Moray Watson Naomi Chance
Theme music composer	Roger Roger (City Movement, 1960)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of episodes	373
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Original release
Network	BBC1
Release	2 January 1962 (1962-01-02) – 30 July 1965 (1965-07-30)

Compact is a British television soap opera shown by BBC Television from January 1962 to July 1965, created by Hazel Adair and Peter Ling.

Production and release

The idea came to Hazel Adair when she submitted a commissioned feature article for Woman's Own. Adair and Ling devised the long-running soap Crossroads while Compact was still running.

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. The show took viewers into the office, 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.

After the BBC decided to produce the project, she formed a working partnership with Peter Ling. When Compact began, the editor was female, Joanne Minster (Jean Harvey); she was replaced after the first six months by Ian Harmon (Ronald Allen), the son of the magazine's owner. Compact featured the first regular Black character in a British soap opera, photographer Jeff Armandez (Horace James), who appeared in 26 episodes from August to October 1964. Adair managed to persuade the BBC to retain an unmarried mother in the series (also a first), according to her granddaughter.

In 1964 a regular omnibus edition was introduced, broadcast on Sundays. Morris Barry, actor and BBC director – he directed three 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. The BBC dropped the series in 1965. Adair believed the BBC was embarrassed by its high audience figures.

Only four out of 373 televised episodes exist in the BBC archive. (See Wiping.)

Reception

Despite being criticised by reviewers, Compact was a success.

Cast

Cast members included:

When the series ended, several cast members appeared in similar programmes. Ronald Allen was a regular in the soap opera Crossroads between 1969 and 1985. Australian actor Vincent Ball also featured in Crossroads. Marcia Ashton, who played Lily, appeared in soap opera Brookside many years later. Carmen Silvera played Madame Edith Artois in the sitcom 'Allo 'Allo! from 1982 to 1992. One of the directors, David Giles, for whom Compact was his first television assignment, had an extensive career in the medium.

References

Fiddy, Dick (27 November 2015). "Hazel Adair: Prolific writer on Emergency - Ward 10 and co-creator of Crossroads". The Independent. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
^ Clark, Anthony (2003–14). "Compact (1962–65)". BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
^ Hayward, Anthony (20 October 2011) . "Peter Ling". The Independent. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
Bourne, Stephen (2001). Black in the British Frame: The Black Experience in British Film and Television. London & New York City: Continuum. p. 174. ISBN 9780826455390.
"Crossroads creator Hazel Adair dies, aged 95". BBC News. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
^ "Hazel Adair". The Times. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2021. (subscription required)
Purser, Philip (27 September 2021). "Peter Ling". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
Purser, Philip (8 March 2010). "David Giles obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2021.

External links

Action TV
Compact at IMDb
"Soap - Compact in 1962" – short extract with appearance by Ted Willis, 12 November 1962

Soap operas in the United Kingdom

TV soaps

National	Coronation Street EastEnders Emmerdale Hollyoaks
Scotland	River City
Wales	Pobol y Cwm Rownd a Rownd
Medical dramas	Casualty
Australian-imported co-productions	Home and Away Neighbours

Radio soaps

The Archers

Defunct

1950s TV	The Appleyards (1952–1957) Emergency Ward 10 (1957–1967) The Grove Family (1954–1957) Sixpenny Corner (1955–1956) Starr and Company (1958)
1960s TV	199 Park Lane (1965) Castle Haven (1969–1970) Compact (1962–1965) Crossroads (1964–1988, 2001–2003) High Living (1968–1971) Market in Honey Lane (1967–1969) The Newcomers (1965–1969) United! (1965–1967) Weavers Green (1966)
1970s TV	Angels (1975–1983) General Hospital (1972–1979) Within These Walls (1974–1978) The Cedar Tree (1976–1979) Garnock Way (1976–1979)
1980s TV	Albion Market (1985–1986) The Bill (1983–2010) Brookside (1982–2003) Gems (1985–1988) For Maddie with Love (1980) Miracles Take Longer (1984) Park Avenue (1988–1992) The Practice (1985–1986) Taff Acre (1981) Take the High Road (1980–2003) Together (1980–1981) Triangle (1981–1983)
1990s TV	Castles (1995) Eldorado (1992–1993) Families (1990–1993) Family Affairs (1997–2005) Family Pride (1991–1992) Holby City (1999–2022) Jupiter Moon (1990, 1996) London Bridge (1996–1999) Machair (1993–1999) Quayside (1997) Revelations (1994–1996) Springhill (1996–1997)
2000s TV	Doctors (2000–2024) Echo Beach (2008) Night and Day (2001–2003) The Royal Today (2008)
Radio	Front Line Family (1941–1948) Mrs Dale's Diary (1948–1969) Waggoners' Walk (1969–1980) Citizens (1987–1991) Westway (1997–2005) Silver Street (2004–2010) Ambridge Extra (2011–2013) Greenborne (2021)

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