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, Thursday 20 August 2026, three episodes of Last of the Summer Wine run back to back from 6pm, then The Marlow Murder Club wraps up its poisoning case at 8pm, Father Brown investigates a suspicious death in Kembleford at 9pm, New Tricks takes the 10pm slot and Luther closes out primetime at 11:20pm.

Drama Schedule: Thursday 20 August 2026 (Full Listings)

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

Overnight

Breakfast

Morning

Afternoon

Early evening

Primetime

Late night

What’s on Drama today

Thursday’s schedule opens with Lovejoy at 12:40am (series 2, episode 3), followed by Sister Boniface Mysteries at 1:50am (series 2, episode 2) and the British Sign Language edit of The Chelsea Detective at 2:50am (series 1, episode 1). Teleshopping then runs from 4am until 7:20am. The Bill opens the daytime run at 7:20am (series 17, episode 17) and repeats the same episode at 11:40am, while Classic Doctors airs twice from 8:10am (series 11, episodes 19 and 20), Classic Holby City follows at 9:25am (series 8, episode 39) and Classic Casualty at 10:40am (series 27, episode 28). Classic EastEnders runs a double bill from 12:40pm (series 2011, episodes 52 and 53), Classic Neighbours does the same from 2pm (series 1, episodes 47 and 48), and the afternoon closes out with Whitstable Pearl at 3pm (series 2, episode 4), Lovejoy at 4:05pm (series 6, episode 10) and As Time Goes By at 5:20pm (series 3, episode 3).

Worth flagging: The Bill’s 7:20am episode repeats at 11:40am rather than being followed by something new, and the teleshopping block running through the small hours is the longest single stretch of the day. The 4:05pm Lovejoy is billed as the last episode of the original run, with Lovejoy weighing up whether to propose to Charlotte before she departs for New York. As Time Goes By closes out the daytime schedule at 5:20pm, with Jean and Lionel deciding they want to move in together, 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, Thursday 20 August 2026.

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 6pm-8pm

Three episodes of the longest-running sitcom ever made run back to back this evening, a rare triple outing for a show more usually rationed to one a night. At 6pm (series 6, episode 7) Compo dives into water sports, taking up scuba diving and water-skiing in the same half hour. At 6:40pm (series 7, episode 1) he talks up Foggy’s supposed fortune to impress a barmaid. And at 7:20pm (series 7, episode 2) the trio schemes to get Wally out from under Nora’s thumb for an evening.

The Marlow Murder Club — Drama, 8pm

Part two of “The Queen of Poisons” (series 3, episode 2) closes out the case: the suspect list keeps growing but nobody has an obvious reason to want the mayor dead, so Judith, Becks and Suzie have to dig further. Peter Davison guest stars.

Father Brown — Drama, 9pm

A celebrity florist brings some glamour to Kembleford in “The Gardeners of Eden” (series 10, episode 3) — and when a bad-tempered neighbour turns up dead in suspicious circumstances, Father Brown starts asking his own questions.

New Tricks — Drama, 10pm

“Gloves Off” (series 7, episode 9) sends UCOS back into an old boxer’s killing after the gun used in the murder resurfaces during an armed robbery years later. James Bolam and Amanda Redman lead, with Maggie O’Neill guesting.

Luther — Drama, 11:20pm

Series three continues (episode 4) with Idris Elba’s detective framed for crimes he didn’t commit, racing to clear his name while chasing down a vigilante working through a list of old scores.

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 The Marlow Murder Club closes out its poisoning case at 8pm, Father Brown follows at 9pm, New Tricks takes the 10pm slot and Luther closes out primetime at 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 leans on the channel’s oldest material to open the evening, with Last of the Summer Wine getting a rare triple outing from 6pm, before The Marlow Murder Club ties off its poisoning case at 8pm and Father Brown takes the 9pm slot. New Tricks follows at 10pm, and Luther closes the night at 11:20pm with Idris Elba’s detective squaring up to a vigilante working through old scores.

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