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

Yesterday is UKTV’s history and heritage channel: archive documentaries, military history, natural history and, these days, a great deal of classic motoring. BBC Studios has owned it outright through UKTV since 2019, and it’s free with no subscription. Sunday’s evening splits between the Klondike and the motoring strand: two Operation Gold Rush episodes from 6pm, Bangers & Cash at 8pm and 9pm, and two Canal Boat Diaries to close.

Yesterday Schedule: Sunday 9 August 2026 (Full Listings)

Here is the complete Yesterday schedule for Sunday 9 August 2026, on Freeview 27.

What’s on Yesterday today

Sunday daytime runs Abandoned Engineering at 6:10am, Abandoned Engineering at 7:10am, Great Continental Railway Journeys at 8am, Great Continental Railway Journeys at 9am, before the evening schedule takes over.

Two more Abandoned Engineering episodes restart the schedule at 6:10am and 7:10am, followed by a Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics double at 8am and 9am. Secret Nazi Bases takes 10am and Great War Stories 11am, both of which return later in the afternoon at 4pm and 5pm.

The middle of the day belongs to Antiques Roadshow, with the Towneley Hall episode at midday and a second at 1pm, then Bangers & Cash at 2pm and 3pm. Note that the evening repeats a fair amount of this: the 6pm Antiques Roadshow is the same Towneley Hall edition shown at midday, and the 10pm and 11pm Bangers & Cash episodes are the two that already ran at 2pm and 3pm.

Yesterday tonight — primetime and the evening schedule

Here’s the Yesterday primetime line-up for tonight, Sunday 9 August 2026.

Operation Gold Rush — Yesterday, 6pm and 7pm

Two episodes retracing the Klondike stampede, with the presenters attempting the route and the work as it was actually done.

Bangers & Cash — Yesterday, 8pm and 9pm

Two hours from different series at the Mathewson’s saleroom.

Canal Boat Diaries — Yesterday, 10pm and 11pm

Two more from series seven with Robbie Cumming, and the quietest hour on the channel. A good closer if the auctions have worn thin.

What kind of shows are on Yesterday

Classic motoring and Bangers & Cash

Motoring is the growth area, and it is essentially one family: the Mathewsons of Thornton-le-Dale. Bangers & Cash produced Restoring Classics, and the channel has built a wider strand around them with Flipping Bangers and Find It, Fix It, Flog It.

Military and social history

Archive war documentaries are what the channel was founded on. The World at War still anchors a run of conflict and social history titles pulled from decades of British broadcast archive.

Natural history and engineering

The rest is natural history and engineering: A Perfect Planet, plus Abandoned Engineering and Secrets of the London Underground, which are really infrastructure documentaries wearing a history badge.

How to watch Yesterday

Channel numbers

Here’s where to find Yesterday across the main UK television platforms:

Yesterday is free on all of the above platforms, with no subscription required. Sky, Virgin Media and Freesat channel numbers can vary slightly by region and box, so your on-screen guide is the definitive source if these don’t match.

Streaming online

Yesterday streams live and free on u.co.uk and via the U app on smart TVs, iOS, Android and most streaming boxes. U is UKTV’s streaming service, formerly known as UKTV Play, and it’s free to sign up for. Most Yesterday shows are also available to catch up on demand once they’ve broadcast, though older archive series can come and go from the library.

Yesterday +1 and sister channels

Yesterday +1 runs the main schedule exactly an hour behind, on Freeview channel 26. Miss the start of a Bangers & Cash episode on the main channel and +1 lets you pick it up from close to the beginning an hour later instead.

Yesterday sits within the wider UKTV stable alongside Dave, Drama, Really and Alibi. If you enjoy Yesterday’s history and documentary output, Dave carries more panel shows and sitcoms, while Really leans towards true crime and paranormal programming.

Frequently asked questions

What channel is Yesterday on?

Freeview 27, Sky 155, Virgin Media 129 and Freesat 155. Yesterday +1 is on Freeview 26. All are free to watch.

What’s on Yesterday tonight?

A repeat of Antiques Roadshow opens the evening at 6pm, followed by The Green Planet at 7pm. A new Bangers & Cash airs at 8pm and Bangers & Cash: Restoring Classics at 9pm, then two further Bangers & Cash repeats close the night at 10pm and 11pm.

Is Yesterday free to watch?

Yes, on every major UK platform, with advertising breaks but no subscription fee.

Can I watch Yesterday online for free?

Yes, live and on demand via u.co.uk and the U app, UKTV’s free streaming service.

Verdict

Pound for pound, Yesterday is one of the better-value channels on Freeview. The archive documentaries it built its name on are still there and still worth your time. The Mathewsons pay for them.

Sunday’s evening plays to that strength: two Operation Gold Rush episodes lead into Bangers & Cash at 8pm and 9pm, before two Canal Boat Diaries carry the schedule to midnight.

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