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Tracker (American TV series)

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Tracker
Genre
Based on
The Never Game
by Jeffery Deaver
Developed byBen H. Winters
Starring
Music by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes56 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Production locationVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Cinematography
  • Yasu Tanida
  • Brian Pearson
  • Ronald Paul Richard
Editors
  • Nancy Morrison
  • Tim Mirkovich
  • Jeff Asher
  • Pietro Cecchini
  • Amanda Bliss Taylor
Camera setupSingle-camera
Production companies
  • Beekeeper Entertainment
  • Elwood Reid Inc.
  • Afterportsmouth Productions
  • ChangeUp Productions
  • 20th Television
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseFebruary 11, 2024 (2024-02-11) –
present

Tracker is an American action drama television series developed by Ben H. Winters and based on the 2019 novel The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver.[1][2] The series stars Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, a skilled survivalist and tracker who earns his living by assisting law enforcement and private citizens in exchange for reward money. Hartley is joined by principal cast members Robin Weigert, Abby McEnany, Eric Graise, and Fiona Rene.

The series is produced by 20th Television and was given a series order in December 2022, after initially being picked up for a pilot in July 2022. It was filmed in British Columbia, Canada, leveraging the scenic locales of the Vancouver metro area, and in Martini Film Studios. Winters and Hilary Weisman Graham served as showrunners.[3]

Tracker premiered on February 11, 2024, following Super Bowl LVIII on CBS.[4] In March 2024, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on October 13, 2024.[5][6] In February 2025, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on October 19, 2025.[7][8] In January 2026, the series was renewed for a fourth season which premiered on October 4, 2026.[9][10]

Cast and characters

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Main

[edit]
  • Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw,[11] a lone-wolf survivalist with extensive tracking skills who travels the country as a "rewardist." Shaw makes his living aiding law enforcement and private citizens in exchange for reward money.[2] According to the source novel, he "was named after the mountain man John Colter, with the Lewis and Clark expedition".[12]
    • Prestyn Bates as young Colter Shaw
  • Robin Weigert as Teddi Bruin (season 1),[13][14] who acts as one of Colter's handlers, finding cases for him to take and doing background research for him while on cases
  • Abby McEnany as Velma Bruin[13] (seasons 1–2),[15] Teddi's wife and Colter's second handler
  • Eric Graise as Bobby Exley[13][16] (seasons 1–2),[15] a hacker who assists Shaw from a technical standpoint[17]
  • Fiona Rene as Reenie Greene,[16] an attorney who assists Shaw in legal matters
  • Chris Lee as Randy (season 3–present;[a] recurring seasons 2–3),[19] Bobby's cousin who is also a hacker and fills in for Bobby while he is away and later replaces Bobby when Bobby leaves for another job opportunity
  • Cassady McClincy Zhang as Melanie "Mel" Day (season 4;[20] recurring season 3), Reenie's new assistant

Recurring

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  • Jensen Ackles as Russell Shaw,[21] Colter's estranged older brother. From the source novel, "he was named after Osborne Russell, a frontiersman in Oregon."[12]
    • Mathew Nelson-Mahood as young Russell Shaw[17]
  • Sofia Pernas as Billie Matalon. Billie is a rival rewardist who occasionally crosses paths with Colter on jobs.
  • Brent Sexton as John Keaton (seasons 2–present), a former Tacoma detective who helps Colter with his "white whale" case
  • Floriana Lima as Camille Picket (season 2),[22] a woman that Colter has a history with who had a missing sister for years
  • Pej Vahdat as Leonard Sharf (season 2),[23] a client of Reenie who wants to throw one of his founding partners under the bus
  • Mark Engelhardt as Emile Lang (season 3),[24] a contract killer
  • Kathleen Robertson as Maxine (season 3),[24] a lawyer who hires Reenie to dig up dirt on a class action lawsuit
  • Michael Malarkey as Adam (season 4)[25]

Guest starring

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Episodes

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SeasonEpisodesOriginally releasedRankAverage viewership
(in millions)
First releasedLast released
113February 11, 2024 (2024-02-11)May 19, 2024 (2024-05-19)310.84[31]
220October 13, 2024 (2024-10-13)May 11, 2025 (2025-05-11)117.34[32]
322October 19, 2025 (2025-10-19)May 24, 2026 (2026-05-24)216.3[33]
4TBAOctober 4, 2026 (2026-10-04)TBATBATBA

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

Tracker is produced by 20th Television and based on Jeffery Deaver's 2019 novel The Never Game.[11] Due to a pre-existing agreement between 20th Television and CBS, the series was picked up to pilot by the network in July 2022.[1] In December 2022, it was given a series order.[2] In March 2023, the title of the series was changed to Tracker.[34] On March 4, 2024, the series was renewed for a second season.[5] On February 20, 2025, the series was renewed for a third season.[7] On January 22, 2026, CBS renewed the series for a fourth season.[9]

Casting

[edit]

In January 2021, Justin Hartley joined the series as Colter Shaw.[11] In September 2022, Mary McDonnell was cast as Mary Dove Shaw.[35] That month, Robin Weigert, Abby McEnany, and Eric Graise had also joined the series.[13] In April 2024, Melissa Roxburgh and Jensen Ackles were cast to guest star.[27][21] In August 2024, it was reported that Weigert is not returning as a series regular for the second season.[14] In September 2024, Floriana Lima was cast in a recurring role for the second season.[22] In February 2025, Chris Lee joined the cast in a recurring capacity for the second season.[19] In March 2025, Pej Vahdat was cast in a recurring role for the second season.[23] In July 2025, Graise and McEnany left the series ahead of the third season.[15] In December 2025, Kathleen Robertson and Mark Engelhardt joined the cast in recurring capacities for the third season.[24] In January 2026, it was reported that Erica Durance and David Ramsey are set to guest star for an episode of the third season.[28] In March 2026, Chris Jericho guest starred on the "Breakaway" episode.[29] In the same episode, Lee was promoted to series regular.[18] In September 2026, Cassady McClincy Zhang was promoted to series regular while Michael Malarkey joined the cast in a recurring role for fourth season.[20][25]

Filming

[edit]

Tracker is filmed in British Columbia, Canada, on location around the Vancouver metro area, and at Vancouver Film Studios.[36] Filming for the second season began on July 16, 2024, and concluded on April 1, 2025.[37] Filming for the third season began on July 17, 2025, and concluded on April 17, 2026.[38] Production relocated to Los Angeles starting with the fourth season.[39]

Broadcast

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Tracker premiered on February 11, 2024, on CBS in the United States as the lead-out show following Super Bowl LVIII (except on Kansas City's KCTV, where Super Bowl postgame victory coverage led to the show airing on sister station KSMO-TV).[4] In Canada, the series aired in simulcast on CTV.[40] The second season premiered on October 13, 2024.[6] The third season premiered on October 19, 2025.[8] The fourth season premiered on October 4, 2026.[10]

Reception

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Critical response

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The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 89% approval rating with an average rating of 6.8/10, based on 19 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Making great use of Justin Hartley's swaggering appeal, Tracker takes a spartan approach to a classic formula and yields a highly efficient entertainment."[41] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 64 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[42]

Ratings

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Viewership and ratings per season of Tracker
SeasonTimeslot (ET) Episodes First aired Last airedTV seasonViewership
rank		Avg. viewers
(millions)		18–49
rank		Avg. 18–49
rating
Date Viewers
(millions)		 Date Viewers
(millions)
1 Sunday 10:00 p.m. (1)
Sunday 9:00 p.m. (2–5, 7, 9–13)
Sunday 8:00 p.m. (6, 8)		13 February 11, 2024 (2024-02-11)18.44[43] May 19, 2024 (2024-05-19)7.65[44]2023–24310.84[31]9[b]0.80[31]
2 Sunday 8:00 p.m. (1, 4, 7, 9–20)
Sunday 8:30 p.m. (2–3)
Sunday 9:00 p.m. (5–6, 8)		20 October 13, 2024 (2024-10-13)8.31[45] May 11, 2025 (2025-05-11)8.27[46]2024–25117.34[32]82.15[32]
3 Sunday 8:00 p.m. (1, 4, 6, 8–9)
Sunday 8:30 p.m. (2–3, 5, 7)
Sunday 9:00 p.m. (10–18, 20–22)
Sunday 8:59 p.m. (19)		22 October 19, 2025 (2025-10-19)8.03[47] May 24, 2026 (2026-05-24)6.95[48]2025–26216.3[33]121.85[33]
4 Sunday 9:30 p.m. (1)
Sunday 9:00 p.m. (2+)[49]		TBA October 4, 2026 (2026-10-04)TBD TBATBD2026–27TBDTBDTBDTBD

Notes

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  1. 1 2 Lee is credited as part of the starring cast starting from season 3, episode 13.[18]
  2. ↑ Tied with The Golden Bachelor and Chicago Fire.

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (July 21, 2022). "Justin Hartley Drama The Never Game Lands CBS Pilot Order". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 Rice, Lynette (December 15, 2022). "CBS Orders The Never Game Starring Justin Hartley For 2023-24 Season". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 19, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  3. ↑ Petski, Denise; Andreeva, Nellie (February 16, 2023). "Hilary Weisman Graham Tapped As Co-Showrunner For CBS' The Never Game Starring Justin Hartley". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Rice, Lynette (May 10, 2023). "Tracker: CBS To Premiere Justin Hartley Starrer After Super Bowl In 2024". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (March 4, 2024). "Justin Hartley Series 'Tracker' Gets Early Season 2 Renewal By CBS". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Petski, Denise (July 26, 2024). "'Tracker' Season 2 & 'The Equalizer' Season 5 Premiere Dates Shift To CBS Premiere Week". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (February 20, 2025). "'Ghosts' Gets 2-Season Renewal, 'Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage' Picked Up For 2025-26". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Schwartz, Ryan (July 11, 2025). "CBS Sets Fall Premiere Dates for NCIS, Matlock and More — Tom Ellis' CIA Bumped to Midseason With New Showrunner". TVLine. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  9. 1 2 Otterson, Joe (January 22, 2026). "'Matlock,' 'NCIS' 'Tracker,' 'Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage,' Among 10 Shows Renewed at CBS". Variety. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Schwartz, Ryan (July 27, 2026). "CBS Sets Fall Premiere Dates For Boston Blue, Marshals, NCIS, Tracker, And More". TVLine. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 Andreeva, Nellie (January 15, 2021). "Justin Hartley To Star In The Never Game TV Adaptation In Works At 20th Television, Will EP With Ken Olin". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 Deaver, Jeffery (2019). The Never Game. G.P. Putnam's Sons. p. Chapter 39, paragraph 2. ISBN 9780525535966. LCCN 2019003019.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Andreeva, Nellie (September 30, 2022). "Robin Weigert, Abby McEnany & Eric Graise Join Justin Hartley In The Never Game CBS Drama Pilot". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Schwartz, Ryan (August 9, 2024). "Tracker Shake-Up: [Spoiler] Out Ahead of Season 2 (Exclusive)". TVLine. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
  15. 1 2 3 Schwartz, Ryan (July 18, 2025). "Tracker Twist: 2 Series Regulars Out Ahead of Season 3 (Exclusive)". TVLine. Retrieved July 18, 2025.
  16. 1 2 Seitz, Loree (February 11, 2024). "'Tracker' Cast and Character Guide: Who's Who in the New CBS Show?". TheWrap. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Beth, Amy (February 8, 2024). "'Tracker': Release Date, Cast, Plot, and Everything We Know So Far". Collider. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  18. 1 2 Campione, Katie (March 26, 2026). "'Tracker' Ups Chris Lee To Series Regular For Season 3". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  19. 1 2 Petski, Denise (February 12, 2025). "'Tracker' Adds Chris Lee As Recurring In Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  20. 1 2 Campione, Katie (September 9, 2026). "'Tracker' Promotes Cassady McClincy Zhang To Series Regular For Season 4". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 9, 2026.
  21. 1 2 Schwartz, Ryan (April 25, 2024). "Tracker: Jensen Ackles Cast as Colter's Brother Russell — Get First Look". TVLine. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  22. 1 2 Schwartz, Ryan (September 23, 2024). "Tracker Enlists Floriana Lima for Season 2 Arc — What's Her Connection to Colter? (Exclusive)". TVLine. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  23. 1 2 Cordero, Rosy (March 20, 2025). "'Tracker' Casts Pej Vahdat In Season 2; Debuts Recurring Role In New Teaser". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  24. 1 2 3 Petski, Denise (December 13, 2025). "'Tracker' Adds Kathleen Robertson & Mark Engelhardt In Recurring Roles". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 13, 2025.
  25. 1 2 Jacobs, Meredith (September 16, 2026). "'Tracker' Casts Michael Malarkey — What's His Connection to Reenie?". TV Insider. Retrieved September 16, 2026.
  26. ↑ Yohannes, Alamin (February 9, 2024). "Justin Hartley explains why he chose 'Tracker' after 'This Is Us'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  27. 1 2 Schwartz, Ryan (April 15, 2024). "Tracker Casts Manifest's Melissa Roxburgh as Colter's Sister Dory — See First Photo". TVLine. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  28. 1 2 3 Flook, Ray (January 23, 2026). "Tracker S03: Smallville's Durance, Arrowverse's Ramsey Set to Appear". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved January 23, 2026.
  29. 1 2 Buczak, Lizzy (March 22, 2026). "Who Plays Virgil Dean on 'Tracker'? Here's Why He Looks So Familiar". Parade. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
  30. ↑ Buczak, Lizzy (March 29, 2026). "Who Plays James on 'Tracker'? The 'Paradise' Connection You Didn't Expect". Parade. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  31. 1 2 3 Porter, Rick (June 11, 2024). "TV Ratings 2023-24: Final Numbers for (Almost) Every Network Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  32. 1 2 3 Porter, Rick (July 11, 2025). "TV Ratings: The Final Numbers (Finally) for 2024-25's Top Network Shows (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
  33. 1 2 3 Porter, Rick (July 20, 2026). "'Dutton Ranch,' 'The Boroughs' Join Most Watched Series List for 2025-26 Season". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 17, 2026.
  34. ↑ Mitovich, Matt Webb (March 15, 2023). "Justin Hartley's CBS Series Gets a New, Better Title (And an Itty-Bitty Teaser)". TVLine. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  35. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (September 29, 2022). "Mary McDonnell Joins Justin Hartley In CBS Drama Pilot The Never Game". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  36. ↑ "Tracker: Exploring All Filming Sites of the CBS Show". TheCinemaholic. February 9, 2024. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024.
  37. ↑ "DGC BC Production List". Directors Guild of Canada. October 25, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.[dead link]
  38. ↑ "DGC BC Production List". Directors Guild of Canada. July 25, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.[dead link]
  39. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (May 4, 2026). "'Tracker' Relocating To Los Angeles For Season 4 With $48M California Tax Credit". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 11, 2026. Retrieved May 18, 2026.
  40. ↑ "CTV Celebrates 22 Consecutive Years as Canada's Most-Watched Network" (Press release). Bell Media. June 8, 2023. Archived from the original on June 17, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Tracker: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Tracker: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  43. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (February 12, 2024). "Sunday Ratings: Super Bowl LVIII on CBS, Nickelodeon, Univision and Paramount+ Significantly Up from Year-Ago Big Game to Set New Record Viewership". Programming Insider. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  44. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (May 21, 2024). "Sunday Ratings: American Idol on ABC Earns Season-Highs in Total Viewers and Demos with 22nd Finale". Programming Insider. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
  45. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (October 15, 2024). "Sunday Ratings: Big Brother on CBS Earns Second-Best 18-49 Demo Delivery in Two Years with 26th Finale, Tracker Returns with its Largest Total Audience Since Series Premiere". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  46. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (May 14, 2025). "Sunday Ratings: Tracker on CBS Rises from Recent Weeks with Second Season Finale". Programming Insider. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  47. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (October 23, 2025). "Sunday Ratings: Country Music Competition The Road Premieres on CBS". Programming Insider. Retrieved October 23, 2025.
  48. ↑ Bunch, Rebecca (May 28, 2026). "The TV Ratings Guide: Sunday TV Ratings 5/24/26: Tracker Builds on Marshals on Finale Night, NBA Playoffs Jump from Last Thunder/Spurs Game, Real Housewives of Rhode Island Steady as Real Housewives of Atlanta Dips [+ Analysis]". The TV Ratings Guide. Retrieved September 19, 2026.
  49. ↑ "Shows A-Z - Tracker on CBS". The Futon Critic. Retrieved September 1, 2026.
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