Broadcast area | United Kingdom and Ireland |
---|---|
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Picture format | 1080i HDTV (SDTV feed downscaled to 16:9 576i) |
Timeshift service | U&Drama +1 |
Ownership | |
Owner | BBC Studios |
Parent | UKTV |
Sister channels | U&Alibi U&Dave U&Eden U&Gold U&W U&Yesterday |
History | |
Launched | 8 July 2013 |
Replaced | Blighty CCXTV (Drama +1, Freeview only) |
Former names | Drama (2013–2024) |
Availability | |
Terrestrial | |
Freeview | Channel 20 Channel 60 (+1) |
Streaming media | |
U | Watch Free (UK and Ireland Only) |
U&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.
The channel launched on 8 July 2013, [1] replacing Blighty. [2] The channel was initially launched on Freeview channel 20, which was previously occupied by Gold, [3] and on Sky the channel was launched on channel 291, in the overspill area of the Entertainment section. It was moved to channel 166 on 24 July after purchasing the slot used by PBS America (formerly named PBS UK in 2011). [4] 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, and on 16 July 2024, they rebranded to U&Drama.
U&Drama HD is the higher resolution version of U&Drama available on Virgin Media.
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. [5] 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. [6]
On 28 March 2022, Drama +1 moved to Freeview 60 [7] [8] as a limited reach channel, as channel 25 was used by UKTV for their female skewing W channel, [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] which means that Dave ja vu took the COM4 slot from Drama +1 on Freeview channel 74. [7]
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 . [14] 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 [15] [16] is a co-production between BBC Studios and Britbox in North America, [17] 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 5:25 pm and 8 pm) with Last of the Summer Wine , Keeping Up Appearances and Birds of a Feather being repeated in 2024. [18]
Freeview is the United Kingdom's sole digital terrestrial television platform. It is operated by Everyone TV and DTV Services Ltd, a joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky. It was launched on 30 October 2002, taking over the licence from ITV Digital which collapsed that year. The service provides consumer access via an aerial to the seven DTT multiplexes covering the United Kingdom. As of July 2020, it has 85 TV channels, 26 digital radio channels, 10 HD channels, six text services, 11 streamed channels, and one interactive channel.
U&Gold is a British premium television channel from the UKTV network that was launched in late 1992 as UK Gold before it was rebranded UKTV Gold in 2004. In 2008, it was split into current flagship channel Gold and miscellaneous channel, W, with classic comedy based programming now airing on Gold, non-crime drama and entertainment programming airing on W, and quiz shows and more high-brow comedy airing on Dave. It shows repeats of classic programming from the BBC, ITV and other broadcasters. Every December, from 2015 until 2018, the channel was temporarily renamed Christmas Gold. This has since been discontinued, although the channel still continues to broadcast Christmas comedy.
UKTV Media Limited, trading as UKTV, is a British multi-channel broadcaster, which, since 2019, has been wholly owned by BBC Studios, a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. It was formed on 1 November 1992 through a joint venture between the BBC and Thames Television. It is one of the United Kingdom's largest television companies.
U&Eden is a British free-to-air channel broadcasting nature content with some factual entertainment programming in the United Kingdom and Ireland as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel originally launched on 8 March 2004 and relaunched in its current format on 27 January 2009. U&Eden was a pay television channel until 2024.
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U&Yesterday is a British free-to-air television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It launched on 30 October 2002 as UK History and relaunched in its current format on 2 March 2009. It is available on satellite through Sky, Freesat and through the digital terrestrial provider Freeview. Hours on Freeview had previously been cut, with transmissions finishing at 6 pm, but were restored on 1 June 2010.
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U is a video on demand service owned by UKTV, which is operated by the BBC's commercial subsidiary BBC Studios. The service launched on 4 August 2014 and offers catch-up programming and live broadcasts from UKTV's free-to-air channels.
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Really is a British free-to-air digital television channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, currently owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel launched on 19 May 2009 as UKTV's channel for female audiences. The channel shows a mixture of lifestyle, medical, real life, crime and paranormal programming. It is available on satellite through Sky and Freesat, cable through Virgin Media and also on digital terrestrial provider Freeview.
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PBS America is a British free-to-air television channel derived from PBS, an American public television broadcaster similar to the BBC and Channel 4. It is a joint venture between entrepreneur David Lyons and PBS Distribution, itself a joint venture of PBS and the WGBH Educational Foundation, which owns the international rights to the bulk of PBS's output.
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