The phenomenal success of Tracker as television’s leading show can largely be attributed to its charismatic star, Justin Hartley.

Before captivating audiences as Colter Shaw, Hartley honed his craft on soap operas like Passions and The Young and the Restless. He further expanded his TV presence with roles in series such as Smallville, Revenge, and Mistresses. However, it was his portrayal of Kevin Pearson on NBC’s acclaimed drama This Is Us that truly put him on the map, earning him three Critics’ Choice Television Award nominations. Following the show, Hartley ventured into the film industry with appearances in movies like A Bad Moms Christmas, Senior Year, and The Noel Diary.

Yet, it is Hartley’s dedication to Tracker that illustrates his understanding of what television audiences crave. Debuting in February 2024, the show quickly became a hit, being lauded as the most-watched broadcast premiere since the final episode of NCIS featuring Mark Harmon in September 2021. According to Paramount+ and broadcast metrics, each episode averaged an impressive 18.2 million viewers.

In Variety’s annual ranking of the top 100 most-watched primetime broadcasts, Tracker episodes claimed 15 of those coveted spots. Despite a hiatus that kept fans eagerly waiting for 11 weeks, the second season debuted to a remarkable audience, drawing 8.3 million viewers—a nearly 10 percent increase from the first season’s finale. This premiere also marked the series’ highest viewership since its post-Super Bowl launch in early 2024.

Justin Hartley’s commitment to Tracker and his portrayal of Colter Shaw are testaments to his skill and appeal to a diverse audience. Before embodying Shaw, Hartley had already established a robust television career with significant roles on daytime dramas like Passions and The Young and the Restless.

At the center of the series is Hartley’s Colter, who welcomes the audience week to week while solving various missing cases across the country.

“One of the things I really love about Colter and the way we’ve built him is that he doesn’t apologize for his masculinity,” Hartley told Men’s Journal in August. “I think that’s what people are looking for. You’re asking yourself, ‘What kind of people do I want to hang out with?’ And particularly: ‘What kind of male friends do I have in my life that I really value?’”

The actor was thrilled with the example they are able to set with Colter.

“I think we’ve crafted a character that is so emotionally evolved, and he really does want to get to the root of why people do things,” Hartley continued. “The facts are that [executive producer] Ken Olin and I set out to do a show that was in fact a throwback. We wanted a new spin on a procedural, meaning our character would evolve over time.”

Hartley added: “He would not just remain the same exact person every single week. We were hopeful people would like it. People ended up loving it. I think there’s a huge appetite for this kind of show.”

Keep scrolling for a visual breakdown of Hartley’s hottest onscreen moments as our favorite TV hero Colter Shaw:

CBS Finding an Excuse for Justin Hartley to Take His Shirt Off

Tracker deserves some applause for writing in a scene where Colter is coming out of the shower just to give the people what they want.

Ready for His Close-Up

While not necessarily a scene from the show, CBS has gotten creative with its themed photo shoots for each season of the show. Our personal favorite has to be Hartley hanging out in an Airstream while channeling his inner Colter.

Saving His Friends

Colter’s work doesn’t just help him solve cases for strangers. Three seasons in, Tracker is dedicating certain episodes to Colter helping either free of charge or as a favor to a friend because he is just that selfless.

A Risk Taker

Tracker wouldn’t be the show that it is if Colter wasn’t jumping out of planes, running around during snowstorms and pushing himself to the limit for others.

A Wife Guy

Hartley has found a way to have some very star-studded guest appearances on Tracker but the best addition was his real-life wife, Sofia Pernas. The scenes between Colter and Billie (Pernas) make fans hopeful that the duo could get together — or at least lead their own show.

Since Tracker premiered on CBS, Justin Hartley has taken it upon himself to remind viewers that his character Colter Shaw can — and will — die. Based on Jeffery Deaver‘s novel The Never Game, Tracker centers around a survivalist named Colter who travels the country helping find missing people (or sometimes dogs) and solving cases […]

Getting in a Workout

Just another instance of CBS finding a way to show off their leading man, which none of Us are mad about.

Reuniting a Dog With His Owner

The only thing better than a man who saves people is one who stops to investigate an abandoned dog, which then became Colter reuniting the pet with a young boy after they got separated.

A Family Man

Despite Us marking Colter’s family drama down as messy, the Shaws do have their sweet moments. One of those includes Colter visiting his mom and finding time to enjoy some pancakes before being pulled into yet another missing persons case.

Colter’s ‘Yellowstone’ Moment

It is frankly a little surprising that it took three seasons for Hartley to show off his cowboy skills while riding a horse in the desert.