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, Wednesday 5 August 2026, three episodes of Last of the Summer Wine run back to back from 6pm, Sister Boniface Mysteries follows at 8pm, The Chelsea Detective takes 9pm, New Tricks holds the 10pm slot and Luther closes out the night from 11:20pm. Full times are in the table below.

Drama Schedule: Wednesday 5 August 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Drama schedule for Wednesday 5 August 2026, on Freeview 20.

What’s on Drama today

Today opens just after midnight with Lovejoy (series 1, episode 2), the archive rerun in which Ian McShane’s antiques dealer runs into trouble over an Arabian head-dress bought at auction. Sister Boniface Mysteries follows at 1:20am (series 1, episode 2), then the British Sign Language edit of Hotel Portofino takes the 2:25am slot before teleshopping fills the hours from 4am. The Bill opens the daytime proper at 7:25am 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 2:25am 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, Wednesday 5 August 2026.

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 6pm

Three episodes in a row from series 2 open the evening, starting with “Who’s That Dancing with Nora Batty, Then?” at 6pm, back when Michael Bates was still part of the trio. Nora’s friend is emigrating to Australia, which sets off the usual scheming from Compo. It’s one of the earliest runs of the sitcom, well before the cast settled into the line-up most viewers remember.

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

“The Changing Face of Rural Blamire” follows at 6:40pm (series 2, episode 3), with the trio talking themselves into a doomed business venture. Gentle stuff, and typical of how thin the plots could be this early in the show’s run.

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

The block wraps up at 7:20pm with “Some Enchanted Evening” (series 2, episode 4), Compo’s latest attempt to win over Nora Batty through sheer persistence rather than charm.

Sister Boniface Mysteries — Drama, 8pm

Sister Boniface Mysteries moves into series 2 territory at 8pm with “Dead Air” (episode 8), a case built around a murder at a pirate radio station. The cosy-crime format holds up: a closed setting, a small suspect pool, and a solution that leans on the nun-detective’s forensic hobby rather than procedure.

The Chelsea Detective — Drama, 9pm

“The Reliable Witness: Part 2” continues at 9pm (series 2, episode 6). Emma is questioned by police and admits her father’s affair with her friend drove a wedge between them, though she still denies killing him. It’s the second half of a two-parter, so viewers dropping in for the first time may find themselves a step behind.

New Tricks — Drama, 10pm

New Tricks holds the 10pm slot with “The Last Laugh” (series 6, episode 6), a case involving two missing activists who had campaigned against a racist comedian. Dennis Waterman, best remembered as Minder’s Terry McCann, gets one of his more pointed cases as UCOS regular Gerry Standing.

Luther — Drama, 11:20pm

Luther closes the night at 11:20pm with series 1’s third episode. Idris Elba’s detective is up against a suspect who claims to be carrying out satanic killings, with a young mother’s life on the line before the hour is out.

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, Sister Boniface Mysteries at 8pm, The Chelsea Detective at 9pm, New Tricks at 10pm and Luther from 11:20pm. 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 10pm, with The Chelsea Detective’s second-part conclusion ahead of it at 9pm and Luther’s early Idris Elba outing closing the night from 11:20pm.

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