CBS Officially Announces First Major Frustrating Change For Justin Hartley's Tracker In 2026

Published Nov 4, 2026, 11:48 AM EST

Antonella Gugliersi (she/them) has been a feature writer for Screen Rant since 2021. While studying for her bachelor’s in Economics & Management, they started writing about movies and TV shows for Turin-based The Unconventional Mag. After a brief internship at TPI, she decided she wanted to pursue journalism and graduated with a degree in International Journalism from Brunel University.

Tracker fans are in for a disappointment after CBS confirmed a discouraging change for the survivalist drama. Starting off CBS’s 2026 TV season on October 4, 2026, Tracker season 4’s premiere marked its earliest return from the summer break since its debut in February 2024. The crime drama took over its usual Sunday evening slot after Marshals, a schedule that garnered incredible success for CBS, as Tracker season 4’s premiere ratings proved after Nielsen live+7 multiplatform data revealed that both Marshals and Tracker, with 15.14 and 13.86 million, respectively, received the most viewers during the week starting on October 4.

Tracker season 4 featured substantial changes for the survivalist drama after season 3’s ending concluded one of Tracker’s biggest storylines by solving the Ashton Shaw mystery, and the new season brought a new filming location in the form of its move from Vancouver to Los Angeles for season 4. Colter’s team also became more stable after the promotion to series regular of Cassady McClincy Zhang and Chris Lee, ensuring Mel and Randy’s centrality to Tracker season 4’s story.

All these changes ushered in a new, stabler period for Tracker season 4, after the crime drama went through a great deal of reshuffling following the departures of all original cast members bar two. However, another change will be less liked and much more frustrating for viewers, as no new Tracker season 4 episodes will air on Sunday, November 8, 2026.

Tracker Season 4 Is Going On Hiatus For The First Time

CBS

Tracker is on a short break this week, and it’s set to return with season 4, episode 6 in 11 days on Sunday, November 15, 2026. The trailer for the episode, titled “Blind Spot,” shows Colter on the search for his client’s daughter in a high-intensity investigation that will seemingly involve Reenie considerably, given both her presence in the promo and her being the one to enlist Colter, as his client is Reenie’s mentor, as mentioned in the episode’s synopsis.

Tracker won’t be the only TV show not airing next Sunday, with Marshals also on hiatus and returning on November 15. Instead, Cupertino is receiving a special broadcast in addition to its usual Friday episode this week. Cupertino season 1, episode 6 is set to air at 8 pm, followed by encores of the legal drama’s episodes 1 and 2 at 9 pm and 10 pm, respectively, transforming an otherwise action-heavy Sunday evening schedule into one devoted to CBS’s newest legal drama. Tracker season 4’s absence from our screens this week marks its first hiatus this TV cycle.

Why Tracker Season 4 Is Going Dark This Week

CBS

CBS has not offered a reason for Tracker season 4’s mini-hiatus this week. Network TV’s very defined schedule usually includes short breaks for several of its shows, whether that’s because of special programming being shown in their stead, often as a result of holidays or special events falling on the day, or the broadcasters taking advantage of sweeps weeks.

However, it’s important to note that there is a major difference between Tracker season 4’s schedule and those of the preceding seasons. In the years that Tracker started airing in the fall, it usually returned in the third or fourth week of October after the summer break. Tracker season 4 kickstarting CBS’s 2026 TV cycle nevertheless meant that it premiered at the very beginning of October.

Eight episodes of Tracker season 2 aired before the winter break in 2024, while season 3 had nine in Fall 2025. Tracker season 4’s mini-break this week effectively slows down the show’s course after the crime drama had an early start this season, making Tracker season 4, episode 9 fall on December 6, 2026, around the same time that Tracker season 2 aired its midseason finale. It’s unknown whether this played a hand in Tracker season 4’s mini-hiatus, but the delay can understandably be disappointing for its fans, no matter how short.