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

Published: 11 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, Saturday 12 September 2026, there’s no standout booking: two Darby and Joan episodes fill early evening from 5pm, then The Brokenwood Mysteries takes the 7pm slot and Wallander follows at 9pm, with Blackshore closing the night at 11pm. It’s a straightforward crime-drama evening rather than anything built around a premiere.

Drama Schedule: Saturday 12 September 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Drama schedule for Saturday 12 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 1:10am and At Home with the Braithwaites at 2:20am, before a British Sign Language edition of The Chelsea Detective at 3:10am and Teleshopping from 4am until half past seven.

Two Birds of a Feather episodes open the broadcast day proper at 7:30am and 8am, then Jonathan Creek: The Judas Tree runs a two-hour slot from 8:40am. A second Jonathan Creek film, The Clue of the Savant’s Thumb, fills the late morning from 10:40am. Father Brown and New Tricks take the early afternoon from 12:40pm, two Pie in the Sky episodes follow at 3pm and 4pm, and two Darby and Joan episodes carry the schedule into early evening from 5pm.

Drama tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the Drama primetime line-up for tonight, Saturday 12 September 2026. There’s no standout booking this evening — it’s four cosy-crime staples back to back rather than anything new.

Darby and Joan — Drama, 6pm

The second of two Darby and Joan episodes this evening rounds off the early-evening slot (series 2, episode 2).

The Brokenwood Mysteries — Drama, 7pm

The New Zealand-set mystery gets a two-hour outing from 7pm (series 2, episode 2).

Wallander — Drama, 9pm

Another two-hour film, this time the Scandinavian-set detective drama, takes over from 9pm (series 2, episode 3).

Blackshore — Drama, 11pm

Blackshore closes out the night at 11pm (series 1, episode 4).

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?

Two Darby and Joan episodes fill early evening from 5pm, then The Brokenwood Mysteries takes the 7pm slot and Wallander follows at 9pm. Blackshore closes 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 doesn’t have a standout booking — it’s Darby and Joan, The Brokenwood Mysteries, Wallander and Blackshore back to back, four reliable crime-drama staples rather than anything new.

Daytime is where the channel earns its keep. Two Jonathan Creek films anchor the late morning, and Father Brown and New Tricks give the early afternoon its usual shape before Pie in the Sky and Darby and Joan carry things into evening. 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