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 18 August 2026, three episodes of Last of the Summer Wine run back to back from 6pm, ‘Allo ‘Allo! matches it with three more from 8pm, New Tricks takes the 9:35pm slot, Luther follows at 10:35pm, and Lovejoy closes out the night at 11:55pm.

Drama Schedule: Tuesday 18 August 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Drama schedule for Tuesday 18 August 2026, on Freeview 20.

Overnight

Breakfast

Morning

Afternoon

Early evening

Primetime

Late night

What’s on Drama today

Today’s schedule opens just after midnight with Lovejoy (series 2, episode 1), followed by Sister Boniface Mysteries at 1:50am (series 1, episode 10) and the British Sign Language edit of Hotel Portofino at 2:50am (series 3, episode 5). Teleshopping then fills the gap from 4am through to 7:20am. The Bill opens the daytime run at 7:20am (series 17, episode 15) and repeats the same episode at 11:45am, while Classic Doctors airs twice from 8:15am (series 11, episodes 15 and 16), Classic Holby City follows at 9:25am (series 8, episode 37) and Classic Casualty at 10:45am (series 27, episode 26). Classic EastEnders runs a double bill from 12:50pm (series 2011, episodes 48 and 49), Classic Neighbours does the same from 2pm (series 1, episodes 43 and 44), and the afternoon closes out with Whitstable Pearl at 3pm (series 2, episode 2), Lovejoy at 4:05pm (series 6, episode 8) and As Time Goes By at 5:20pm (series 3, episode 1).

Worth flagging: The Bill’s 7:20am episode repeats at 11:45am rather than being followed by something new, and the teleshopping block from 4am to 7:20am is the longest single stretch of the day. As Time Goes By closes out the daytime run at 5:20pm with the Paris episode ‘We’ll Always Have Paris’, where Jean and Lionel’s romantic getaway doesn’t go quite to plan, just forty minutes before Last of the Summer Wine opens the evening.

Drama tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the Drama primetime line-up for tonight, Tuesday 18 August 2026.

Last of the Summer Wine (3 episodes) — Drama, 6pm

Three episodes run back to back to open the evening (series 6, episodes 1 to 3). Foggy’s sudden enthusiasm for first aid gets the trio into trouble at 6pm, a scheme to smarten Sid up follows at 6:40pm, and a chance encounter with a dog-walker sends Foggy chasing a business idea at 7:20pm.

‘Allo ‘Allo! (3 episodes) — Drama, 8pm

The wartime farce also runs three in a row from 8pm (series 5, episodes 20 to 22). René’s cellar turns into a smuggling hazard first, a plan to flee to Switzerland with a haul of gold nearly comes unstuck next, and by 9pm he’s dodging Edith on a night train to Geneva while bumping into most of the regular cast along the way.

New Tricks — Drama, 9:35pm

Series 7, episode 7. The UCOS team reopen a 1996 fire at a private club, a case that was pinned on a known criminal at the time but doesn’t hold up once they look again.

Luther — Drama, 10:35pm

Series 3, episode 2. Idris Elba’s detective has barely got an evening to himself before news of another murder drags him back in, and he ends up weighing the fresh case against one from his own past he’s never quite let go.

Lovejoy — Drama, 11:55pm

The night closes with Lovejoy (series 2, episode 2). A sculptor with no money to his name asks Ian McShane’s antiques dealer to help him prise an inheritance out of an unwilling brother.

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 opens with a Last of the Summer Wine triple bill from 6pm, then ‘Allo ‘Allo! runs three more from 8pm, New Tricks takes the 9:35pm slot, Luther follows at 10:35pm and Lovejoy closes out the night at 11:55pm. 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 leans on the channel’s oldest material to fill the early evening: Last of the Summer Wine gets a rare triple outing from 6pm, ‘Allo ‘Allo! matches it with three more from 8pm, and New Tricks takes the 9:35pm hour. Luther follows at 10:35pm with Idris Elba’s detective pulled between a fresh murder and a case from his past, and Lovejoy closes the night at 11:55pm.

The trade-off is a daytime schedule that repeats itself heavily and well over three hours of teleshopping before 7:20am. Regular viewers put up with both because the evenings are worth it.

Related: Freeview Channel Guide | Dave TV Guide | Films on TV This Week