Falconwing Studio, in co-production with Bulgarian National Television (BNT), is bringing “Undercover” back to television nearly a decade after its last episode. Thousands of fans attended the preview screening of season six on 5 October at the National Palace of Culture (NDK) in Sofia, welcoming the cast and creative team with enthusiastic applause.

The event, organised in partnership with the National Palace of Culture, brought returning stars and new cast members together on the red carpet before the first episode was screened in Hall 1. Strong audience demand prompted an additional screening on 6 October, after tickets for the first evening sold out in less than two days.

For Falconwing Studio and BNT, the new season marks the return of a production that has attracted generations of viewers. The story moves forward 10 years after the events of season five, while also revisiting the past to reveal how Jaro’s criminal group was formed.

Magardich Halvadzhiyan, executive producer of “Undercover”, described the creative challenge of bringing familiar characters back and exploring their origins:

“From the moment we decided to go back and tell the story of how it all began, we knew it would be a challenge. We said to ourselves: ‘OK, the story is what matters.’ Even if viewers don’t see the youngest-ever versions of Jaro or Kosama, what matters to them is the story.

“So we focused on making it entertaining and bringing these familiar characters back. That was more important to us, and we put a great deal of effort into the hair and make-up. I’ll let you in on a secret: we are currently editing episode nine. We haven’t finished the entire series yet, and things are going very well.”

The new season combines the return of established characters with storylines reflecting the changes of the past decade.

Viktor Bozhinov, director of “Undercover”, explained:

“Season six takes place 10 years after season five, so I think enough has happened during that time to give us new stories worth telling. Bulgaria has changed, we have changed, and things have happened. Staying relevant has always been a hallmark of ‘Undercover’. I think that once again, thanks to the writing team, the story is rooted in the issues of today.”

Vanya Nikolova, head writer of the series, addressed the audience after the screening: “Thank you so much for your support. From now on, this series is yours.”

The cast also joined the creative team on stage, thanking fans for their support and offering a glimpse of what lies ahead.

Mihail Bilalov said: “Thank you for being here. We promise plenty of surprises. Thank you all for your great work.”

Yuliyan Vergov added: “Thank you for being here. I hope you’ll enjoy it right through to the end.”

Zahary Baharov kept his message brief: “I’m not going to say anything. I hope you’ll be watching.”

Pavel Ivanov promised an exciting television premiere: “‘Undercover’ premieres on the 10th at 10 p.m. It’s going to be epic.”

Speaking on the red carpet, Alexander Sano said viewers could expect improved visual quality and plenty of surprises:

“They should expect much better image quality. After all, it’s been 15 years. They should expect what I’m expecting as a viewer. I deliberately avoided finding out too much about the main storyline in advance so that I could be surprised too. They should expect surprises.”

Vladimir Penev reflected on the series’ continuing appeal to younger viewers:

“I meet young children who recognise me. Fifteen years really have passed since we started. We’ve aged quite a bit, especially me. But they still recognise me. They know I’m that older bloke who goes around chasing the bad guys.”

The audience response underlined the anticipation surrounding the Falconwing Studio and BNT co-production. Some fans had travelled from abroad to attend, including Simeon, who said he had come from England and had watched all previous seasons twice.

“I’ve been waiting for it for 10 years. I won’t miss a single episode,” said another fan, Angel.

After the screening, viewers described the opening episode as “amazing” and the season’s start as “very promising”.

Milena Milotinova, Director General of BNT, highlighted the scale of audience interest:

“BNT is an institution and the country’s largest producer of films and television series. We are delighted to see so many fans of this eagerly awaited series. Tickets for Hall 1 of the National Palace of Culture sold out in less than two days.”

She added that BNT was dedicating Saturday evenings to Bulgarian television series, with “Everything About My Son”, starring Dimitar Rachkov, airing before “Undercover”.

Iya Petkova, Executive Director of the National Palace of Culture, said:

“It’s incredibly exciting. You can see all the people around us who are eagerly awaiting ‘Undercover’. We had to add a second screening, which is almost sold out as well, with only a few tickets remaining.”

Produced by Falconwing Studio in co-production with BNT, season six of “Undercover” premieres on Saturday, 10 October, at 10 p.m. on BNT 1.