Drama TV Guide: Listings, Schedule & What’s On Drama Tonight

Published: 8 September 2026

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 9 September 2026, three Last of the Summer Wine episodes run back to back from 6pm, then two episodes of The Chelsea Detective take the 8pm hour before New Tricks and Copper close out the night.

Drama Schedule: Wednesday 9 September 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Drama schedule for Wednesday 9 September 2026, on Freeview 20.

Overnight

Breakfast

Morning

Afternoon

Early evening

Primetime

Late night

What’s on Drama today

Overnight opens with Lovejoy at midnight, then Sister Boniface Mysteries at 1am and At Home with the Braithwaites at 2am, before a British Sign Language edition of The Chelsea Detective at 2:50am and Teleshopping from 4am until half past seven.

The Bill opens the broadcast day proper at 7:30am, then two Classic Doctors episodes lead into Classic Holby City and Classic Casualty through the late morning. The Bill returns at midday, two Classic EastEnders episodes and two Classic Neighbours episodes fill the early afternoon, and Sister Boniface Mysteries, Kingdom and As Time Goes By carry the schedule into early evening.

Drama tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the Drama primetime line-up for tonight, Wednesday 9 September 2026.

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 6pm

Three episodes open the evening back to back, starting here with series 12, episode 4.

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

Episode 5 follows immediately, no gap before the next instalment.

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

Episode 6 rounds off the run just ahead of primetime proper.

The Chelsea Detective — Drama, 8pm

Series 3 resumes with episode 5, the first of two Chelsea Detective outings tonight.

The Chelsea Detective — Drama, 9pm

Episode 6 runs straight after, closing out this stretch of the coastal crime drama.

New Tricks — Drama, 10pm

UCOS gets its regular late slot with series 10, episode 7.

Copper — Drama, 11pm

The 19th-century New York police drama closes the night with series 1, episode 8.

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?

Three Last of the Summer Wine episodes run back to back from 6pm to 7:20pm, then two episodes of The Chelsea Detective fill the 8pm hour, New Tricks airs at 10pm and Copper closes out the night at 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 filled out with archive comfort viewing. Tonight leans hard on reruns — three Last of the Summer Wine episodes back to back, then two Chelsea Detective episodes — before New Tricks and Copper close out primetime.

Daytime is where the channel earns its keep. The Bill gets two separate outings, morning and midday, and the Classic EastEnders and Classic Neighbours double bills either side of lunch are exactly the kind of scheduling that keeps Drama ticking over. It’s a schedule built for dropping in rather than appointment viewing, and today does that job as well as it usually does.

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