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, Wednesday 12 August 2026, the evening opens with three episodes of Last of the Summer Wine from 6pm, then The Chelsea Detective runs a two-part case at 8pm and 9pm. New Tricks follows at 10pm, and Luther closes the night at 11:20pm.

Drama Schedule: Wednesday 12 August 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Drama schedule for Wednesday 12 August 2026, on Freeview 20.

What’s on Drama today

Today opens just after midnight with Lovejoy at 12:15am (series 1, episode 7), Ian McShane’s dealer dodging his creditors by taking on an advisory job at an antiques emporium that turns out messier than promised. Sister Boniface Mysteries follows at 1:20am (series 1, episode 6), with Peggy over the moon that teen idols The Queenmakers are booked for a gig in Great Slaughter, right up until a band member is found dead from a bee sting. The British Sign Language edit of Hotel Portofino takes the 2:30am slot, Rose’s attempt to patch things up with Lucian going badly wrong, and Birds of a Feather closes the small hours at 3:25am before two back-to-back teleshopping blocks run from 4am through to 7:15am. The Bill opens the daytime schedule proper at 7:15am and returns at 11:40am, the same “Cruise Control” episode both times, with Classic Doctors (two episodes), Classic Holby City and Classic Casualty filling the gap between them. Classic EastEnders runs twice from 12:40pm, Classic Neighbours twice from 2pm, then Whitstable Pearl at 3pm, Lovejoy again at 4:10pm and As Time Goes By at 5:20pm carry the schedule through to early evening.

Worth flagging: the 2:30am 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 same episode, not two different instalments. The feed also marks Classic Doctors, Classic EastEnders and Classic Neighbours as “New” today; all three are archive repeats going back decades, so that flag reads as a feed error rather than a genuine premiere.

Drama tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the Drama primetime line-up for tonight, Wednesday 12 August 2026.

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 6pm, 6:40pm & 7:20pm

Three episodes run back to back this evening (series 4, episodes 3 to 5). Foggy has designs on marking the Royal Jubilee at 6pm, Clegg gets caught acting oddly in the cafe at 6:40pm, and the trio head for the Welsh valleys at 7:20pm so Foggy can call on a lady friend.

The Chelsea Detective — Drama, 8pm & 9pm

A two-part case fills the 8pm hour and continues at 9pm (series 2, episodes 7 and 8). Fruit-and-veg delivery boss Jack Felton is stabbed to death in his own home, and the second half traces the killing back to a break-in over stolen drugs meant for a rival dealer.

New Tricks — Drama, 10pm

New Tricks moves to 10pm tonight (series 7, episode 3). A prisoner newly out on parole owns up to snatching a child a quarter of a century ago, and the cold case unit has to work out whether the confession stacks up.

Luther — Drama, 11:20pm

Idris Elba’s detective closes out the night at 11:20pm (series 2, episode 2). Luther is racing to free Ripley from Cameron’s hands before his captor can carry out one more killing.

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, The Chelsea Detective across 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 is comfort viewing rather than appointment television: three episodes of Last of the Summer Wine open proceedings, a two-part Chelsea Detective case runs at 8pm and 9pm, then New Tricks brings some proper case-of-the-week plotting at 10pm and Luther’s early Idris Elba outing closes the night at 11:20pm.

The trade-off is a daytime schedule that repeats itself heavily and well over three hours 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