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, Friday 14 August 2026, the evening opens with three episodes of Last of the Summer Wine from 6pm, then Father Brown runs back-to-back at 8pm and 9pm. New Tricks takes the 10pm hour, and Luther closes the night at 11:20pm.

Drama Schedule: Friday 14 August 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Drama schedule for Friday 14 August 2026, on Freeview 20.

Overnight

Breakfast

Morning

Afternoon

Early evening

Primetime

Late night

What’s on Drama today

Today opens just after midnight with Lovejoy at 12:35am (series 1, episode 9), the opening half of a two-parter that sends Ian McShane’s antiques dealer to Italy after a friend is killed in suspicious circumstances. Sister Boniface Mysteries follows at 1:45am (series 1, episode 8), where a celebrity cook’s visit to film a baking show in Great Slaughter turns sour when a rival is poisoned by her own cake. The British Sign Language edit of Hotel Portofino takes the 2:45am slot, Cecil’s sudden request for a divorce landing on Bella just as her father and sister are due to arrive, 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 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 2:45am 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, Friday 14 August 2026.

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 6pm

The run of three opens with Foggy in typically grand mood, convinced the trio ought to plant a flag somewhere on the Yorkshire hillside (series 5, episode 2). It’s the kind of gentle scheming the show’s been coasting on for decades, and none the worse for it.

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

A second helping follows straight on, picking up Foggy’s flag business where the first episode left it (series 5, episode 3). Whether the scheme actually comes off is beside the point.

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

The triple bill closes with Compo back to his usual trick of winding up Nora Batty, broom in hand, while Sid and Wally’s wives grow suspicious of their husbands (series 5, episode 4). Three episodes in a row is a lot of Last of the Summer Wine, but Friday nights on Drama rarely apologise for it.

Father Brown — Drama, 8pm

Series ten begins with the priest turned amateur detective working out how Kembleford’s model village became the blueprint for a spate of real attacks (series 10, episode 1). There’s upheaval at the presbytery too, with Mrs McCarthy gone and no secretary in her place.

Father Brown — Drama, 9pm

A favour for a friend pulls Father Brown into an exclusive gentlemen’s club shortly after its owner turns up dead (series 10, episode 2). Lady Felicia drops in on proceedings uninvited, much as she always does.

New Tricks — Drama, 10pm

UCOS reopens the case of a dead graffiti artist, the sort of overlooked file the unit built its reputation on (series 7, episode 5). This is the show at its unhurried best, more interested in character than pace.

Luther — Drama, 11:20pm

Idris Elba’s detective is coming apart at the seams by this point in series two, scrambling to keep Toby’s death quiet while Baba’s suspicions harden (series 2, episode 4). It’s the sharpest turn in tonight’s line-up, and a world away from the cosiness earlier in the evening.

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, Father Brown back-to-back 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 is comfort viewing rather than appointment television: three episodes of Last of the Summer Wine open proceedings, Father Brown runs back-to-back 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