Ten years after its final broadcast, the Bulgarian National Television crime drama “Under Cover” returned for its sixth season on October 10, 2026, drawing intense audience backlash across social media over sound quality, gambling advertisements, and plot continuity errors.
The Return of “Under Cover” and Opening Night Reactions
The long-awaited comeback of the hit series brought familiar faces back to the screen alongside 12 new episodes, but the reception in living rooms and online forums quickly turned combative. Sold-out preview screenings at Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture in early October had signaled strong initial demand, with tickets for the first date snapped up in under 48 hours and prompting a second screening date on October 6. Yet once the premiere hit television screens on October 10, 2026, at 10:00 PM on BNT 1, viewer reactions fractured sharply between loyal fans and vocal critics.
Social media platforms and online forums filled with sharp complaints concerning technical execution. Viewers reported that dialogue was routinely drowned out by background audio and explosive action sequences, while a flashback subplot set in the year 2002 inadvertently featured a modern Audi Q7 luxury SUV that was not available on the market during that era. Among the actors returning to the screen are Mihail Bilalov, Zahari Baharov, Marian Valev, Aleksandar Sano, Kiril Efremov, Vladimir Penev, and Yoanna Temelkova, alongside new additions such as Julian Vergov, Pavel Ivanov, and Klimentina Fartsova.
Internal Conflict Over the Script and Original Creators
The backlash was not confined to ordinary viewers. Screenwriter Teo Chepilov, who worked on the original conceptualization of the series in 2009 alongside Teodora Markova, Nevena Kertova, Georgi Ivanov, and Tsonko Bumbalov, publicly distanced himself from the new season.
That's how I felt while watching episode 1 of season 6. It was like going to the dentist—you sit there and endure it, there's no getting up, no matter how much it hurts. Screenwriter
Chepilov criticized the production as an amateur fan fiction effort that bypassed the original creators, drawing a parallel to how the characters of Stan Lee and J.K. Rowling are protected. Creative producer Dimitar Mitovski pushed back against those distinctions, defending the collaborative nature of television over the years and dismissing early turbulence with a comparison to automotive launches.
Actor Reactions and Gambling Sponsorship Controversy
Beyond writing disputes, the premiere sparked debate among former cast members regarding commercial partnerships. Ivaylo Zahariev, who starred as undercover police officer Martin Hristov through the earlier seasons, criticized the inclusion of gambling advertisements during the opening seconds of the national television broadcast.
Actor Ivaylo Zahariev stated, Gambling in the first seconds—this isn't 'Under Cover' like the one we've watched before.
Zahariev argued that the prominent betting commercials cheapened the artistic merit of the stunt work and dramatic performances, adding that he had previously turned down lucrative advertising offers worth tens of thousands of euros from gambling companies. His comments echoed broader public frustrations over aggressive commercial integrations, while other cast members and producers emphasized that the 12-episode arc is designed to unfold gradually over the coming weeks, urging audiences to reserve final judgment until the entire narrative runs its course.