Drama TV Guide: Listings, Schedule & What’s On Drama Tonight

Updated: 14 July 2026

Drama has been one of the most dependable channels on British free-to-air television since it launched on 8 July 2013, and it’s owned by BBC Studios as part of the UKTV stable alongside Dave, Yesterday and W. Officially it’s been branded U&Drama since a network-wide rebrand on 16 July 2024, though most viewers, and most on-screen guides, still just call it Drama. Tonight opens with a triple bill of Last of the Summer Wine from 6pm, before ‘Allo ‘Allo! takes over for three episodes running the same story arc from 8pm. New Tricks follows at 9:40pm, and the night closes out from 11pm with the feature-length Silent Witness two-parter “Falling Angels”. Channel numbers are in the table further down.

Drama Schedule: Tuesday 14 July 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Drama schedule for Tuesday 14 July 2026, on Freeview 20.

What’s on Drama today

Drama’s Tuesday starts in the small hours, with Lovejoy just after 1:30am, Waiting for God at 2:40am and the British Sign Language edit of Harry Wild at 3:10am, before teleshopping fills the pre-dawn slot from 4am. The daytime run leans on the archive twice over: The Bill turns up at 7:25am and again at 11:55am, sandwiching a mid-morning block of Classic Doctors, Classic Holby City and Classic Casualty. Two episodes of Classic EastEnders take the early afternoon from 1pm, and Tenko, Pie in the Sky, Lovejoy and Waiting for God carry the schedule on through to the 6pm primetime run.

Drama Tonight — Primetime and the Evening Schedule

Here’s the Drama primetime line-up for tonight, Tuesday 14 July 2026.

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 6pm

Three back-to-back episodes open the evening, starting with the Yorkshire trio at 6pm (series 27, episode 7). Gentle, familiar comfort viewing that’s been a Drama fixture for years.

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 6:40pm

Episode 8 follows straight on at 6:40pm, with Alvin causing his usual low-level chaos.

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 7:20pm

The run closes out at 7:20pm with episode 9, clearing the decks before the evening’s comedy takes over.

‘Allo ‘Allo! — Drama, 8pm

‘Allo ‘Allo! switches things up at 8pm with “Enter Denise” (series 5, episode 5), the episode that lands René with a new problem: Denise Laroque, feared leader of the local Communist Resistance, has set her sights on marrying him.

‘Allo ‘Allo! — Drama, 8:35pm

“A Marriage of Inconvenience” (series 5, episode 6) follows at 8:35pm. Edith schemes to swap places with Denise at the altar, roping Michelle’s Resistance girls into a kidnap plot that goes about as smoothly as you’d expect.

‘Allo ‘Allo! — Drama, 9:05pm

The mini-arc wraps at 9:05pm with “Post-Matrimonial Depression” (series 5, episode 7), as the fallout from the botched wedding catches up with René.

New Tricks — Drama, 9:40pm

UCOS gets the meatier slot at 9:40pm with “The Russian Cousin” (series 12, episode 7). A private investigator turns up stabbed through the heart in what first looks like a robbery, and a rare stamp turns out to hold the answer. Ted, meanwhile, is doing his best to dodge a doctor’s appointment.

Silent Witness — Drama, 11pm

The headline slot belongs to Silent Witness, with the feature-length two-parter “Falling Angels” running from 11pm. Nikki and Jack are drawn into a string of deaths that all trace back to the London Underground: a man run down by a train, a vicar murdered after being followed home, then a young roofer stalked and killed on his own journey. CCTV footage from the tube eventually links the killings and sets off a manhunt that carries the case through to its resolution. It’s one of the show’s stronger runs, and easily the most substantial thing Drama airs all night.

What kind of shows are on Drama

Classic BBC and ITV archive drama

The backbone of the schedule is British drama from the last forty-odd years: Jonathan Creek, New Tricks, Lovejoy, Birds of a Feather and Miss Marple all get regular daytime and early-evening outings. Most of it first aired on BBC One or ITV, and Drama’s job is essentially curating the best of that archive into a schedule people can drop into at almost any hour without needing to have watched the previous episode.

Cosy crime and international mysteries

Alongside the archive, Drama has built a strong sideline in gentler, often overseas, crime drama. The Brokenwood Mysteries from New Zealand and Harry Wild from Ireland both sit comfortably in this space: puzzle-driven, low on graphic violence, and usually wrapped up neatly within the hour or two.

Newer acquired and prestige drama

The channel doesn’t rely purely on reruns. The Count of Monte Cristo and The Boy That Never Was are both recent, high-profile productions picked up to sit alongside the archive material, giving the evening schedule a genuine premiere or near-premiere feel a few nights a week rather than just repeats.

How to watch Drama

Channel numbers

Here’s where to find Drama across the main UK television platforms:

Drama is free on all of the above platforms, with no subscription required. Drama+1 on Freeview is a limited-reach service, so availability can depend on your transmitter; your on-screen guide is the definitive source if these don’t match.

Streaming online

Drama streams live and free at u.co.uk and via the U app on smart TVs, iOS, Android and Freeview Play devices. You’ll need a free U account, which costs nothing to set up. A large on-demand library of past episodes, including full runs of Jonathan Creek, New Tricks and other archive favourites, sits alongside the live stream.

Drama +1 and sister channels

Drama+1 runs the same schedule an hour behind, on Freeview 60, Sky 243 and Virgin Media 316. Sit down at 10.15pm with the headline 10pm episode already under way, and +1 lets you start close to the beginning instead of coming in partway through.

Drama sits inside the wider UKTV portfolio, which includes U&Dave for comedy and panel shows, U&Yesterday for history and factual programming, and U&W for factual entertainment, all free-to-air, plus the pay channels U&Alibi, U&Eden and U&Gold. If tonight’s mysteries aren’t quite your thing, Dave is the obvious next stop on the same electronic programme guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s on Drama tonight?

Tonight, Drama runs a triple bill of Last of the Summer Wine from 6pm, three linked episodes of ‘Allo ‘Allo! from 8pm, New Tricks at 9:40pm and the feature-length Silent Witness two-parter “Falling Angels” from 11pm. Check the schedule table above for the full day’s listings.

What channel is Drama on Freeview?

Drama is on channel 20 on Freeview, BT TV, TalkTalk TV and YouView. Drama+1 is on Freeview channel 60 as a limited-reach service. Both are free.

What channel is Drama on Sky, Virgin Media and Freesat?

Sky channel 143, Virgin Media channel 116, and Freesat channel 158. Drama+1 is on Sky 243 and Virgin Media 316.

Can I watch Drama for free on U?

Yes. It streams live at u.co.uk and through the U app, with a large on-demand archive alongside it. You’ll need a free U account, but there’s no subscription fee.

Is Drama free to watch?

Yes, completely free to air on every platform, with advertising breaks during and between programmes but no subscription cost.

Verdict

Drama does one thing and does it well: dependable British mysteries and archive drama, filled out with a handful of newer acquisitions good enough to hold their own against the reruns. Jonathan Creek and New Tricks are the reason regular viewers keep the channel on their favourites list, and the evening slots, Brokenwood, Count of Monte Cristo, The Boy That Never Was, give it enough variety that it doesn’t feel like the same forty episodes on a loop.

Tonight’s line-up plays to exactly what Drama does best. A triple bill of Last of the Summer Wine opens proceedings gently from 6pm, before ‘Allo ‘Allo! takes the 8pm hour with a three-episode run built around René’s disastrous entanglement with Denise Laroque. New Tricks brings the UCOS team back at 9:40pm for “The Russian Cousin”, and Silent Witness closes the night from 11pm with the feature-length “Falling Angels”, the heavyweight forensic case that gives the evening its real weight. Sitcom reruns, a comfortable comedy arc and a proper forensic procedural on the same evening is exactly the mix that keeps regular viewers coming back to Drama rather than a rival channel.

Related: Freeview Channel Guide | Dave TV Guide