The cast features rising young stars, with Bridgerton's Florence Hunt as Young Alison and Rory Walton-Smith in his breakout role as Young Daniel.

Music isn't just a backdrop in Mix Tape — it's a character in its own right. The show navigates themes of longing, regret, and the choices that define us, all underscored by the music that once brought Daniel and Alison together.

The show is laced with an immersive '80s soundtrack, capturing the spirit of the era and the emotional beats of the story, with tracks like The Stone Roses' 'Fools Gold' and Nick Drake's 'Northern Sky' that transport the viewer straight back in time.

"They kept a portion of the budget available so that they could get all these huge titles," Teresa Palmer told Mamamia. "I remember reading the script, I'm like, 'There's no way they're gonna be out to get that,' and they did."

The relationship between Daniel and Alison blossoms through mix tapes and late-night conversations.

Image: Supplied.

The musical element to the series was something that drew Jim Sturgess to the project.

"I definitely recognise myself in the young version of Daniel. These young teenagers growing up in the '80s, making mix tapes for each other and falling in love with songs and falling in love with each other," he said.

"You look up to the people in the bands as your idols — the lyrics they've written, you imagine those songs are written for you."

For Teresa, she was drawn to the way first love is depicted in the series.

"The biggest drawcard was about exploring the idea of your first love, and how potent that experience is, and overwhelming," she said.

"The depth of these characters was such a drawcard, and then the music aspect was a beautiful bonus."

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The series straddles the past and present: their turbulent teenage years falling in love in a small UK town, and fast-forward to Daniel as a freelance music journalist still living in Sheffield, while Alison is a novelist in Sydney, both married to other people.

Palmer and Sturgess admitted they didn't actually meet the young actors playing their teenage counterparts before filming.

"We were cast first and they were cast after us," Jim admitted. "I was really lucky that Lucy [Gaffy], the director, who is the most collaborative director I've ever worked with… she sent me a load of videos of potential young Daniels."

It was Jim who spotted Rory Walton-Smith in a sea of auditions.

"I could sort of see Rory instantly had something that was interesting to me," he recalled.

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"When you watch the show, there are some specific moments that he really did mimic some stuff that I've brought to the character, and it works so beautifully when you see some of the same mannerisms play out in the '80s stuff and the present day stuff."

"That's all on Rory being brilliant."

For Alison's younger self, Florence Hunt wore contact lenses so she matched perfectly with Palmer's eyes.

Flashing back and forward between eras, Alison and Daniel reconnect in their older years after he sends her a song from their youth.

The series captures a feeling of unfulfilled love, like that of Normal People or One Day, but with the musical sensibilities of Almost Famous or The Boat That Rocked.

But the actors agree that what makes the miniseries so unique is the nuanced way it tackles unfulfilled potential.

"For my character, it's just so unresolved," Jim said.

"For him to live his entire life with that hole in his heart, he never leaves the town where he grew up so the ghosts and the memories of Alison are everywhere — every street corner, there's memories of her everywhere and he's never really truly moved on."

Teresa was especially impressed that the show doesn't have an obvious villain character who is to blame — reflecting the complexities of real life.

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"The nuances between the current marriages — it's very interesting because it's not black and white. It's not a terrible marriage; it's not a fantastic marriage. It's these people midway through their lives, navigating all these big complexities," she said.

"I love that there's no real antagonist in this show. There's just these interesting, real, complex relationships."

Palmer connected deeply to the character of Alison and her story.

"She's longing to escape the situation she's in and she essentially escapes, moves to Australia and shape-shifts. She drops her accent, she changes the way she looks, she moves into this persona of a woman who would be married to this wealthy, charming doctor, and leaves her old life behind.

"But you can see the cracks in the little quiet moments in the silence. You can see the cracks, and you can see her undoing," Teresa said.

"It's not this popcorn style of storytelling — it's gritty, really gritty and nuanced, and there's an imperfectness between all these characters, which makes it really interesting."

Mix Tape is available to stream now on Binge.

Feature image: Binge.