Five Star Watch

TV Series · 1962

Compact

30 min · Drama, Soap · Ended

Composite

3.2

IMDb

6.8 / 10

29 votes

TMDB

5.0 / 10

3 votes

Local

— / 10

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Synopsis

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.

Cast

Vincent Ball

Robert Desmond

Adrian Coombs

Rachel Gurney

Clinton Greyn

Carmen Silvera

Mandy Miller

Patrick Troughton

Lionel Murton

Eric Barker

Robert Flemyng

David Langton

Sandra Payne

Shane Rimmer

Moray Watson

Julia Lockwood

Donald Hewlett

Bill Kerr

Tony Wright

Bernard Kay

Beryl Cooke

Seasons & episodes

Season 1 (105 ep)

1. The First Issue

Jan 2, 1962 · 30 min
2. Advice To Readers

Jan 4, 1962 · 30 min
3. Efficiency Expert

Jan 9, 1962 · 30 min
4. Cover Photograph

Jan 11, 1962 · 30 min
5. Tea Break

Jan 16, 1962 · 30 min
6. Personal Problem

Jan 18, 1962 · 30 min
7. The New Broom

Jan 23, 1962 · 30 min
8. Sally Speaks Up

Jan 25, 1962 · 30 min
9. Question Of Identity

Jan 30, 1962 · 30 min
10. Wedding Grove

Feb 1, 1962 · 30 min
11. Suspicion Of Theft

Feb 6, 1962 · 30 min
12. Happy Birthday

Feb 8, 1962 · 30 min
13. Valentine's Day

Feb 13, 1962 · 30 min
14. Testing Time

Feb 15, 1962 · 30 min
15. Something To Celebrate

Feb 20, 1962 · 30 min
16. Press Reception

Feb 22, 1962 · 30 min
17. A True Story

Feb 27, 1962 · 30 min
18. Circulation Figures

Mar 1, 1962 · 30 min
19. News From New York

Mar 6, 1962 · 30 min
20. A Breath Of Air

Mar 8, 1962 · 30 min
21. The Party

Mar 13, 1962 · 30 min
22. After The Ball

Mar 15, 1962 · 30 min
23. Shocks And Bruises

Mar 20, 1962 · 30 min
24. Weekend

Mar 22, 1962 · 30 min
25. Action Stations

Mar 27, 1962 · 30 min
26. The Ideal Husband

Mar 29, 1962 · 30 min
27. Future Plans

Apr 3, 1962 · 30 min
28. Facing The Facts

Apr 5, 1962 · 30 min
29. A Night Out

Apr 10, 1962 · 30 min
30. Point Of Departure

Apr 12, 1962 · 30 min
31. Surprises By Post

Apr 17, 1962 · 30 min
32. A Piece Of Cake

Apr 19, 1962 · 30 min
33. Pets Corner

Apr 24, 1962 · 30 min
34. The Man For The Job

Apr 26, 1962 · 30 min
35. Down The Hatch

May 1, 1962 · 30 min
36. Stormy Weather

May 3, 1962 · 30 min
37. Musical Evening

May 8, 1962 · 30 min
38. Talent Contest

May 10, 1962 · 30 min
39. Visting Hours

May 15, 1962 · 30 min
40. Mixed Receptions

May 17, 1962 · 30 min
41. Home And Away

May 22, 1962 · 30 min
42. Day Of Frenzy

May 24, 1962 · 30 min
43. Moment Of Truth

May 29, 1962 · 30 min
44. In A Spin

May 31, 1962 · 30 min
45. The Big Chance

Jun 5, 1962 · 30 min
46. Garden Party

Jun 7, 1962 · 30 min
47. Happy Returns

Jun 12, 1962 · 30 min
48. Man And Wife

Jun 14, 1962 · 30 min
49. Blackmail

Jun 19, 1962 · 30 min
50. Take-Over Time

Jun 21, 1962 · 30 min
51. The Proposal

Jun 26, 1962 · 30 min
52. Faraway Places

Jun 28, 1962 · 30 min
53. Barbecue

Jul 3, 1962 · 30 min
54. A Day Of Problems

Jul 5, 1962 · 30 min
55. Comings And Goings

Jul 10, 1962 · 30 min
56. Looking Ahead

Jul 12, 1962 · 30 min
57. Weekend Plans

Jul 17, 1962 · 30 min
58. Settlement Day

Jul 19, 1962 · 30 min
59. Gone Astray

Jul 24, 1962 · 30 min
60. Evening Date

Jul 26, 1962 · 30 min
61. A Night Out

Jul 31, 1962 · 30 min
62. Pay Off

Aug 2, 1962 · 30 min
63. Moving Up

Aug 7, 1962 · 30 min
64. Surprise Party

Aug 9, 1962 · 30 min
65. Riding For A Fall

Aug 14, 1962 · 30 min
66. Unguarded Moment

Aug 16, 1962 · 30 min
67. Skin Deep

Aug 21, 1962 · 30 min
68. The Contest

Aug 23, 1962 · 30 min
69. Ebb And Flow

Aug 28, 1962 · 30 min
70. Budget Leak

Aug 30, 1962 · 30 min
71. Andiamo

Sep 4, 1962 · 30 min
72. Out For The Count

Sep 6, 1962 · 30 min
73. Finger Of Suspicion

Sep 11, 1962 · 30 min
74. Detective Work

Sep 13, 1962 · 30 min
75. The Elopement

Sep 18, 1962 · 30 min
76. Heartbeat

Sep 20, 1962 · 30 min
77. The First Clue

Sep 25, 1962 · 30 min
78. Trapped

Sep 27, 1962 · 30 min
79. The Morning After

Oct 2, 1962 · 30 min
80. Facing The Facts

Oct 4, 1962 · 30 min
81. Heart To Heart

Oct 9, 1962 · 30 min
82. Day Of Revolutions

Oct 11, 1962 · 30 min
83. True To Type

Oct 16, 1962 · 30 min
84. Where There's Smoke

Oct 18, 1962 · 30 min
85. Burns And Shock

Oct 23, 1962 · 30 min
86. Who's Who?

Oct 25, 1962 · 30 min
87. Horoscope

Oct 30, 1962 · 30 min
88. Point Of Departure

Nov 1, 1962 · 30 min
89. The Truth Of The Matter

Nov 6, 1962 · 30 min
90. A Case Of Identity

Nov 8, 1962 · 30 min
91. Questions And Answers

Nov 13, 1962 · 30 min
92. French Leave

Nov 15, 1962 · 30 min
93. Lost And Found

Nov 20, 1962 · 30 min
94. Art And Craft

Nov 22, 1962 · 30 min
95. The Best Laid Plans

Nov 27, 1962 · 30 min
96. Profit And Loss

Nov 29, 1962 · 30 min
97. Setting A Trap

Dec 4, 1962 · 30 min
98. Sparks Flying

Dec 6, 1962 · 30 min
99. The Bad Penny

Dec 12, 1962 · 30 min
100. All That Jazz

Dec 14, 1962 · 30 min
101. Five More Shopping Days

Dec 18, 1962 · 30 min
102. Christmas Spirit

Dec 20, 1962 · 30 min
103. Business As Usual

Dec 27, 1962 · 30 min
121. Unofficial Strike

Feb 28, 1963
279. Many questions

Sep 7, 1964

Season 2 (105 ep)

1. Happy Birthday

Jan 1, 1963 · 30 min
2. Merely Players

Jan 3, 1963 · 30 min
3. Picture Page

Jan 8, 1963 · 30 min
4. Research Pays Off

Jan 10, 1963 · 30 min
5. Waiting For News

Jan 15, 1963 · 30 min
6. Staff Changes

Jan 17, 1963 · 30 min
7. The New Editor

Jan 22, 1963 · 30 min
8. To See Ourselves

Jan 24, 1963 · 30 min
9. Changing Step

Jan 29, 1963 · 30 min
10. Military Honours

Jan 31, 1963 · 30 min
11. Vital Talks

Feb 5, 1963 · 30 min
12. The Man For The Job

Feb 7, 1963 · 30 min
13. Black Ice

Feb 12, 1963 · 30 min
14. The Magpie's Hoard

Feb 14, 1963 · 30 min
15. The Thief

Feb 19, 1963 · 30 min
16. United We Stand

Feb 21, 1963 · 30 min
17. Shrove Tuesday

Feb 26, 1963 · 30 min
18. Unofficial Strike

Feb 28, 1963 · 30 min
19. Emergency

Mar 5, 1963 · 30 min
20. Normal Working

Mar 7, 1963 · 30 min
21. On The Edge

Mar 12, 1963 · 30 min
22. Shock Tactics

Mar 14, 1963 · 30 min
23. The Winner

Mar 19, 1963 · 30 min
24. Chicken And Champagne

Mar 21, 1963 · 30 min
25. The Highway Man

Mar 26, 1963 · 30 min
26. A List Of Names

Mar 28, 1963 · 30 min
27. The Wrong Idea

Apr 2, 1963 · 30 min
28. Fire And Water

Apr 4, 1963 · 30 min
29. A Question Of Age

Apr 9, 1963 · 30 min
30. Tangled Web

Apr 11, 1963 · 30 min
31. Little Boy Lost

Apr 16, 1963 · 30 min
32. Sent To Coventry

Apr 18, 1963 · 30 min
33. Money Trouble

Apr 23, 1963 · 30 min
34. Mr Bruce Remembers

Apr 25, 1963 · 30 min
35. Echo From The Past

Apr 30, 1963 · 30 min
36. The Puffing Doctor

May 2, 1963 · 30 min
37. A Novel Situation

May 7, 1963 · 30 min
38. Bitter Wine

May 9, 1963 · 30 min
39. Moments Of Truth

May 14, 1963 · 30 min
40. The New Understanding

May 16, 1963 · 30 min
41. I'll Be In Scotland Before Ye

May 21, 1963 · 30 min
42. Auld Acquaintance

May 23, 1963 · 30 min
43. Family Crisis

May 28, 1963 · 30 min
44. The McDee In London

May 30, 1963 · 30 min
45. A Day At The Seaside

Jun 4, 1963 · 30 min
46. Run Away

Jun 6, 1963 · 30 min
47. Truth Will Out

Jun 11, 1963 · 30 min
48. Living In The Past

Jun 13, 1963 · 30 min
49. Big Brother

Jun 18, 1963 · 30 min
50. Out In Limbo

Jun 20, 1963 · 30 min
51. A Case Of Desperation

Jun 26, 1963 · 30 min
52. Welcome Home

Jun 28, 1963 · 30 min
53. Missing Facts

Jul 2, 1963 · 30 min
54. Artist Unknown

Jul 4, 1963 · 30 min
55. Back To Work

Jul 9, 1963 · 30 min
56. Where Is The Skeleton?

Jul 11, 1963 · 30 min
57. A Mystery Solved

Jul 16, 1963 · 30 min
58. Highland Fling

Jul 17, 1963 · 30 min
59. The Ultimatum

Jul 23, 1963 · 30 min
60. Power Play

Jul 25, 1963 · 30 min
61. The Reluctant Heroine

Jul 30, 1963 · 30 min
62. Principles Won't Stop James

Aug 1, 1963 · 30 min
63. Who Pays For Leadership?

Aug 6, 1963 · 30 min
64. Because Of Alan

Aug 8, 1963 · 30 min
65. Stolen - One Cigarette Case, Gold

Aug 13, 1963 · 30 min
66. Man Proposes

Aug 15, 1963 · 30 min
67. Investigations Proceed

Aug 20, 1963 · 30 min
68. A Shower Of Confetti

Aug 22, 1963 · 30 min
69. On The Run

Aug 27, 1963 · 30 min
70. The Gamblers

Aug 29, 1963 · 30 min
71. Lost, Stolen, Or Strayed

Sep 3, 1963 · 30 min
72. A Ring For Iris

Sep 5, 1963 · 30 min
73. Faith And Begorra

Sep 10, 1963 · 30 min
74. A Touch Of The Blarney

Sep 12, 1963 · 30 min
75. Surprise Packet

Sep 17, 1963 · 30 min
76. The Sound Of Fury

Sep 19, 1963 · 30 min
77. Aftermath

Sep 24, 1963 · 30 min
78. The Party Member

Sep 26, 1963 · 30 min
79. The Mighty Fallen

Oct 1, 1963 · 30 min
80. The Reception

Oct 3, 1963 · 30 min
81. Alarms And Excursions

Oct 8, 1963 · 30 min
82. Two Faced

Oct 10, 1963 · 30 min
83. Stranded

Oct 15, 1963 · 30 min
84. Two Lovely Black Eyes

Oct 17, 1963 · 30 min
85. Chain Of Events

Oct 22, 1963 · 30 min
86. Night Call

Oct 24, 1963 · 30 min
87. Dinner At Eight

Oct 29, 1963 · 30 min
88. Marmot James Again

Oct 31, 1963 · 30 min
89. Fireworks All Round

Nov 5, 1963 · 30 min
90. Wine and a Weekend

Nov 7, 1963 · 30 min
91. You Have Talent - We Want It

Nov 12, 1963 · 30 min
92. They Fell Among Thieves

Nov 14, 1963 · 30 min
93. The News Breaks

Nov 19, 1963 · 30 min
94. Happy Birthday

Nov 21, 1963 · 30 min
95. The Tax Man Cometh

Nov 26, 1963 · 30 min
96. Bottled On The Premises

Nov 28, 1963 · 30 min
97. Celebration

Dec 3, 1963 · 30 min
98. Afterthoughts

Dec 5, 1963 · 30 min
99. No Promises - I'll Take Cash

Dec 10, 1963 · 30 min
100. Wait For The Bang

Dec 12, 1963 · 30 min
101. The New Editor

Dec 17, 1963 · 30 min
102. A Job For The Boy

Dec 19, 1963 · 30 min
103. Dress Rehearsal

Dec 24, 1963 · 30 min
104. On Stage

Dec 26, 1963 · 30 min
105. Happy New Year

Dec 31, 1963 · 30 min

Season 3 (103 ep)

1. Weekend Guest

Jan 2, 1964 · 30 min
2. A Place Of Your Own

Jan 4, 1964 · 30 min
3. A Question Of Morals

Jan 6, 1964 · 30 min
4. The Enquiry

Jan 14, 1964 · 30 min
5. The Opening

Jan 16, 1964 · 30 min
6. Hand In Marriage

Jan 21, 1964 · 30 min
7. The Best Policy

Jan 23, 1964 · 30 min
8. One Of Us Must Go

Jan 28, 1964 · 30 min
9. Love You And Leave You

Jan 30, 1964 · 30 min
10. Battle Of The Sexes

Feb 4, 1964 · 30 min
11. Unexpected Guests

Feb 6, 1964 · 30 min
12. Mutual Understanding

Feb 11, 1964 · 30 min
13. Surprises

Feb 13, 1964 · 30 min
14. Walls Have Ears

Feb 16, 1964 · 30 min
15. In The Air

Feb 17, 1964 · 30 min
16. The Poison Spreads

Feb 25, 1964 · 30 min
17. The Fatal Call

Feb 27, 1964 · 30 min
18. An End And A Beginning

Mar 3, 1964 · 30 min
19. The Night Visitors

Mar 5, 1964 · 30 min
20. Plots And Plans

Mar 10, 1964 · 30 min
21. Secrets And Lies

Mar 12, 1964 · 30 min
22. The Ides Of March

Mar 17, 1964 · 30 min
23. False Evidence

Mar 19, 1964 · 30 min
24. A Difficult Assignment

Mar 24, 1964 · 30 min
25. The Eve Of The Wedding

Mar 26, 1964 · 30 min
26. Just Married - Good Luck

Mar 31, 1964 · 30 min
27. Honeymoon And Holidays

Apr 2, 1964 · 30 min
28. Rush Job

Apr 7, 1964 · 30 min
29. Moment Of Truth

Apr 9, 1964 · 30 min
30. Hot And Cold

Apr 14, 1964 · 30 min
31. Home And Away

Apr 16, 1964 · 30 min
32. Ian In Danger

Apr 19, 1964 · 30 min
33. Investigations

Apr 24, 1964 · 30 min
34. Guilty Conscience

Apr 28, 1964 · 30 min
35. To Be Delivered By Hand

Apr 30, 1964 · 30 min
36. Business Not Blackmail

May 5, 1964 · 30 min
37. A Ray Of Hope

May 7, 1964 · 30 min
38. Success Story

May 12, 1964 · 30 min
39. Wine, Women, And Song

May 14, 1964 · 30 min
40. Delicate Negotiations

May 19, 1964 · 30 min
41. Parties And Quarrels

May 21, 1964 · 30 min
42. Who Is Eddie Pritchard?

May 26, 1964 · 30 min
43. Crossed Swords

May 28, 1964 · 30 min
44. A Question Of Loyalties

Jun 2, 1964 · 30 min
45. Picture Clue

Jun 4, 1964 · 30 min
46. To Catch A Thief

Jun 9, 1964 · 30 min
47. Play On Crime

Jun 11, 1964 · 30 min
48. The Unexpected

Jun 16, 1964 · 30 min
49. Encounter

Jun 18, 1964 · 30 min
50. The Verdict Was Guilty

Jun 23, 1964 · 30 min
51. Emergency Call

Jun 25, 1964 · 30 min
52. The Kiss Of Life

Jun 30, 1964 · 30 min
53. Have You Anything To Say?

Jul 2, 1964 · 30 min
54. Hide And Seek

Jul 7, 1964 · 30 min
55. Find The Lady

Jul 9, 1964 · 30 min
56. Responsibilities

Jul 14, 1964 · 30 min
57. Time Of Trial

Jul 16, 1964 · 30 min
58. A Boy Comes Home

Jul 21, 1964 · 30 min
59. Old Friends And Familiar Faces

Jul 23, 1964 · 30 min
60. The Offer

Jul 28, 1964 · 30 min
61. The Dilemma

Jul 30, 1964 · 30 min
62. The Bowler Hat Trick

Aug 4, 1964 · 30 min
63. A Game Of Consequences

Aug 6, 1964 · 30 min
64. Model Mystery

Aug 11, 1964 · 30 min
65. Unexpected Temperament

Aug 17, 1964 · 30 min
66. Paradise - My Island Home

Aug 20, 1964 · 30 min
67. Departures

Aug 24, 1964 · 30 min
68. Backfire

Aug 27, 1964 · 30 min
69. Business With Pleasure

Aug 31, 1964 · 30 min
70. Treasure Hunt

Sep 3, 1964 · 30 min
71. Many Questions

Sep 7, 1964 · 30 min
72. Blow The Wind - Westerly

Sep 9, 1964 · 30 min
73. Dear Mister Bruce

Sep 14, 1964 · 30 min
74. Unconditional Surrender

Sep 17, 1964 · 30 min
75. Best Laid Plans

Sep 22, 1964 · 30 min
76. Credit Where Credit's Due

Sep 25, 1964 · 30 min
77. The Warning

Sep 29, 1964 · 30 min
78. Departure And Return

Oct 2, 1964 · 30 min
79. Friends And Relations

Oct 6, 1964 · 30 min
80. Goodbye Forever

Oct 9, 1964 · 30 min
81. The Shadow Of Danger

Oct 13, 1964 · 30 min
82. Between Life And Death

Oct 16, 1964 · 30 min
83. A Spy In The Camp

Oct 20, 1964 · 30 min
84. Smugglers Gold

Oct 23, 1964 · 30 min
85. Kooky Christening

Oct 27, 1964 · 30 min
86. Moving On

Oct 30, 1964 · 30 min
87. To The Rescue

Nov 3, 1964 · 30 min
88. Over The Wall

Nov 6, 1964 · 30 min
89. Mistaken Identity

Nov 10, 1964 · 30 min
90. Home And Dry

Nov 13, 1964 · 30 min
91. Maiden Voyage

Nov 17, 1964 · 30 min
92. Tangled Web

Nov 20, 1964 · 30 min
93. Secrets All Round

Nov 24, 1964 · 30 min
94. Lost Property

Nov 27, 1964 · 30 min
95. The Truth Will Out

Dec 1, 1964 · 30 min
96. Weekend Plans

Dec 3, 1964 · 30 min
97. Accident - Presumed Drowned

Dec 8, 1964 · 30 min
98. On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner And Blitzen!

Dec 11, 1964 · 30 min
99. Seven More Shopping Days

Dec 15, 1964 · 30 min
100. Change Partners

Dec 18, 1964 · 30 min
101. Do Me A Favour!

Dec 22, 1964 · 30 min
102. A Surprise For Christmas

Dec 25, 1964 · 30 min
103. A Partridge In A Pear Tree

Dec 29, 1964 · 30 min

Season 4 (1 ep)

61. Journey's End

Jul 30, 1965 · 30 min

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