Mix Tape is a BBC2 drama starring The Last Anniversary star Teresa Palmer and The Stolen Girl’s Jim Sturgess which switches between their teenage romance in Sheffield in 1989 and their adult lives on opposite sides of the world.
Based on the novel Mix Tape by Jane Sanderson, it also stars Bridgerton’s Florence Hunt and newcomer Rory Walton-Smith as their younger selves. And you can expect a banging 1980s soundtrack too.
Here’s everything we know about Irish-Australian series Mix Tape on Binge, BBC2 and BBCiPlayer…
Mix Tape release date
Mix Tape is a four-part series that arrives on BBC2 on Tuesday July 15 2025 at 9pm with the following episode on Wednesday July 16 again at 9pm. The final two episodes are on BBC2 on July 22 and 23 2025. All four episodes are on BBCiPlayer from July 15 2025.
Mix Tape was shown in Australia via the streaming service Binge from June 12 2025.
Is there a trailer?
Yes, there's a Mix Tape trailer. We hear Alison say, “You never forget the boy who made you your first mix tape” and it seems to be true as the pair connect years later and struggle to put one another in the past.
Take a look below...
Mix Tape plot
Set along two timelines, Mix Tape, follows Alison and Daniel who shared a teenage romance in the 1980s in Sheffield, England, and never quite managed to put it behind them. Daniel eventually married Katja (Sara Soulié) and had a son with her, while Alison married prominent surgeon Michael (Ben Lawson) and became a mum to two kids. By 2015 Daniel’s still in Sheffield working as a freelance music critic and Alison is forging a career as an author in Sydney.
Decades later they reconnect thanks to a song that provided the soundtrack to their first love. Although the pair now live on opposite sides of the globe, in Australia and the UK, they feel compelled to explore whether this was the life, and love, they were meant to have.
Mix Tape cast — Teresa Palmer on playing Alison
Teresa Palmer, who plays Alison, says: "It was nostalgic reading through [the script]. It took me back to those initial feelings of falling in love for the first time and the butterflies. The characters were rich and nuanced.
"They have that head-over-heels obsessive love, which is the most potent. My own experience with first love was just as intoxicating and all-consuming. And these two have that soulmate connection.
Alison has a lot of trauma in her past she wants to leave behind, so she's written a book to branch out of herself. Alison keeps a lid on her feelings, but she opens up Pandora's box and we see her navigate a lot of challenging things."
* Teresa Palmer recently starred in The Last Anniversary and played Diana Bishop in A Discovery of Witches. She’s also been in The Fall Guy, The Clearing, Point Break and Addition.
Jim Sturgess on playing Daniel
Jim Sturgess, who plays Daniel in Mix Tape, says: "I liked that it was messy and complicated, and the relationships felt real; I was moved. That’s one of the strengths of the show. It’s romantic but, at the same time, painful to watch. And I was drawn to Daniel. When I was 17 and 18, it was the music of the late 1980s and early 1990s with bands like Joy Division and New Order, so my young self was not a million miles away from him.
"Through their shared passion for music they connect and have this visceral, powerful love that gets cut short when Alison has to leave Sheffield without any answers as to why. That leaves Daniel with a huge, unresolved hole in his heart.
‘The music reignites a lot of feelings from their youth. They're left with this unresolved love that's more powerful than they both anticipated."
* Jim Sturgess previously played Fred in the recent Disney Plus drama The Stolen Girl and was Alan Marchand in last year’s Apartment 7A. He’s also had roles in Alone Together, The Other Me, Hard Sun, The Other Boleyn Girl and the film version of One Day.
Who else is starring in Mix Tape?
Mix Tape's other stars include Bridgerton’s Florence Hunt is the young Alison and newcomer Rory Walton-Smith is the young Daniel. Julia Savage, Jonathan Harden, Jacqueline McKenzie, Ben Lawson and Chika Ikogwe also star.
Behind the scenes, filming news and more on Mix Tape
Mix Tape was filmed on location in Dublin and Sydney, and was acquired by the BBC from Boat Rocker Studios.
Patrick Roberts, Senior Vice President, Global Sales, Boat Rocker Studios says: “We’re delighted by the strong response to Mix Tape we’ve received from the BBC and our other partners around the world and can’t wait for audiences to discover this unique take on a modern love story.”
Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, says: “Accompanied by an absolutely cracking 80s soundtrack, Mix Tape is an enjoyable blend of nostalgia, romance and heartbreak – it really is the perfect summer treat!”
The project was originated by Irish production company Subotica, commissioned by Foxtel Group and co-produced by Subotica and Australia’s Aquarius Films in association with Boat Rocker, who also handle international distribution. It was written by Jo Spain, directed by Lucy Gaffy, and produced by Aoife O’Sullivan and Tristan Orpen Lynch for Subotica and Angie Fielder and Polly Staniford for Aquarius Films. Alison Hurbert-Burns, Lana Greenhalgh and Clare Mirabello serve as executive producers alongside David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, Nick Nantell, and Erik Pack for Boat Rocker and Marc Lorber.
Mix Tape was supported by investment from the Foxtel Group in association with Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland and Screen Australia, with further support from the Finnish Impact Film Fund, Screen NSW’s Made in NSW Fund and The Post Lounge.
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