15 Best TV Shows Like Tracker

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Wouldn't it be amazing if we could call Justin Hartley's Colter Shaw from "Tracker" every time we lose our house keys? Unfortunately, he's a tad busy doing more important stuff like finding missing people (although, Stephen Colbert enlisted his help to find a missing coffee mug once). Based on Jeffrey Deaver's 2019 novel "The Never Game," the CBS series brings viewers with Colter as he uses his unique set of skills to locate people who are MIA.

"Tracker" is an easy show to binge, but what do you do after you're done? The good news is there are plenty of other shows like it, whether they feature the same tone, have similar lone-wolf lead, or carry out a comparable premise about solving mysteries and finding missing individuals. Sound good? Cool! Then let's take a look at which series need to go on your watchlist while you eagerly await the next episode of "Tracker."

Colter Shaw isn't a small guy, and he also knows how to handle himself if a situation takes a violent turn. However, he has nothing on Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher from Prime Video's "Reacher," who is a pristine physical specimen that even intergalactic aliens would want to probe and study as the peak of human conditioning.

Much like Colter, Reacher moves around from town to town, with the only constant being his trusty toothbrush. Yet, wherever he stops, Reacher inevitably finds trouble. In most cases, friends from his past enlist his help to solve a problem, or Reacher injects himself into a situation — forcibly. Thanks to his guns — mostly the ones on his arms — he's able to sort out any issue.

"Reacher" also features instances in which the lead needs to find missing people or assemble the pieces of a bigger puzzle, but unlike "Tracker," it doesn't stick to a procedural format. Instead, each season of the show follows a central storyline based on one of the books written by Lee Child.

CBS loves its procedurals about missing people. Case in point: "Without a Trace," a seven-season show that ran from 2002 to 2009, following the Missing Persons Unit (MPU) of the FBI in New York. Each episode turns into a race against the clock as the MPU searches for an in-the-wind individual. The team — including Jack Malone (Anthony LaPaglia), Sam Spade (Poppy Montgomery), Viv Johnson (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), and Danny Taylor (Enrique Murciano) — uses their specialized skills to determine the circumstances and find out more about the missing person's history, including why they might have disappeared or who might have snatched them.

During its broadcast run, "Without a Trace" also featured public service announcements about real-life missing persons cases at the end of each episode. This made a considerable and positive difference, as people were really found after viewers spotted them after seeing their photos on the show. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" fans will also love the crossover episode on "Without a Trace," confirming that both series take place in the same universe.

Before "Tracker," there was "The Finder," a "Bones" spin-off show about former army officer Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults), who experiences a brain injury during the Iraq War that enables him to process and see things differently than before. He develops the ability to do what he refers to as "Walter math," which comes in handy when he gets roped into finding missing items or people. Walter is aided by his best friend and partner Leo Knox (Michael Clarke Duncan), as the pair makes for a dynamic (and charismatic) duo on their various escapades.

Both "Tracker" and "The Finder" are essentially about the lead finding something, or someone. However, in the case of the latter, there's a little more humor and quirk to Walter as a character than Colter. Unfortunately, "The Finder" only lasted for a single season in 2012 — but don't let that deter you! It's a highly entertaining show and a fine send-off to Duncan, who passed away a few months after the series aired.

In "Tracker," Colter Shaw usually gets called in after something happens. In "Person of Interest," it's about stopping events before they happen. How is this possible? Well, Harold Finch (Michael Emerson) builds a device known as the Machine that's able to search and identify a person of interest before they commit specific crimes. Finch hires ex-CIA operative John Reese (Jim Caviezel) to be his muscle and put a stop to the baddies before they act.

Created by Jonathan Nolan (who later went on to create HBO's "Westworld"), "Person of Interest" doesn't skimp on the action, but it's also a show that poses interesting questions about the issue of surveillance and what it means to everyone's right to privacy. The Machine is a controversial device, but do the positives outweigh the negatives here? That's up to the viewer to decide, as you power through five incredible seasons of storytelling.

One of the newer shows like "Tracker" is ABC's "High Potential," starring Kaitlin Olson of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" fame. Olson plays Morgan Gillory, a single mother and cleaner for the LAPD who becomes a consultant for the police department after showing an aptitude for deciphering clues to crimes that seasoned detectives couldn't solve. Olson doesn't portray the same wild Sweet Dee character as she does in "It's Always Sunny," but "High Potential" makes full use of her natural comedic timing and quirky personality.

A major plot point in "High Potential" involves an unanswered question from Morgan's past, exploring what happened to her daughter Ava's father, Roman, who disappeared years prior. This mirrors Colter Shaw's personal arc in "Tracker," as viewers find out more about his relationship with his family and what happened in his past. Through this approach, both shows feature protagonists who use their skills to help others, but they must also help themselves in order to deal with the ghosts of their past.

An explosion at a secret prison leads to the most dangerous criminals escaping from their cells. Now, it's up to a special team, including FBI profiler Bex Henderson (Melissa Roxburgh), to track the criminals before they go off on crime sprees, while also uncovering the mystery of this prison and who set off the explosion in the first place. It's a lot to deal with, but hey, if anyone can do it, it's this team, right?

In NBC's "The Hunting Party," Bex demonstrates her ability as a profiler to get into the minds of these criminals to figure out where they may have gone. Colter Shaw does something similar, as he investigates the missing person's history, family, and friends to figure out if there's an important piece of information that might be a pivotal clue. "The Hunting Party" also has another interesting connection to "Tracker": Roxburgh appears in both shows. In "Tracker," she appears as Colter's sister, Dr. Dory Shaw.

"Countdown" doesn't share as strong a narrative bond with "Tracker," since it isn't about finding missing people, per se; it's about learning the truth. The show follows a special task force team that's put together to investigate the murder of Department of Homeland Security officer Robert Darden (Milo Ventimiglia). In doing so, they uncover a web of a conspiracy that's bigger than anyone could have imagined.

Yet, "Countdown" feels an awful lot like "Tracker" in its general tone. Both series understand how to balance the action, drama, and necessary breaks for levity between characters. The ensemble cast also possesses an effortless synergy in the same way that Colter Shaw builds bonds with the people who help him on his missions. Of course, the biggest link between the shows remains the presence of Jensen Ackles, who plays protagonist Mark Meachum in "Countdown" and Colter's brother, Russell Shaw, in "Tracker." Sadly, Prime Video canceled "Countdown" after only a single season.

See what we mean? CBS loves its procedural dramas, and those of us who enjoy the genre are thankful for that. "Elementary" is a modern-day update of Sherlock Holmes set in New York City, where Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock and his sober companion-turned-partner, Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), help the NYPD crack cases through their unconventional sleuthing methods. It's all elementary, really!

Like Colter Shaw, Holmes and Watson have their own special way of conducting investigations and deducing facts. To outsiders, or other people on the case, it may seem unusual, but there's no disputing that their approach works. For the viewer, it's fun to follow along and see the bigger picture forming in real time as all the pieces come together.

"Elementary" ran for seven seasons between 2012 and 2019. So, if you're looking for a show to occupy you for a while — not just a quick weekend binge — here it is.

In "Tracker," Colter Shaw often finds himself in a pickle, in the middle of nowhere and with limited resources at hand. Yet, using his guile and instincts, he manages to overcome the overwhelming odds. This is no different than Richard Dean Anderson's Angus MacGyver from "MacGyver." As a secret agent, MacGyver often enters unpredictable and dangerous situations; it's his specialty. Yet, this is the man who's able to create a makeshift key to unlock a door using a ham sandwich and a packet of mustard. Let's just say he's extremely resourceful and a true master of his surroundings.

Colter and MacGyver prove to be similar characters, as they often act impulsively and walk into trouble. While this would spell bad news for the average person, their ability to survive and find their way out of trouble is on a whole other level of brilliance. The original "MacGyver" series ran for seven seasons between 1985 and 1992, while the CBS reboot aired for five seasons between 2016 and 2021 — and both are thoroughly enjoyable.

When Colter Shaw gets brought in to find a missing person, there's always the reality that the person may be deceased already. This then turns into a case of uncovering the human remains and proving they're those of the missing party, in order to provide closure for family and friends. Fox's "Bones" focuses on this latter aspect. In the show, forensic anthropologist Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Emily Deschanel) teams up with FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz) as they examine the human remains of potential victims of crime and crime scenes to solve cases.

What makes "Bones" stand out, though, is the on-screen chemistry between Brennan and Booth. While both characters are different, they complement each other and ensure that each episode in this 12-season run keeps the viewer hooked to the show. Naturally, it also helps that romantic tension gets added into the mix, as the audience wonders if the pair's relationship will evolve beyond the professional. No spoilers here!

Colter Shaw isn't a one-man army. He calls upon others, who have skills he may not have, to assist him. Case in point: Bobby Exley (Eric Graise), a computer whiz who helps with all things hacking. Also, let's not forget Teddi (Robin Weigert) and Velma Bruin (Abby McEnany), who do a lot of heavy lifting in the research department behind the scenes for Colter.

While "The Blacklist" tends to focus more on espionage over 10 seasons, it's a similar show to "Tracker" in the sense that informant Raymond "Red" Reddington (James Spader) and FBI agent Liz Keene (Megan Boone) need to work together to achieve their goals. Yes, Red wants to work specifically with Liz for a reason, which is eventually revealed in the series, but Liz and the FBI wouldn't be able to do what they do without Red's input here.

Both shows demonstrate that it's impossible to do anything alone. Even though there are clear main characters here, they are aided by a competent supporting cast.

In "Castle," Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) isn't a survivalist like Colter Shaw. However, he has the same nose for solving mysteries, due to him being a mystery novelist and looking at events from a different angle. Like Colter, though, Castle holds a complicated relationship with the authorities, since he isn't a law enforcement official, but he plays a role in doing the police's work — which never goes down well in these types of shows.

Over eight seasons, "Castle" reels you into its narrative web — not just because of the intriguing cases that need to be unpacked, but also due to the burgeoning partnership and relationship between Castle and Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). The pair plays off each other well, and you want to see more of them together on screen. Plus, there's a juicy overarching mystery surrounding who murdered Beckett's mother, which unlocks a series of tangential stories and consequences for the characters. The show was cancelled at perhaps the right time, though, since Katic's Beckett wasn't expected to return for the ninth season.

"Found" is also a procedural missing persons drama. Yet, there are two elements that make it stand out from its many, many contemporaries. One, it sees PR specialist Gabi Mosely (Shanola Hampton) and her team focusing on missing people who aren't getting the attention they deserve from the authorities or media. And two, Gabi kidnaps her former captor, Hugh "Sir" Evans (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), and uses him to give her insight into how kidnappers and criminals think and operate.

Debuting in 2023, a few months before "Tracker," "Found" rocketed out of the gates, becoming NBC's top show to launch on Peacock, according to Deadline. It also received mostly positive reviews, sitting at a 70% critical approval rating and a 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite this, "Found" was canceled after just two seasons. 

Based on the comic book series by Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth, "Stumptown" centers around Dex Parios (Cobie Smulders), a private investigator people reach out to when the police won't take their cases, or if the cases might not be for the authorities in the first place. Dex has racked up heavy debt and needs to support her brother, Ansel (Cole Sibus), so she takes the gigs whenever and wherever they come. The good news is that Dex isn't alone here, since she has her best friend, Grey McConnell (Jake Johnson), around for moral support and a helpful connection at the police department, Detective Miles Hoffman (Michael Ealy).

"Stumptown" boasts quite the cast, with recognizable TV mainstays Smulders, Johnson, and Ealy as the main cast members, while the likes of Donal Logue, Monica Barbaro, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, and Troian Bellisario pop up, too. Despite all the talent attached and the enticing premise, the series only lasted for a single season from 2019 to 2020 — cancelled after it had already been renewed.

Created by John Eisendrath and Jamie Foxx, "Alert: Missing Persons Unit" slots perfectly into the missing persons genre (yeah, okay, it's in the name here). The show revolves around two officers, Detective Jason Grant (Scott Caan) and Captain Nikki Batista (Dania Ramirez), who work for the Missing Persons Unit of the Philadelphia Police Department. The twist here is that Jason and Nikki are a separated married couple, and their son went missing a while ago. To further complicate their working relationship, Nikki's new beau, Mike Sherman (Ryan Broussard), becomes Jason's partner.

Akin to "Tracker," the now-cancelled Fox series knew how to heighten the tension and showcase that every second matters when it comes to finding someone who's missing. Also, under the surface, there was an overarching mystery at play, as Jason and Nikki desperately worked to uncover what happened to their son. There are three seasons of "Alert: Missing Persons Unit" to get through, so it should keep viewers occupied and invested in these characters for a while. It also features Malcolm-Jamal Warner in one of his last roles before his death in July 2025.