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

Published: 16 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, Thursday 17 September 2026, three Last of the Summer Wine episodes open the evening from 6pm, then The Chelsea Detective continues with a new episode at 8pm. A Remarkable Place to Die takes 9pm, New Tricks follows at 10pm and Copper closes out the night at 11pm.

Drama Schedule: Thursday 17 September 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Drama schedule for Thursday 17 September 2026, on Freeview 20.

Overnight

Breakfast

Morning

Afternoon

Early evening

Primetime

Late night

What’s on Drama today

Overnight opens with Lovejoy just after midnight, then a British Sign Language edition of The Chelsea Detective at 1am, Sister Boniface Mysteries at 2am and At Home with the Braithwaites at 3am, before Teleshopping fills the small hours from 4am until half past seven.

The Bill opens the day proper at 7:30am and returns at midday, with two Classic Doctors episodes, Classic Holby City and Classic Casualty filling the morning in between. Two Classic EastEnders episodes and two Classic Neighbours episodes carry early afternoon, Sister Boniface Mysteries and Father Brown take mid-afternoon, and As Time Goes By leads into this evening’s run of Last of the Summer Wine at 6pm.

Drama tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the Drama primetime line-up for tonight, Thursday 17 September 2026.

Last of the Summer Wine — Drama, 6pm–7:20pm

Three episodes of Last of the Summer Wine run back to back to open the evening, at 6pm, 6:40pm and 7:20pm (series 14, episodes 6 to 8). Decades-old and still Drama’s comfort-viewing bedrock ahead of the channel’s own newer commissions.

The Chelsea Detective — Drama, 8pm

The Chelsea Detective continues with a new episode at 8pm (series 4, episode 2), picking up the case from the series opener.

A Remarkable Place to Die — Drama, 9pm

A Remarkable Place to Die airs at 9pm. It’s the New Zealand-set crime drama following Detective Anais Mallory’s return to Queenstown; the exact episode number varies between sources tonight, so it’s safest left unstated here.

New Tricks — Drama, 10pm

New Tricks airs at 10pm (series 11, episode 3), the UCOS team reopening another cold case.

Copper — Drama, 11pm

Copper closes the night at 11pm (series 2, 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?

Three Last of the Summer Wine episodes run from 6pm, then The Chelsea Detective continues with a new episode at 8pm. A Remarkable Place to Die, New Tricks and Copper close out the night. 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 sitcoms filled out with archive comfort viewing. Tonight there’s a genuine reason to tune in on time: three Last of the Summer Wine episodes open the evening before The Chelsea Detective continues with a new episode at 8pm, with A Remarkable Place to Die, New Tricks and Copper filling out the rest of the night.

Daytime is where the channel earns its keep the rest of the time. The Bill, Classic Doctors and Classic Holby City anchor the morning, Classic EastEnders and Classic Neighbours carry early afternoon, and Sister Boniface Mysteries and Father Brown ease things towards evening. It’s a schedule built for dropping in rather than appointment viewing, and tonight’s premiere is the exception rather than the rule.

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