Justin Hartley's New CBS Show Gets Highly Coveted Time-Slot
Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw in the new CBS series 'Tracker.'
Justin Hartley may have won fans over on shows like Smallville and This Is Us, but he’s taking on a new character entirely with his role on the upcoming CBS series Tracker. Hartley will star as survivalist Colter Shaw, who travels the country as a “reward seeker,” helping private citizens and law enforcement alike to solve all manner of mysterious disappearances using his expert tracking skills (get the name now?). Meanwhile, the lone-wolf Shaw also has to deal with his own troubled personal life. Here's everything you need to know about Tracker Season 1.
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Is Tracker based on something?
The new TV series Tracker is an adaptation of the bestselling book series The Never Game by Jeffery Deaver (the show was originally going to share a name with its source material, but the title was changed to Tracker earlier this year).
The book description reads as follows:
Colter Shaw is an itinerate “reward-seeker,” traveling the country to help police solve crimes and private citizens locate missing persons. When he learns of a reward for a missing college student in Silicon Valley, he takes the job. The investigation quickly thrusts him into the dark heart of Silicon Valley and the cutthroat billion-dollar video gaming industry–and then a second kidnapping happens…and this victim turns up dead.
The clues soon point to one video game, The Never Game, in which the player has to survive after being left abandoned. Is a madman bringing that game to life? If so, Shaw has to stop him before he strikes again…and before he figures out that Shaw is on his trail.
The other books in the series so far are The Goodbye Man (2020), The Final Twist (2021) and Hunting Time (2022).
Who is cast in Tracker?
Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw
Justin Hartley stars as Colter Shaw, an expert survivalist who travels the country solving mysteries for both law enforcement and private citizens using his skills as a, you guessed it, tracker! Shaw’s family-life is also in tatters, which will inevitably come into play over the course of the series.
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Robin Weigert as Teddi Bruin
Robin Weigert plays Teddi Bruin, one half of the couple that runs the “back end” for Shaw. A former band manager turned middle-aged-Floridian, Teddi keeps track of Shaw's money, seeks out new cases and helps to smooth over any bumps along the way, like arrests or other unfavorable encounters. She works out of the comfortable home she shares with her wife, Velma, and their pets.
Abby McEnany as Velma Bruin
Abby McEnany takes on the role of Velma Bruin, Teddi’s wife and business partner. She's the caregiver of the two, offering emotional support to Shaw in times of crisis.
Eric Graise as Bob Exley
Eric Graise is Bob Exley, a genius computer scientist who is both a resource and an antagonist to Shaw.
Mary McDonnell as Mary Dove Shaw
Oscar nominee Mary McDonnell is a stunning addition to the cast as Mary Dove Shaw, Colter Shaw’s formidable and stubborn mother. She raised her three children by herself on a remote California compound following her husband’s mysterious death (gee, could that have inspired Shaw's line of work?).
Fiona Rene as Reenie
Fiona Rene of Fire Country and Amazon’s I Know What You Did Last Summer has been cast on the series as Reenie, though not much has been revealed about her role beyond her character's name.
What is the release date for Tracker?
Although Tracker was originally promoted as a fall TV show, it will now debut on CBS following the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. The highly coveted post-Super Bowl time-slot can be very advantageous to shows as it usually guarantees high ratings and can help launch a series with a large, built-in audience.
CBS has not yet confirmed what day/time the show will air following its premiere.
Is there a trailer for Tracker?
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CBS has not released a trailer for Tracker, but the network dropped a 10-second teaser to promote the show during March Madness. The clip gives viewers a sneak peak of Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw. Watch this space for more.
How to watch Tracker
Tracker will premiere on CBS after the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. The network hasn't announced an official time slot for the show from there, but viewers will be able to catch it weekly on CBS. Episodes will likely be available to stream the next day on the CBS streaming platform Paramount+.