Just over a year ago, Tracker star Justin Hartley took a break from Super Bowl festivities in Las Vegas to share the vision for his new show, launching that same eventful night, about loner Colter Shaw, who offers his services to find missing people all over the country.
In 2024, Hartley was betting on Tracker endearing itself to an audience that missed the throwback style of thrilling ‘70s series like The Rockford Files. Hartley wanted to introduce a show that was less political or controversial; something that could offer good old fashion entertainment. Now nearing the end of its second season, Hartley and his former This Is Us executive producer Ken Olin’s gamble is paying off. Tracker instantly became most-watched show on TV in its first season, the first new series to achieve such a ranking since Survivor premiered in 2000. And season two is holding that audience.
THR recently caught up with Hartley as he was finishing production for the final episodes of the second season, and could finally get on a flight home to relax with his family and dog. But the actor, still pumped over the episodes that have yet to air this season — as well as the ones to come, and the possibilities of what a third season might look like — shared his thoughts about the show that has surpassed all of his hopes and expectations.
What direction did you take season two that’s different from the first season?
I talked about this with the other producers and writers… what I really enjoy about our show, and something that’s really important to me is that I wanted to make sure it wasn’t your typical procedural show. As the character does these jobs and as these people enter and leave his life, I wanted to make sure that he’s affected by them, and that this character evolves. So if you’re watching episode 10 of season one, and you watch episode 10 of season two, it’s important to me that we showed that this character grows; that’s evolved and has learned.
His core values aren’t changing. So when you watch the show, you’re still going to see it’s the same man. But he definitely gets affected by these things. I mean these are big events that happened to him in his life. I didn’t just want it to be this thing where when you watch it you go, “I know how this is going to happen,” or “Oh, I know how he would react here.” I wanted the character to be forever evolving. I think our audience deserves that. Hopefully that’s what we did.
The first time we spoke, there was nothing but positive vibrations from you about this show. Looking back, did you have any clue that the series would be received like it has? No, I think I was hopeful. I wouldn’t have done it if I thought no one was going watch it or that it wasn’t good. So I was very hopeful that people would see what I saw, and what I loved in the character and the format. I was hopeful that I would have that in common with our audience, and it wasn’t just me by myself thinking that it was cool and great. But the truth is you never know. You never ever know.
The same thing happened on This Is Us. I watched the pilot and I really felt like we did something great, and that it was the type of show that could capture a huge audience. I never know. Oddly enough, what helps is when you do something, every project that you do pretty much, especially nowadays, I think it’s great. That’s why I get into it. I am not doing a project to pay the bills. You’re doing the project because you think it’s great and wonderful, and people are going to love it. But I don’t think you really know until you know.
In our first conversation, before season one started, you were excited and hopeful about various actors you wanted to invite onto the series. Are you now inundated with people asking, “Hey Justin, how do I get on your show?” (Laughs) Yeah, it’s really the cool show now, right? So, we actually got really lucky. I feel like I blinked, all of a sudden woke up and it’s been 20 years. But I’ve been in this business long enough to have developed these relationships. When you see the people on our show that are familiar faces and actors you know, like Jensen Ackles and my wife [Sofia Pernas], these are relationships I’ve had for a long time. I was really grateful I was able to do that. I think they trusted me knowing I’m not going to call them and ask them to do something, or invite them to do something unless I think it’s really cool and fun and would be good for them as well.
So we start off on that foot, and then this show became what it is. It’s huge. People think it’s cool and want to be a part of it, which is also nice because it allows you to get a bigger pool of talent. And then you end up with a better show, right? That goes for writers and directors and actors, all across the board. We’re really lucky in that regard.
