ABC appears to be taking inspiration from Justin Hartley’s successful CBS show, Tracker, as he creates a comparable series for another network. Since it premiered in 2024, Tracker has become a top-performing show on broadcast television, with only a few programs like Marshals (a Yellowstone spin-off on CBS) and ABC’s High Potential achieving similar levels of popularity.
ABC is once again going head-to-head with the show Tracker, releasing two new series with a similar survival theme. This move isn’t unexpected, considering Tracker averaged a large audience of 17.3 million viewers per episode in 2025, making its formula attractive to other networks.
Justin Hartley Is Developing ABC’s A Forgotten Kill
Alongside other projects, Hartley is creating a new series called A Forgotten Kill, based on Isabella Maldonado’s 2024 novel of the same name. He’s executive producing the show through his Change Up Productions company, in collaboration with 20th Television – the same team behind the CBS series Tracker.
The upcoming novel, A Forgotten Kill, centers around Dani Vega, a former Army Ranger. Though the actor hasn’t been chosen yet, Vega is portrayed as a fearless FBI agent from New York City’s Lower East Side. She’s skilled at codebreaking and recognizing patterns, much like Colter Shaw from the novel Tracker, who is an expert tracker and survivalist.
The main character in A Forgotten Kill will join a special task force and work alongside Mark Flint, an NYPD detective who is also new to the team. They have very different approaches to investigations, which creates tension but also “an undeniable chemistry” as they solve crimes together.
Ken Olin directs most episodes of Tracker and also serves as an executive producer on A Forgotten Kill. He joins Maldonado, Hartley, and Diana Son – who will write the series – in that role. A Forgotten Kill is based on a novel by Maldonado featuring the character Dani Vega. Like Colter from Tracker, Vega carries the weight of a hidden family secret. This novel is one of three Maldonado has written focusing on Vega’s story.
ABC Has Two Series That Will Soon Rival Tracker
However, A Forgotten Kill isn’t the only show ABC is planning for 2026. They are also developing The Naturalist, a series based on Andrew Mayne’s novels, which will be part of their fall lineup. Like Tracker on CBS, The Naturalist is another procedural drama with similar themes.
This new series centers on a highly intelligent biologist who struggles with social interactions. He applies principles from the animal kingdom to track down dangerous criminals. Similar to the character Colter Shaw, this protagonist learned unique skills from his father and approaches investigations in an unusual way. He’s also haunted by a troubled past and uses each case as an opportunity for self-reflection.
Several notable people are involved in the project. Andrew Karlsruher, known for his work on MacGyver and CSI: Cyber, is writing The Naturalist. Danny Cannon, who directed the original CSI pilot, will executive produce the series with Peter Jaysen and Alan Gasmer from Veritas Entertainment, and Andy Cuter will also serve as a producer. Karlsruher previously produced CBS’s Bull, which starred Michael Weatherly of NCIS.
Although Justin Hartley is focused on his new project, A Forgotten Kill, and ABC is creating another similar crime show featuring a character like his Colter Shaw, the network seems to be building towards expanding this type of programming—a ‘Tracker’-like franchise—by 2026. Season 4 is also planned, with Hartley continuing to participate in its development.
2026-07-29 23:36