# Tracker (American TV series)

**Tracker** is an American crime drama television series that airs on CBS, starring [Justin Hartley](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-hartley) as Colter Shaw, a skilled tracker and lone-wolf survivalist who crisscrosses the United States searching for missing people and collecting reward money.<sup>[1](https://www.cbs.com/shows/tracker/about/)</sup> It is based on the 2019 novel *The Never Game* by [Jeffery Deaver](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeffery-deaver) and premiered on February 11, 2024, in the time slot immediately following [Super Bowl LVIII](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-lviii).<sup>[2](https://apnews.com/article/300dfb25a68061aad55e1ff7d5cbd5f9)</sup> The series became the most-watched entertainment series on American television for the 2023-24 season, and by 2026 it had reached its fourth season.<sup>[3](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-05-22/tracker-finds-post-super-bowl-success-for-cbs)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/newsletter/2026-10-02/tracker-season-4-los-angeles-cbs)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Premise | Justin Hartley plays Colter Shaw, a lone-wolf survivalist who works as a "reward seeker," using his tracking skills to help private citizens and law enforcement find missing people while collecting rewards<sup>[2](https://apnews.com/article/300dfb25a68061aad55e1ff7d5cbd5f9)</sup> |
| Source | Based on Jeffery Deaver's 2019 novel *The Never Game*; the project was originally titled *The Never Game* before CBS renamed it *Tracker*<sup>[5](https://meaww.com/is-tracker-based-on-a-book-all-you-need-to-know-about-justin-hartleys-cbs-series)</sup> |
| Premiere | February 11, 2024, after Super Bowl LVIII, on CBS and Paramount+<sup>[2](https://apnews.com/article/300dfb25a68061aad55e1ff7d5cbd5f9)</sup> |
| Premiere audience | 18.4 million live viewers, climbing above 33 million with multiplatform viewing; regular-slot episodes averaged 7.2 million live viewers<sup>[6](https://www.tvguidemagazine.com/TVGM042224_Tracker.pdf)</sup> |
| Season ranking | Number one regular series of the 2023-24 season and, according to CBS, the first first-year series to rank number one since *Survivor*'s debut in 2000<sup>[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/1150235/tracker-season-2-fall-preview-justin-hartley-interview-exclusive/)</sup> |
| Renewals | Renewed for Season 2 in March 2024 (premiered October 13, 2024) and for Season 4 for the 2026-27 season (premiered October 4, 2026)<sup>[8](https://cbs.wiki.gg/wiki/Tracker)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/cbs-shows-renewed-2026/)</sup> |
| Production | Filmed in Vancouver through the early seasons; production moved to Los Angeles for Season 4<sup>[4](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/newsletter/2026-10-02/tracker-season-4-los-angeles-cbs)</sup> |

## Premise and character

Colter Shaw makes his living on rewards posted by police departments or private citizens. The series opens with an injured hiker waking in the Nevada desert; Shaw stabilizes her leg injury, gets her out of danger, and collects a $50,000 bounty, a setup the Associated Press described as a mix of [Bear Grylls](https://www.edgepedia.org/bear-grylls) and Kojak.<sup>[2](https://apnews.com/article/300dfb25a68061aad55e1ff7d5cbd5f9)</sup> Some people he helps call him a tracker because he tracks down missing people, some call him a mercenary because he works for money, and Shaw himself prefers the term "rewardist."<sup>[10](https://www.tvguide.com/news/tracker-review-justin-hartley-cbs-procedural/)</sup>

**A rootless hero.** Shaw lives in an [Airstream](https://www.edgepedia.org/airstream) trailer attached to his pickup, ready to go wherever the next reward takes him. Each episode delivers a weekly adventure while an ongoing storyline traces how his dysfunctional childhood led him to this life.<sup>[2](https://apnews.com/article/300dfb25a68061aad55e1ff7d5cbd5f9)</sup> His childhood spent off the grid gave him the special set of skills the work depends on.<sup>[10](https://www.tvguide.com/news/tracker-review-justin-hartley-cbs-procedural/)</sup>

Shaw is not fully alone. Teddi and Velma, played by [Robin Weigert](https://www.edgepedia.org/robin-weigert) and Abby McEnany, manage his business affairs and provide him with steady freelance work as a high-stakes people-finder.<sup>[11](https://eta.creativecirclecdn.com/sumter/files/20240208-193458-0209Binder1.pdf)</sup> Attorney Reenie Greene, played by [Fiona Rene](https://www.edgepedia.org/fiona-rene), and tech genius Bobby, played by Eric Graise, dig up whatever intel he needs.<sup>[12](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-02-28/elsbeth-carrie-preston-tracker-cbs-review)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[13](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/tracker)</sup>

## Origin in the novels

The series draws on the Colter Shaw novel series by Jeffery Deaver, the author of *The Bone Collector*; *The Never Game* was also the series' original title.<sup>[14](https://cdn4.creativecirclemedia.com/nmcsd/files/20240209-163328-TV%20Listings%2002-09-24.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://meaww.com/is-tracker-based-on-a-book-all-you-need-to-know-about-justin-hartleys-cbs-series)</sup> One detail carried over from the books is Shaw's credo, which he uses to advise the people he assists: "Never let panic take the wheel."<sup>[14](https://cdn4.creativecirclemedia.com/nmcsd/files/20240209-163328-TV%20Listings%2002-09-24.pdf)</sup>

**A looser adaptation.** The television series departs from the novel in pacing and tone. In *The Never Game*, Colter's growth comes from prolonged exposure to stress, moral compromise, and self-doubt within a single narrative, while the series tends to resolve each case cleanly within an episode, keeping the lead easier to read and the story moving.<sup>[15](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/the-biggest-differences-between-tracker-and-the-novel-its-based-on/)</sup>

## Broadcast history and ratings

CBS scheduled the premiere directly after Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024, one of the most coveted launch slots in American television, a placement networks usually reserve for shows they want to establish quickly.<sup>[2](https://apnews.com/article/300dfb25a68061aad55e1ff7d5cbd5f9)</sup> The premiere drew 18.4 million live viewers, a figure Hartley credited to "the power of the Super Bowl, the power of Taylor Swift, the power of the NFL and a really great game," and multiplatform numbers pushed the audience past 33 million; episodes in the regular timeslot averaged 7.2 million live viewers.<sup>[6](https://www.tvguidemagazine.com/TVGM042224_Tracker.pdf)</sup> Viewership settled after the game, but the finale closed the season above 7 million viewers, and CBS renewed the show after only four episodes had aired as its regular Sunday slot viewership rose week to week.<sup>[16](https://www.thedailybeast.com/justin-hartley-tracker-season-2-will-be-even-bigger-and-better)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/1150235/tracker-season-2-fall-preview-justin-hartley-interview-exclusive/)</sup>

**Sustained performance.** By May 2024 the Los Angeles Times reported that *Tracker* had become the most-watched entertainment series on television for the 2023-24 season, an unusual result for a new series in the post-[Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl) slot, where networks more often place established hits.<sup>[3](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-05-22/tracker-finds-post-super-bowl-success-for-cbs)</sup> CBS later stated that, by its accounting, the show was the first first-year series to finish a season ranked number one since *Survivor*'s debut in 2000.<sup>[7](https://www.tvinsider.com/1150235/tracker-season-2-fall-preview-justin-hartley-interview-exclusive/)</sup> In the 2024-25 season it placed third among all American series with 17.4 million viewers.<sup>[17](https://www.greyhouse.com/Media/GreyHousePublishing/samples/TRC_2026_pgs.pdf)</sup> Early in the 2024-25 season it was one of only two broadcast entertainment series, alongside *Matlock*, averaging 10 million or more viewers weekly from linear viewing with a week of DVR playback added.<sup>[18](https://www.movistarplus.es/comunicacion/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/RESUMEN-DE-MEDIOS-11-2-2025.pdf)</sup>

## Seasons

**Season 1 (2024).** Thirteen episodes beginning with "Klamath Falls" on February 11, 2024, with episodes titled for the locations of the cases, including Missoula, Springland, Mt. Shasta, and St. Louis.<sup>[19](https://www.cbs.com/shows/tracker/episodes/1/)</sup>

**Season 2 (2024-25).** Premiered October 13, 2024, with a missing family's vehicle found in the Arkansas wilderness and a discovery about the mother's past leading into organized crime. Robin Weigert, who played Teddi, did not return for this season.<sup>[20](https://eta.creativecirclecdn.com/sumter/files/20241011-144858-9e7-1012Binder1.pdf)</sup>

**Season 3 (2025-26).** The two-part premiere opened with "The Process," which picks up after the Season 2 finale as Colter grapples with the shocking truth surrounding his father's death, and Russell joins his brother to help track down a missing wife and daughter.<sup>[21](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/pressrepublican.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/54/954d8ee7-fc8d-48c5-9151-ad24bd693ec3/68f2a7ee13572.pdf.pdf)</sup>

**Season 4 (2026).** CBS renewed Tracker for a fourth season to air in 2026-27, and it debuted on October 4, 2026, with "Safe Harbor," an episode in which Colter, while looking for a teenage boy's missing father, uncovers a dangerous criminal operation at the [Port of Los Angeles](https://www.edgepedia.org/port-of-los-angeles). Production moved from Vancouver to Los Angeles for this season, changing the show's backdrops.<sup>[9](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/cbs-shows-renewed-2026/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[22](https://www.cbs.com/shows/tracker/episodes/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/newsletter/2026-10-02/tracker-season-4-los-angeles-cbs)</sup>

## Reception

Critical response to the premiere was mixed but generally positive about Hartley. TheWrap called the role a deserving leading turn and noted that Hartley's earlier television experience, from action work on *Smallville* to the drama of *This Is Us*, feeds into the part.<sup>[23](https://www.thewrap.com/tracker-review-cbs-justin-hartley/)</sup> [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide)'s review found promise but judged that the series "plays it too safe," while crediting the setup with giving Hartley more to play than "lone wolf who's good at outdoorsy stuff."<sup>[10](https://www.tvguide.com/news/tracker-review-justin-hartley-cbs-procedural/)</sup> The Guardian, reviewing the show for British audiences after its American success, called it "a daft Sherlock" and noted its mega-hit status and frequent shirtless scenes.<sup>[24](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/03/tracker-review-like-a-daft-sherlock-but-with-more-topless-scenes)</sup> Matt Roush of TV Insider placed it in CBS's procedural tradition, writing that it makes sense for the network on its most-watched night to lean into its strength, the weekly procedural.<sup>[25](https://www.tvinsider.com/1121545/tracker-justin-hartley-review/)</sup>

**Hartley's role off screen.** Hartley serves as an executive producer as well as star. He spent six seasons as Kevin Pearson on NBC's *This Is Us* before taking the role, and the project grew out of his collaboration with [Ken Olin](https://www.edgepedia.org/ken-olin), the *This Is Us* executive producer and director who directed the *Tracker* pilot; Olin urged Hartley to read Deaver's novel.<sup>[2](https://apnews.com/article/300dfb25a68061aad55e1ff7d5cbd5f9)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[26](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-02-09/justin-hartley-tracker-cbs-super-bowl)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[27](https://9c519110712a1cc5ffdf-b1b745d17d9877b298ac94fd86f5428e.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/ChannelGuideE-Feb2024.pdf)</sup>

## References

1. [Tracker – About, CBS](https://www.cbs.com/shows/tracker/about/)
2. ['This Is Us' star Justin Hartley leads his own show with CBS' 'Tracker,' playing a loner with skills, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/300dfb25a68061aad55e1ff7d5cbd5f9)
3. [Justin Hartley procedural 'Tracker' hunts down ratings success for CBS, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2024-05-22/tracker-finds-post-super-bowl-success-for-cbs)
4. ['Tracker' boss teases Season 4, talks move to L.A., Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/newsletter/2026-10-02/tracker-season-4-los-angeles-cbs)
5. [CBS's 'Tracker' draws major inspiration from Jeffery Deaver's novel 'The Never Game', Meaww](https://meaww.com/is-tracker-based-on-a-book-all-you-need-to-know-about-justin-hartleys-cbs-series)
6. [TV Guide Magazine cover story on Tracker, April 2024](https://www.tvguidemagazine.com/TVGM042224_Tracker.pdf)
7. ['Tracker' Season 2 Interview: Justin Hartley on Guest Stars, Future of the Show, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1150235/tracker-season-2-fall-preview-justin-hartley-interview-exclusive/)
8. [Tracker – CBS Wiki](https://cbs.wiki.gg/wiki/Tracker)
9. [All The CBS Shows Renewed In 2026, Paramount+ Sneak Peak](https://www.paramountplus.com/sneak-peak/cbs-shows-renewed-2026/)
10. [Tracker Review: Justin Hartley's CBS Procedural Has Promise but Plays It Too Safe, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/news/tracker-review-justin-hartley-cbs-procedural/)
11. [The Sumter Item, February 2024 (Tracker premiere preview)](https://eta.creativecirclecdn.com/sumter/files/20240208-193458-0209Binder1.pdf)
12. ['Elsbeth' and 'Tracker' give Carrie Preston and Justin Hartley the limelight, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-02-28/elsbeth-carrie-preston-tracker-cbs-review)
13. [Paramount Press Express – CBS Entertainment: Tracker](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/tracker)
14. [TV Listings, February 2024 (Tracker preview)](https://cdn4.creativecirclemedia.com/nmcsd/files/20240209-163328-TV%20Listings%2002-09-24.pdf)
15. [The Biggest Differences Between Tracker and the Novel It's Based On, DocumentaryTube](https://www.documentarytube.com/blog/the-biggest-differences-between-tracker-and-the-novel-its-based-on/)
16. [Justin Hartley: 'Tracker' Season 2 Will Be Even Bigger and Better, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/justin-hartley-tracker-season-2-will-be-even-bigger-and-better)
17. [The Reference Counter 2026 sample pages (100 Most-Watched TV Series of 2024-25)](https://www.greyhouse.com/Media/GreyHousePublishing/samples/TRC_2026_pgs.pdf)
18. [The Hollywood Reporter media summary, February 11, 2025](https://www.movistarplus.es/comunicacion/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/RESUMEN-DE-MEDIOS-11-2-2025.pdf)
19. [Tracker Season 1 Episodes, CBS](https://www.cbs.com/shows/tracker/episodes/1/)
20. [Inside This Issue, October 2024 (Tracker season 2 preview)](https://eta.creativecirclecdn.com/sumter/files/20241011-144858-9e7-1012Binder1.pdf)
21. [Feature Story, Press-Republican (Tracker season 3)](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/pressrepublican.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/9/54/954d8ee7-fc8d-48c5-9151-ad24bd693ec3/68f2a7ee13572.pdf.pdf)
22. [Tracker Season 4 Episodes, CBS](https://www.cbs.com/shows/tracker/episodes/)
23. ['Tracker' Review: Justin Hartley Finds a Deserving Leading Role, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/tracker-review-cbs-justin-hartley/)
24. [Tracker review – like a daft Sherlock, but with more topless scenes, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/03/tracker-review-like-a-daft-sherlock-but-with-more-topless-scenes)
25. [Roush Review: You Won't Need to Look Hard to Find 'Tracker' on CBS, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/1121545/tracker-justin-hartley-review/)
26. [With 'Tracker,' Justin Hartley charts a new path in his Hollywood career, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2024-02-09/justin-hartley-tracker-cbs-super-bowl)
27. [Channel Guide, February 2024 (Tracker feature)](https://9c519110712a1cc5ffdf-b1b745d17d9877b298ac94fd86f5428e.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/ChannelGuideE-Feb2024.pdf)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Drama and prestige series (individual series) › Crime and thriller series › Police and detective procedurals*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license