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, Saturday 8 August 2026, The Brokenwood Mysteries opens its very first episode at 7pm, Wallander takes two hours from 9pm, and Outrageous closes the night at 11pm. Full times are in the table below.

Drama Schedule: Saturday 8 August 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Drama schedule for Saturday 8 August 2026, on Freeview 20.

What’s on Drama today

Today opens just after midnight with Lovejoy at 12:40am (series 1, episode 3), the archive rerun in which Lovejoy is conned out of some figurines by his landlord and sets out for revenge. Sister Boniface Mysteries follows at 1:50am (series 1, episode 3), then the British Sign Language edit of Hotel Portofino takes the 2:50am slot before teleshopping fills the hours from 4am to 7:20am. The Bill opens the daytime proper at 7:20am and comes round again at 11:45am, and it’s the same episode both times (“Family Honour”), with Classic Doctors (two episodes), Classic Holby City and Classic Casualty sitting between the pair. Classic EastEnders runs twice from 12:50pm, Classic Neighbours twice from 2pm, and Pie in the Sky at 3pm, Lovejoy at 4:05pm and As Time Goes By at 5:20pm carry the schedule on into early evening.

Two things worth flagging: the 2:50am Hotel Portofino is the British Sign Language edit rather than the standard broadcast, and the 7:20am and 11:45am editions of The Bill are the identical episode repeated, not two different instalments.

Drama tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the Drama primetime line-up for tonight, Saturday 8 August 2026.

The Brokenwood Mysteries — Drama, 7pm

The very first episode, “Blood and Water”, which sends DI Mike Shepherd to a small New Zealand town to look into a farmer’s death and never quite lets him leave. A good place to start the series.

Wallander — Drama, 9pm

“Sidetracked”, the opener, with Kenneth Branagh as Kurt Wallander investigating a run of murders in Skåne. Two hours, and the heaviest thing on the channel tonight.

Outrageous — Drama, 11pm

“Oysters and Champagne”. The family gathers at Diana’s bedside after her car accident, and Nancy finds herself distinctly unwelcome.

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, two Father Brown episodes at 8pm and 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 the New Tricks at 10pm, which turns a routine DNA test into something considerably worse for Pullman, with two Father Brown episodes leading up to it 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