‘Tracker’ Season 4 Has a Fall Release Window, a New Home, and the Biggest CBS Shake-Up in Years

CBS has made its intentions crystal clear: Justin Hartley’s hit procedural is not going anywhere. ‘Tracker’ was formally renewed for its fourth season on January 22, when CBS announced it already had 16 shows locked in for its upcoming broadcast cycle, with the drama confirmed as one of them. For a series that arrived relatively recently, that kind of institutional confidence speaks volumes.

The renewal was far from a surprise to anyone watching the ratings. ‘Tracker’ has been enjoying its reign as the most-watched primetime telecast in the United States, rivaled only by the NFL. Season 4 is shaping up to be the show’s most ambitious chapter yet, with a confirmed return window and a landmark production move that has the entire industry talking.

The ‘Tracker’ Season 4 Premiere Date Is Set for Fall 2026

‘Tracker’ Season 4 is confirmed for a fall 2026 release, though an exact premiere date has not yet been determined. The series will maintain its Sunday, 9 PM ET timeslot going into the new broadcast year. CBS locking in the timeslot this early signals just how central the show is to the network’s primetime strategy.

The show’s fourth run will be part of the 2026-2027 TV season, with CBS renewing it alongside a slate of other returning titles including ‘Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage’, ‘Matlock’, ‘Elsbeth’, ‘Fire Country’, ‘NCIS’, and ‘Survivor’, among others. Being renewed in the same breath as those long-running franchises puts ‘Tracker’ firmly in the company of CBS’s most dependable anchors.

According to production tracking, filming for Season 4 is set to begin on July 4, 2026, with the season expected to run through April 2027. That timeline places the premiere comfortably within the traditional fall broadcast window, likely landing sometime in the early weeks of autumn. Fans who have been following the show since its debut are now counting down the weeks.

The CBS Fall 2026 Schedule Gives ‘Tracker’ a Prime Spot

CBS unveiled its primetime schedule for the 2026-2027 broadcast season confirming that ‘Tracker’ will hold onto its Sunday night slot at 9 PM, even as other shows on the network underwent significant scheduling reshuffles. Consistency in scheduling is one of the quiet drivers of the show’s dominance, and CBS clearly knows better than to mess with a winning formula.

CBS confirmed its fall 2026 schedule ahead of its peers, presenting a mix of legacy shows, new hits, and anticipated debuts, with ‘Tracker’ positioned firmly among the returning heavy-hitters. Sunday nights have become synonymous with Colter Shaw’s adventures, and the network is doubling down on that identity going forward.

The momentum behind this renewal is hard to overstate. ‘Tracker’ has been described as the number one series on the network, with CBS treating it as a cornerstone of its primetime identity since the show’s debut. Season 4 arriving in the fall window means audiences will not have long to wait once the summer hiatus is behind them.

The Filming Location Change Is the Biggest Story in ‘Tracker’ History

Production on ‘Tracker’ will relocate to Los Angeles from Vancouver for its fourth season. The move was helped by a record $48 million tax credit from the California Film Commission, the largest the state commission has ever awarded to a relocating series. That figure alone tells you just how much this production is worth to the state of California and how significant the move really is.

Justin Hartley expressed both gratitude and enthusiasm about the relocation, saying in a statement, “I’m proud of what we built in Vancouver. I’m also very excited we’re bringing ‘Tracker’ to L.A. I’m looking forward to continuing to tell these stories alongside the new, fresh places we’ll be heading to next. Most importantly, I want to thank the fans for showing up for us every step of the way.”

Showrunner Elwood Reid was equally enthusiastic, with Deadline reporting his statement that the team is grateful to the Vancouver crew while being thrilled to use the California tax incentive program to bring production home. Location has always been described as a huge part of the storytelling on ‘Tracker’, and the transition from Vancouver to Los Angeles opens entirely new visual and narrative possibilities for the series.

While the production shift means very little for Colter Shaw himself, who will continue to travel cross-country on his reward-seeking adventures, analysts and critics have noted that the Los Angeles base could potentially bring bigger guest stars and a wider range of diverse filming locations to the series. The creative upside of the move appears to be just as significant as the financial one.

Justin Hartley and the ‘Tracker’ Cast Heading Into Season 4

With exits between seasons from Abby McEnany and Eric Graise, the confirmed series regulars heading into Season 4 are Justin Hartley and Fiona Rene. A strong recurring and guest cast continues to surround them, which suits the nature of the show given that Colter helps different people in different places each episode.

Chris Lee and Cassady McClincy Zhang are currently recurring as Randy and Mel, both working out of Reenie’s office. Jensen Ackles, Melissa Roxburgh, and Brent Sexton also remain among the show’s recurring guest stars, continuing their roles as Russell, Dory, and Keaton respectively. The ensemble structure gives the writers flexibility to bring in fresh faces while keeping a loyal core around Hartley.

Recent episodes of Season 3 have focused increasingly on Reenie, played by Fiona Rene, as the show develops its supporting players more fully. The ensemble has also been evolving, with Chris Lee elevated to a more prominent recurring presence. That gradual shift toward a stronger ensemble dynamic bodes well for what Season 4 could offer as the show matures.

What to Expect from ‘Tracker’ Season 4’s Story

CBS has kept specific details about Season 4’s story under wraps, but with the Shaw family mystery essentially resolved across earlier seasons, the series will need to find a new overarching storyline to sustain it moving forward. For a procedural built on week-to-week case work, that kind of serialized spine has always been what gives the show its emotional weight.

As Colter’s team stabilizes, the ideal direction for Season 4 would see him working more closely with both Randy and Reenie, establishing a stronger ensemble dynamic that the show has been building toward but has not yet fully achieved. Getting those relationships to the foreground would mark a meaningful evolution for the series.

Season 4 is confirmed as the first season filmed in Los Angeles, after three seasons in Canada, with production expected to carry through into spring 2027. The new setting gives the writers a rich playground to draw from, potentially weaving the city itself into the fabric of the stories Colter chases across the country.

Whether the L.A. relocation energizes the storytelling in the ways fans and critics hope remains the central question, and if you have a theory about where Colter Shaw’s next chapter should take him, the comments section is exactly where that conversation belongs.