''Compact'' is a British television soap opera shown by

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...

from January 1962 to July 1965. The series was created by Hazel Adair and Peter Ling; the partnership devised '' Crossroads'' while ''Compact'' was still running. In contrast to the kitchen sink realism of ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Origi ...

'', ''Compact'' was a distinctly middle-class serial, set in the more "sophisticated" arena of magazine publishing. An early "avarice" soap, it 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.

Outline and synopsis

The idea came to Hazel Adair when she submitted a commissioned feature article for '' Woman's Own''. 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. Despite being criticised by reviewers, ''Compact'' was a success. In 1964 a regular omnibus edition was introduced, broadcast on Sundays. Morris Barry, actor and BBC director – he directed three ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'' 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.

Cast

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 ''Allo 'Allo!'' is a British sitcom television series, created by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd, starring Gorden Kaye, Carmen Silvera, Guy Siner and Richard Gibson. Originally broadcast on BBC1, the series focuses on the life of a French caf ...

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

References

External links

Action TV
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"Soap - ''Compact'' in 1962"
– short extract with appearance by Ted Willis, 12 November 1962 {{Soap operas in the United Kingdom 1962 British television series debuts 1965 British television series endings 1960s British television soap operas BBC television dramas British television soap operas Lost BBC episodes Black-and-white British television shows English-language television shows