#1TVTwo 30-something detectives, Leo and Bella, investigate a case leading them into London’s criminal underworld. As they seek answers, personal and professional boundaries fade amid twists and betrayals.
Hit Point
★ 7.12026
When BBC Studios renamed UKTV Play simply “U” in July 2024, it folded its free channels Dave, Drama, Yesterday and W under one masterbrand as U&Dave, U&Drama, U&Yesterday and U&W. The reboot of Bergerac with Damien Molony pulled record audiences in 2025, drawing more than two million viewers, and panel hits like Taskmaster keep the app near the top of British viewers’ lists. The whole thing is ad-funded, with no subscription to cancel and nothing to pay up front.
The catch is geography. Reaching U from outside the UK trips an instant block: the library sits in just 2 territories, and the moment the app reads a non-British IP address, playback stops dead. If you are at home in your country and want this UK service, Surfshark fixes that by routing you through a British server, so U sees a UK address and opens right up. The service stays free, the VPN only changes your location. Streams run up to 720p, Smart DNS works as a lighter alternative, and signup still wants a valid UK postcode.
Tested weekly by our team. Green: works, amber: partial, red: blocked.
| VPN Service | Price | U | Tested | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
SurfsharkBEST | From $1.78/mo | ✓ Works | August 22 | Try it |
ExpressVPN | From $2.79/mo | ✓ Works | August 22 | Open |
NordVPN | From $2.99/mo | ✓ Works | August 23 | Open |
Private Internet Access | From $1.79/mo | ✓ Works | August 20 | Open |
CyberGhost | From $1.75/mo | ~ Partial | August 22 | Open |
IPVanish | From $2.19/mo | ~ Partial | August 24 | Open |
ProtonVPN | From $3.59/mo | ~ Partial | August 19 | Open |
Takes about 2 minutes. Works on your phone, tablet, TV, PC, or laptop.
U works in 2 countries, including in the United Kingdom and in Ireland. In 192 more it is blocked, and outside available regions you will need a VPN.
U is blocked in the United States, in Australia, in Canada, in New Zealand and in Germany, plus in 187 more countries. To access it, use a premium VPN like Surfshark.
UKTV Play — rebranded as “U” in July 2024 — is the free streaming platform of the UKTV group, today run by BBC Studios. Launched in 2014, it pulls live feeds and catch-up archives from the group’s channels (U&Dave, U&Gold, U&Drama, U&Alibi, U&W, U&Yesterday) into a single app. The draw is British comedy, panel formats like Taskmaster and Would I Lie to You, cosy crime and history documentary. Ad-supported and limited to UK IP addresses.

5 tips from our U testing team · Updated July 14, 2026
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