Tracker is CBS's hit procedural drama starring Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, a lone-wolf survivalist and expert tracker who travels the country in his Airstream trailer taking rewards for finding missing persons and solving cases that local law enforcement has been unable to crack. Based on Jeffery Deaver's novel The Never Game, the show blends the classic American road narrative with a character-driven procedural format, using each episode's new location and new case to reveal something about Colter's complicated past — a family shaped by a brilliant, paranoid father and a childhood spent learning to survive in the wilderness, skills that have made him extraordinarily capable and deeply reluctant to form lasting attachments.
Justin Hartley, best known to audiences from This Is Us, brings a relaxed physical confidence to Colter that makes the character's near-superhuman competence feel earned rather than fantastical. Hartley's charm is crucial — Tracker asks its lead to carry most episodes almost alone through its first half, navigating new communities and new crises with limited backup — and he delivers consistently, finding the humor and the sadness in a man who has built a life out of movement precisely because stillness frightens him.
Tracker became one of the highest-rated new dramas of the 2023-24 television season, proving that CBS audiences still respond enthusiastically to well-executed standalone procedural storytelling built around a compelling central character. The show's success reflects a genuine craft in its writing and production: each episode is a complete story, but the serialized backstory of Colter's family accumulates across the season to deliver something more emotionally substantial than the format typically promises. Available on Paramount+ with live TV or as catch-up streaming.
The Rookie is an American police procedural television series that premiered on ABC on October 16, 2018. The series follows John Nolan, a man in his forties who becomes the oldest rookie at the Los Angeles Police Department. The show explores the challenges and obstacles he faces as he pursues his dream of becoming a police officer and navigates his personal life.
John Nolan, played by Nathan Fillion, leaves his small town life behind and moves to Los Angeles after a life-changing incident. He joins the LAPD and becomes the oldest rookie in the department. Nolan quickly realizes that being a cop is not as glamorous as it seems, and he must work hard to gain the respect of his younger colleagues.
Throughout the series, Nolan faces a variety of challenges, including ageism, physical demands, and emotional stress. He also struggles with his personal life, including a divorce and raising a son who is the same age as some of his colleagues. Despite these obstacles, Nolan is determined to prove himself as a capable and competent police officer, earning the trust and admiration of his fellow officers along the way.
Intriguingly balancing on the edge of documentary crime-storytelling and emotional movie-styled eye witnessing, Final Witness leaves weird feelings after the first watching. In the first hand we see, professionally gathered facts and witnesses about real life crimes combined in the proper timeline manner: the circumstances which have lead to criminal act, the actual criminal act itself, consequences of this perpetration and effects caused by it on victims entourage. On the other hand, the scenes are assembled in the movie-like way rising emotional essence to the high levels of hysteria; complementing the horrifying scenario by murdered victim's narration from the first person. Although, all the described events really took place in the American cities from New Orleans to San Francisco, there is a kind of strange feeling originated from the series too emotional background, the feeling making unbelievable these rapes, murders and homicide acts are the real life events.
Picture this"¦ it's the 1950's in the ultra glamorous Miami Florida. The hotels are huge and luxurious and the people who run them all appear to be a bit "shady". Mob influence is obvious but the guests who stay for days or weeks at a time don't mind as they watch for "Miami Vice" to come to life there. Creator Mitch Glazer lived the life when he was growing up as he worked as a cabana boy and his father was involved in hotel maintenance back in the late 50's. All the glitz and glamour covers up a world of gangsters, dope dealers, and strippers that has always been part of the lifestyle. And it makes for interesting viewing, particularly when based on true events. Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Supernatural, Watchmen) as "Ike" Isaac Evans, Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Hitman) plays Vera Evans, Steven Strait (Undiscovered, City Island) is the young Stevie Evans, and Elena Satine (Melrose Place, Smallville) is Judi Silver. An intriguing show with lots of nice scenery and plenty of action, Magic City is one to watch.
Hiring former fugitives to assist the U.S. Marshals with cleaning up the mean streets sounds like a far fetched idea but it works, at least on Breakout Kings. After all who would know better how to outwit the bad guys than former criminals themselves? They don't get off scott free exactly but do receive time off their sentences for aiding in the capture of crooks and as they get one month off their sentence for each criminal they help apprehend it makes sense that they work hard for their eventual release. Most of the "cons" do appreciate the opportunity to reduce their jail time and even get enthused with the prospect of turning over bad guys themselves. Charlie Duchamp (Laz Alonso from Fast & Furious, Avatar) is head of the task force and a previous member of the Criminal Program Analysis Department. A heart ailment kept him tied to his desk job but he still manages to break records getting the criminals reined in. Ray Zancanelli (played by Domenick Lombardozzi from Public Enemies, Miami Vice) lost his Marshals job due to a theft conviction. He works well with the criminal set because he knows the territory so well. Brooke Nevin (Sherman's Way, Infestation) is Julianne Simms, student of law enforcement who has mental issues keeping her from her full potential. This "mixed bag" of law enforcers work well together, keeping criminals in line most of the time.
Ann Biderman, highly respected as a writer on the NYPD Blue TV series as well as movies (Copycat, Primal Fear), created Southland originally for NBC television. When the series moved on to TNT cable network it opened up the plots and scripts with a freedom not seen on network television. It became decidedly more earthy and real without the constraints of network censors. SouthLAnd (styled promotionally to represent LA California) follows the lives of LAPD officers who try to keep the streets of one of the largest cities in the U.S. clear of crime and corruption, but that's a daunting task! The series closely follows several officers in particular, bringing in their personal lives along with the dangers they face every day on the job. Being a cop is never a 9 to 5 job and it's never boring! Starring Benjamin McKenzie (The OC, 88 Minutes) playing Ben Sherman who we follow from rookie to seasoned veteran, Shawn Hatosy (Dexter, My Name Is Earl) is Sammy Bryant and is Ben's partner, a man who has plenty of problems at home. The show is definitely worth watching for the honest look at dramatic police life.
What they call a "backdoor pilot became the pilot for The Finder, a new procedural drama on the Fox network when the 19th episode of Bones premiered in January of 2012. That episode has the main characters of the popular series Bones traveling down to Key West, Florida. The main characters must be people we love to see each week and follow along with their lives on the program. Series creator Hart Hanson wanted each character to be memorable and one which we, the viewing audience, want to see back again next week. Episode plot lines include a Cinderella story, including missing shoe, finding a missing father who's airplane vanished in the wilderness of Florida, and lead character Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults from October Road, Happy Town) hunting for bullets from a murder involving a policeman's death from 20 years ago. Also starring are Michael Clark Duncan (The Green Mile, Redemption Road) as Leo Knox, Mercedes Masjohn (Now and Nowhere, Red Sands) as Isabel Zambada a US Deputy Marshall, and Maddie Hasson (God Bless America). The initial episode included a brief appearance from John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival) who provides the theme music for The Finder.
The new hit series Prime Suspect is a reboot of a crime drama already familiar to British television viewers. The strong female role is now played by Maria Bello in the U.S. version whereas Helen Mirren capably handled the rough and tumble female cop role in the original British version. We find out in the first few minutes exactly how not to approach Detective Timoney as she is simply not in the mood for small talk or flirting. Jane Timoney is a dedicated member of the NYPD and has plenty of "attitude". As with other female cop roles like Olivia Benson (played by Mariska Hargitay on Law & Order SVU), Mary Shannon of In Plain Sight, Kyra Sedgwick's Brenda Johnson from The Closer, and the original Police Woman herself, Angie Dickinson's Pepper Anderson the most difficult part of being a good looking female cop may be convincing others the can handle the job. So attitude goes a long way. Starring Maria Bello (ER, World Trade Center) who handle such cases as a raped and murdered woman after it happened in front of her small children. The case goes to her but is taken away by another detective who dies on the job, prompting her to demand it be returned to her. Aidan Quinn (Legends of the Fall, Nine Lives) is Lieutenant Kevin Sweeney who is often helpful to Jane.