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

Drama launched on 8 July 2013 and is owned by BBC Studios as part of the UKTV stable alongside Dave, Yesterday and W. It was rebranded U&Drama on 16 July 2024, though most viewers and on-screen guides still just call it Drama. Tonight, Tuesday 4 August 2026, three episodes of Last of the Summer Wine run back to back from 6pm, three of ‘Allo ‘Allo! follow from 8pm, New Tricks takes the 9:35pm slot and Luther closes out the night from 10:55pm. Full times are in the table below.

Drama Schedule: Tuesday 4 August 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Drama schedule for Tuesday 4 August 2026, on Freeview 20.

What’s on Drama today

Today opens just after midnight with Lovejoy (series 1, episode 1), the archive rerun that catches Ian McShane’s antiques dealer poking around a firefly cage sale. Sister Boniface Mysteries follows at 1:50am (series 1, episode 1), then the British Sign Language edit of Hotel Portofino takes the 2:50am slot before teleshopping fills the three-and-a-bit hours from 4am. The Bill opens the daytime proper at 7:20am and comes round again at 11:45am, with Classic Doctors (two episodes), Classic Holby City and Classic Casualty sitting between the pair. Classic EastEnders runs twice from 12:45pm, Classic Neighbours twice from 2pm, and Pie in the Sky, Lovejoy at 4:05pm and As Time Goes By carry the schedule on into early evening.

One thing worth flagging: the 2:50am Hotel Portofino is the British Sign Language edit rather than the standard broadcast.

Drama tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the Drama primetime line-up for tonight, Tuesday 4 August 2026.

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 6pm

Series one finds Compo, Clegg and Blamire chasing a car of their own, one of the earliest signs of how much scheme-driven mischief the show would build its long run around (series 1, episode 5).

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 6:35pm

A new camera sends the trio off looking for anything worth photographing, and Nora Batty’s washing line doesn’t escape their attention (series 1, episode 6).

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 7:15pm

Series two opens with a bicycle causing more bother than it’s worth, mostly because Sid is using it to avoid his wife Ivy (series 2, episode 1).

‘Allo ‘Allo! — Drama, 8pm

A million stolen francs need hiding from Herr Flick, and René’s trousers become the unlikely solution in one of the sitcom’s dafter running gags (series 5, episode 14).

‘Allo ‘Allo! — Drama, 8:30pm

René tries to get rid of the money and a reel of incriminating microfilm, with rival Resistance agents getting under his feet at every turn (series 5, episode 15).

‘Allo ‘Allo! — Drama, 9:05pm

Alfonse’s weak heart picks the worst possible moment to act up, right as the Gestapo start asking him questions (series 5, episode 16).

New Tricks — Drama, 9:35pm

UCOS reopens a cold case after a former escort has a religious awakening and confesses what she saw, pointing the team towards a timeshare magnate’s death (series 6, episode 5).

Luther — Drama, 10:55pm

Idris Elba’s detective spends the hour tracking a trained sniper who has started targeting police officers, only the second outing for a character who would go on to define much of Elba’s career (series 1, episode 2).

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 them first shown on BBC One or ITV. The whole point of the channel is that you can drop in at almost any hour and land on something you half-remember.

Cosy crime and international mysteries

Drama also runs a decent sideline in gentler, often overseas, crime. The Brokenwood Mysteries from New Zealand and Harry Wild from Ireland are the two regulars: puzzle-driven, light on violence, usually tied up within the hour or two.

Newer acquired and prestige drama

The Count of Monte Cristo and The Boy That Never Was are newer, high-profile productions in the schedule alongside all the archive material.

How to watch Drama

Channel numbers

Drama’s channel numbers across the main UK 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 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, and a large on-demand library sits alongside the live stream.

Drama +1 and sister channels

Drama+1 carries the same schedule an hour behind, for catching whatever’s just been missed on the main channel.

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. Dave is the nearest alternative on the electronic programme guide for comedy rather than mystery.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s on Drama tonight?

Tonight, Drama runs three episodes of Last of the Summer Wine from 6pm, three of ‘Allo ‘Allo! from 8pm, New Tricks at 9:35pm and Luther from 10:55pm. 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: British mysteries and archive drama, filled out with newer acquisitions solid enough to hold their own against the reruns. Tonight’s pick is New Tricks at 9:35pm, with three episodes of ‘Allo ‘Allo! ahead of it from 8pm and Luther’s second-ever outing for Idris Elba’s detective closing the night from 10:55pm.

The trade-off is a daytime schedule that repeats itself heavily and a three-hour block of teleshopping before breakfast. Regular viewers put up with both because the evenings are worth it.

Related: Freeview Channel Guide | Dave TV Guide