2026 Guide: Drama TV Guide: Full Channel Schedule & Listings
Updated June 2026 with current pricing, channel listings and UK setup steps. The Drama channel is one of Britain's most-watched free entertainment channels, serving up a carefully curated mix of classic British drama, detective series, period pieces, and award-winning international shows. Available on Freeview channel 20, Sky channel 148, and Virgin Media channel 128, Drama broadcasts 24 hours a day with no subscription required.
This guide provides the full Drama channel schedule, tonight's highlights, this week's must-watch shows, and everything you need to know about watching Drama on Freeview, satellite, and catch-up. For listings across all UK channels, see our main UK TV guide.
Drama Channel Schedule: Today
The Drama channel follows a consistent daily schedule pattern. Mornings typically feature classic detective series like Inspector Morse, Lewis, and Midsomer Murders. Afternoons shift to period dramas and lighter entertainment. The primetime evening slot (8pm to 11pm) showcases the channel's strongest programming — usually feature-length dramas, highly rated series, or special themed evenings.
The exact schedule changes daily. Drama is part of the UKTV network, and schedules are published on the UKTV website. We recommend bookmarking our Drama TV guide alongside the best TV this week page for a broader view of what is worth watching across all channels.
Drama Channel Quick Reference
For a complete list of every Freeview channel number, including Drama and its sister channels, see our Freeview channel numbers list.
This Week's Drama Highlights
Drama's weekly schedule typically includes a mix of the following programme types, each appealing to different segments of the channel's audience:
Classic Detective Series
Inspector Morse, Lewis, Endeavour, Midsomer Murders, Vera, Shetland. These are the channel's bread and butter — beloved British detective dramas in beautiful settings.
Period Dramas
Downton Abbey repeats, Lark Rise to Candleford, Cranford, The Paradise. The Drama channel is the go-to destination for fans of historical British television.
Medical & Emergency Dramas
Casualty, Holby City, The Royal. Older series that are no longer in production but maintain devoted audiences on Drama.
International Crime Dramas
Selected Scandinavian noir, Australian crime dramas, and European detective series that have been popular with UK audiences.
Themed Evenings
The channel occasionally runs themed evenings — a full evening of one detective, a specific actor, or a particular era of British television.
For what is on across all channels beyond just Drama, our best TV this week guide picks the top programmes from every UK channel, and our films on TV this week page curates the best movies being broadcast.
Most Popular Shows on Drama
The Drama channel's audience skews older and appreciates quality storytelling, atmospheric settings, and familiar faces. The most popular shows consistently draw strong ratings and include Midsomer Murders (the channel's single biggest draw), Inspector Morse and its spin-offs Lewis and Endeavour, Vera, Shetland, Agatha Christie adaptations, and Doc Martin.
Many of these shows are also available on catch-up through the UKTV Play app, which is free to download on Smart TVs, Amazon Firestick, and mobile devices. If you enjoy the genre but want access to a broader library of British drama, ITVX (free tier) has an extensive collection including exclusive ITVX originals, and BBC iPlayer maintains a deep back catalogue of BBC dramas. Our free streaming guide covers every free catch-up platform.
How to Watch the Drama Channel
Drama is available on every major UK TV platform. Through Freeview (channel 20), you can watch it free with a TV aerial. Through Freesat (channel 160), you receive it free via satellite. Sky and Virgin Media subscribers also have access. If you do not have aerial or satellite access, the UKTV Play app streams Drama content on demand — though not live.
For live Drama channel streaming without an aerial, the Freely platform includes Drama in its internet-delivered channel lineup on supported devices. Our Freeview without aerial guide explains how to access all Freeview channels (including Drama) over the internet. You can also access Drama through a Firestick with the UKTV Play app.
Drama on Freeview, Sky & Catch-Up
The Drama channel is part of the UKTV family of channels (which also includes Dave, Yesterday, and Gold). On Freeview, it sits at channel 20 in the entertainment block. The HD version is available on Freeview channel 71 in areas with sufficient bandwidth, and on Sky channel 185 and Virgin channel 190 for HD subscribers.
UKTV Play is the official catch-up app, offering on-demand access to recently broadcast programmes plus a library of box sets. The app is free with ads and available on most devices. For a broader view of what is on across ITV channels specifically, see our ITV TV guide. For E4 listings, our E4 schedule blog post is updated regularly.
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