TV show · 2011 · Crime, Drama, Action & Adventure · BG
Curator score: 4.9/10 (28.4K ratings)
Overview
Just an ordinary boy from the Sofia suburbs becomes the first bulgarian undercover cop. Forced by his father when he was young to lie and cheat, Martin becomes the perfect liar. That skill, and also the hatred of the 'underworld' makes him the perfect match for a dangerous mission - to infiltrate the crime organisation of a rich and powerful businessman. While infiltrating and living in fear of being uncovered, Martin falls in love with the most inappropriate woman - Djaro's girlfriend, Suni. Just when he gains the trust of the mobsters, it appears that the real enemy is in the police. Martin is alone against all, facing difficult decisions.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.9/10
IMDb: 8.9/10
Metacritic: 58
TMDB: 7.2/10
Created by
Dimitar Gochev, Zoran Petrovski, Viktor Bozhinov
Production
SIA Advertising
Cast
Boyko Krastanov, Zahari Baharov, Ivaylo Zahariev, Vladimir Penev, Marian Valev, Kiril Efremov, Yoanna Temelkova, Hristo Petkov, Dimitar Banenkin, Plamen Manassiev, Yosif Shamli, Silvia Petkova, Mattia Sbragia, Robert Yanakiev, Stanislav Yanevski, Snezhana Makaveeva
Curator Review
Verdict
A propulsive Bulgarian crime thriller with strong undercover tension, melodrama, and a genuine sense of danger. It plays like a local prestige gangster series with soapier emotional stakes, and the first few seasons are the key draw before the story becomes more sprawling.
Best for
crime-drama fans who like infiltrator stories
viewers who enjoy tense, serialized cat-and-mouse plotting
fans of morally compromised protagonists
people open to international TV beyond the usual U.S./U.K. circuit
Skip if
you want a light or self-contained procedural
you prefer subtle, understated crime drama over heightened melodrama
you dislike soap-opera romance woven into gangster plots
you only want short series with a tight ending
Overview
Undercover is one of the more notable Eastern European crime series of its era: a hard-edged undercover premise, a corrupt-system backdrop, and a lead who is constantly balancing survival, loyalty, and identity. The hook is immediate, and the show understands how to sustain pressure through double-crosses, shifting alliances, and the constant risk of exposure.
Worth noting
What gives it extra appeal is the mix of gangster spectacle and emotional entanglement. The romance is deliberately dangerous rather than decorative, and the series leans into the idea that the real threat may be inside the police as much as in the criminal world. That makes it feel broader than a simple mob infiltration story, even when it gets melodramatic.
Bottom line
It is not a perfectly even series, and its long run means some stretches are more about momentum than precision. But if you like serialized crime TV with a strong hook, a morally compromised hero, and a sense of local specificity, it is very easy to get pulled in. The early-to-middle seasons are the strongest place to start paying attention; later stretches are more for committed viewers than casual ones.
2012 · Curator 9.3/10 (80.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Acorn TV, BritBox, Spectrum On Demand, Acorn TV Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus, Pluto TV, Plex, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads, Tubi TV
If the appeal is police corruption and hidden agendas, this delivers relentless interrogation, institutional paranoia, and twisty plotting.