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 call it Drama. Tonight, Tuesday 11 August 2026, the evening opens with three episodes of Last of the Summer Wine from 6pm, followed by three of ‘Allo ‘Allo! from 8pm. New Tricks takes the 9:40pm slot, and Luther closes the night at 11pm.

Drama Schedule: Tuesday 11 August 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Drama schedule for Tuesday 11 August 2026, on Freeview 20.

What’s on Drama today

Today opens just after midnight with Lovejoy at 12:40am (series 1, episode 6), Ian McShane’s antiques dealer working through the puzzle left behind by a dead copyist’s will. Sister Boniface Mysteries follows at 1:50am (series 1, episode 5), investigating a government secretary’s death at the bottom of a staircase, and the British Sign Language edit of Hotel Portofino takes the 2:50am slot before teleshopping fills the hours from 4am to 7:15am. The Bill opens the daytime proper at 7:15am and comes round again at 11:40am, and it’s the same episode both times (“Mexican Stand-Off”), with Classic Doctors (two episodes), Classic Holby City and Classic Casualty sitting between the pair. Classic EastEnders runs twice from 12:40pm, Classic Neighbours twice from 2pm, and Whitstable Pearl at 3pm, Lovejoy again 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 7:15am and 11:40am editions of The Bill are the identical episode repeated, not two different instalments. The feed also tags Classic Doctors, Classic EastEnders and Classic Neighbours as “New” today; all three are archive repeats from decades back, and that flag looks like a feed error rather than a genuine premiere.

Drama tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the Drama primetime line-up for tonight, Tuesday 11 August 2026.

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 6pm, 6:35pm & 7:20pm

Three archive outings open the evening. At 6pm, Foggy puts Compo and Clegg through a fitness regime neither of them is remotely fit for (series 3, episode 7). The 6:35pm episode has Compo torn between his devotion to Nora Batty and a search for his missing ferret (series 4, episode 1), and at 7:20pm the trio’s attempt at handywork around the café goes about as well as usual (series 4, episode 2).

‘Allo ‘Allo! — Drama, 8pm, 8:35pm & 9:05pm

The wartime sitcom runs three episodes from 8pm. Captain Bertorelli is caught with his pockets stuffed with loot as Michelle and Crabtree hatch another scheme to smuggle the airmen out (series 5, episode 17). At 8:35pm, LeClerc is arrested over the Gestapo’s missing money, unaware that Edith’s mother has baked it into a batch of Christmas puddings (series 5, episode 18), and the 9:05pm episode turns on hiding 1,000 kilos of stolen explosives inside 500 more puddings (series 5, episode 19).

New Tricks — Drama, 9:40pm

UCOS reopens a cold case tied to a professor’s death, and Lane poses as an academic to work it from the inside (series 7, episode 2).

Luther — Drama, 11pm

Idris Elba returns for the second series opener, this time tracking a murderer obsessed with becoming a legend of true crime (series 2, episode 1).

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 9:40pm and Luther 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: British mysteries and archive drama, filled out with newer acquisitions solid enough to hold their own against the reruns. Tonight is comfort viewing rather than appointment television: six half-hour sitcom episodes back to back, Last of the Summer Wine then ‘Allo ‘Allo!, before New Tricks brings some proper case-of-the-week plotting at 9:40pm and Luther’s early Idris Elba outing closes the night at 11pm.

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 | Films on TV This Week