After “Tracker” Season 3’s finale, Justin Hartley says Season 4 will be the CBS series’ most ambitious run yet—while the show shifts production from Vancouver to Los Angeles on a $48 million California tax credit.
Sunday’s “Tracker” Season 3 finale closed a chapter about Colter Shaw’s family—and Justin Hartley is already pointing to what comes next. Speaking after the show once again ended up as the No. 1 primetime scripted series in broadcast. the star and executive producer promised that Season 4. arriving this fall. will be the CBS drama’s most ambitious season yet.
“We have spent the first three years unpacking this story about what happened to Colter’s father — who was involved. who wasn’t involved — and that’s changed throughout the course of the show. ” Hartley said. “First being that Colter thought his brother was involved, because his mother told him as much. Come to find out, that’s not necessarily the case. So all of that kind of comes to a head and we get some answers to all that stuff at the end of Season 3.”.
He framed Season 3’s ending as the moment the show finally stops asking questions and starts delivering answers. “These stories take as long as they take. but when it’s time for a story to come to a head and answer some questions. it’s time. And it became obvious that this was sort of the right time to do this,” Hartley added. “We’ll come back with something — we already have it, it’s pretty incredible. Honestly. I think it’s our most ambitious season to date. but I think it’s also our richest one. in terms of character and backstory and where we’re taking Colter.”.
The pivot is not just narrative. For Season 4, production is moving from Vancouver to Los Angeles, driven in part by a $48 million California tax credit. Hartley said the change won’t force a tonal adjustment. “In terms of tone and character, I don’t think it’ll impact the show at all. Our show is a road show. Our character goes from town to town across the United States of America and meets people from all different walks of life and helps them out. These strangers become kind of his family in a way,” he explained.
What production in a different place can do, he argued, is expand the visual and geographic range. “To be able to shoot in a different place that gives us different landscapes. we’re able to go to places — New York. D.C. the desert. Texas. the beach. It just opens up our world in terms of landscape, which is such a big character of our show.”.
Hartley said the Vancouver years were built with intention. but the series has to evolve rather than hold steady out of habit. “We built a really great, wonderful show and we did it in Vancouver for the first three years. Just, inevitably, as things go, the show has to evolve,” he added. “We’re not really interested in doing something just for the sake of doing it. I want to push the envelope and I want it to be something different, so we’re excited about it. It’s going to be very good for the show and for the audience.”.
Another shift is happening behind the scenes. Hartley. who previously starred in “This Is Us. ” “Smallville. ” and “your favorite soap operas. ” said that as an executive producer on “Tracker. ” he has more creative input than before. “I’ve been with producers. executive producers and writers before in my career that let me kind of chime in and be a major part of my character. but in terms of the overall show. obviously I’ve never had that before. I really enjoy it,” he said.
He described the experience as both a learning curve and a new kind of responsibility. “I’ve learned a hell of a lot from these guys who are pros and been doing it for a long time. so it was a crash-course. They were very gracious with me and I feel like I’ve caught up now. I like having the ball in my hands, I like being the quarterback. I like knowing that if something worked, I had a part in that. And I don’t mind knowing that if something didn’t work. I can take the blame for that and learn from it; we move on and that will never happen again. So far, we’ve been really lucky. I have a lot of help, we work really well together and I couldn’t be more grateful.”.
With “Tracker” premiering after Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024, based on “The Never Game” by Jeffery Deaver and Ben H. Winters’ “Tracker,” the series has continued to hold its footing. It earned its Season 2 renewal one month later, and it has maintained its spot as the No. 1 entertainment show on network TV. That status has held even as CBS drama “Marshals” entered the competition this winter.
Hartley said he still hears about the show’s reach in a very personal way. “It certainly feels good when so many people are watching and enjoying it. and the stories that I hear about people watching it with their kids and with their parents and their grandparents. ” he shared. “Young people enjoy it. older people enjoy it. men. women —we’re very lucky. and we take that into consideration when coming up with these stories and backstory and history and all that.”.
For viewers who want to catch up ahead of the fall return, “Tracker” Seasons 1-3 are now streaming on Paramount+.
Tracker Justin Hartley CBS Season 4 Jensen Ackles Russell Colter Shaw Paramount+ Super Bowl LVIII Los Angeles Vancouver California tax credit
Ambitious season? Sure, but how about less cliffhangers.
So they moved production to Los Angeles and got a $48 million tax credit… who’s paying for that, the taxpayers? Seems like they’re just gonna make it bigger but not necessarily better.
Wait, the finale was about Colter’s dad or the brother thing? I thought it was already confirmed the whole time, like why is it only “coming to a head” now?? Also Vancouver to LA feels kinda random, like they ran out of sets or something.
I swear they say “most ambitious” every season lol. Like okay, rich in character and backstory… but does that mean more action or just more family drama? And the article says the show shifted production for a CA tax credit, so now I gotta wonder if that affects the storyline at all. Probably not but still, Hollywood money always has a way of showing up.