Drama (British TV channel)

Drama
Drama logo 2013.svg
Logo used since 8 July 2013.
CountryUnited Kingdom and Ireland
Broadcast areaUnited Kingdom and Ireland
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format1080i HDTV
(SDTV feed downscaled to 16:9 576i)
Timeshift serviceDrama +1
Ownership
OwnerBBC Studios
ParentUKTV
Sister channelsAlibi
Dave
Eden
Gold
W
Yesterday
History
Launched8 July 2013; 9 years ago (2013-07-08)
ReplacedBlighty
CCXTV (Drama+1, Freeview only)
Links
Websiteuktvplay.co.uk/channel/drama
Availability
Terrestrial
FreeviewChannel 20
Channel 60 (+1)
HD logo used since 14 December 2022
Timeshift logo used since 16 September 2019

Drama is a British free-to-air television channel broadcasting drama (and, to a lesser extent, comedy, sci-fi) programming in the United Kingdom and Ireland as part of the UKTV network of channels.

History

The channel launched on 8 July 2013, replacing Blighty. On Freeview, the channel was placed on channel 20, previously occupied by Gold. On Sky, the channel initially launched on channel 291, in the overspill area of the Entertainment section and moved to channel 166 on 24 July after purchasing the slot used by PBS America (formerly named PBS UK in 2011). The channel launched on Virgin Media on 14 August on channel 190. In September 2014, UKTV blamed the channel for their 7% profits fall. In September 2018, Drama and Really were added to Virgin Media Ireland.

A timeshift channel, Drama +1, was launched on Sky and Virgin Media on 16 September 2019, replacing Travel Channel +1. On 25 January 2021, it was announced that the timeshift channel would be taking over CCXTV's Freeview slot (channel 73) on 1 February 2021, with CCXTV ending transmission. On 1 February 2022, BBC Three relaunched on Freeview channel 23 which shifted all the channels from that slot until Freeview 82 down a place, meaning that Drama +1 was now on channel 74.

On 28 March 2022, Drama +1 moved to Freeview 60 as a limited reach channel, as channel 25 was used by UKTV for their female skewing W channel, which means that Dave ja vu took the COM4 slot from Drama +1 on Freeview channel 74.

Programming

The channel is positioned as a home for British dramas from the last 40 years. The channel has featured classic drama series such as Auf Wiedersehen, Pet; The Cinder Path; Cranford; Lark Rise to Candleford; Pride & Prejudice; Sharpe; and Tipping the Velvet. As well as all these classic drama titles, a number of more recently produced BBC One daytime drama series have acquired a primetime slot on Drama. These series include Father Brown, which has been showing in an 8pm slot on Friday nights and which has a spin-off series, called Sister Boniface Mysteries. This period detective television series about a Catholic Nun is a co-production between BBC Studios and Britbox in North America, and has debuted as a free-to-air series directly on Drama, without getting an airing first on BBC One. In addition to drama programmes, the channel shows a number of classic BBC sitcoms in a teatime slot (usually between 5.25pm and 8pm) with Last of the Summer Wine, Porridge, May to December and Birds of a Feather currently being repeated in May 2023.

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This page was last updated at 2023-06-21 21:19 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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