The BBC has locked in one of SXSW’s buzziest scripted imports: Mix Tape, a four-part drama fronted by Teresa Palmer and Jim Sturgess, will stream on BBC iPlayer and air on BBC Two this summer.
Fresh off its Audience Award win at SXSW 2025, the drama jumps between 1989 and the present day as Alison and Daniel—played in the present by Palmer and Sturgess—reopen a long-abandoned romance sparked by a mixtape and paused by life. Florence Hunt and Rory Walton-Smith handle the younger versions in the flashbacks.
BBC’s Sue Deeks is already positioning it as a summer breakout, calling it “the perfect treat,” and the slotting suggests the network sees strong binge appeal. Think adult Normal People energy, but with more music cues and mid-life stakes.
The show comes out of a global production pipeline—Dublin, Sydney, and backing from both Screen Ireland and Screen Australia. Subotica, Aquarius Films, and Boat Rocker are behind it, with Boat Rocker’s Patrick Roberts noting the strong BBC response as a key win.
Mix Tape was adapted by Jo Spain from Jane Sanderson’s novel, and the soundtrack—stacked with ‘80s picks—is being positioned as a core hook. No exact drop date yet, but BBC wants it in the mix before summer’s over.
