Tracker: New CBS Series Drawing Comparisons to Reacher

CBS potentially has a new hit on its hands with Tracker, the new adventure series starring and executive produced by Justin Hartley. The show premiered after the Super Bowl on Sunday to more than 18 million live viewers — and that's not counting everyone who watched on Paramount+. Not only is Tracker off to a great start in the ratings, but it's also drawing comparisons to another smash-hit thriller. Many who have watched the Tracker premiere can't help but draw a direct line to Prime Video's wildly popular series Reacher.

On the surface, it's easy to see how Tracker and Reacher are drawing similarities. Both are based on popular book series and both feature a lone wolf protagonist that moves across the country without staying in one place for too long. Colter Shaw, like Jack Reacher, has a very small team of people he trusts and doesn't maintain a ton of friends. Where Reacher changes locations between seasons, Tracker heads to a different case and place with each new episode.

Of course, it's also worth noting that Tracker's Hartley and Reacher star Alan Ritchson both played DC's Aquaman on the small screen. Hartley starred in a pilot for a standalone Aquaman TV series while Ritchson played the character on Smallville.

There are similarities between Reacher and Tracker, but the two shows are far from the same. For one, Reacher being on Prime Video gives it more freedom with its content and runtimes, as well as a much more substantial budget. Tracker's on a basic network channel, so it has stricter guidelines. With longer seasons on network TV, Tracker also has a lot more time to cover potential stories. Unlike Reacher, Tracker is a procedural, meaning each episode has its own, mostly contained story.

There's also a difference in overall quality between the two shows. It's not exactly fair to make a one-to-one comparison between them, given that they are made to serve different purposes and different audiences. That said, one of these things is not like the other, and that's reflected in the reviews for both shows. Tracker debuted to decent reviews this past weekend, with many critics acknowledging it as a serviceable network thriller. Reacher, on the other hand, has received nothing but rave reviews over the course of its first two seasons, making it one of the most acclaimed action shows on TV right now.

Tracker may not be Reacher, but it does check many of the same boxes. As fans wait for Reacher's third season to complete production, Tracker could help fill the void left in the meantime.