CBS drama Tracker is packing up in Vancouver and heading to Los Angeles after landing a $48 million California tax credit. Season 4 is slated to shoot in the state this summer across roughly 176 filming days, with state officials counting about 275 actors and 250 crew members on the project. All told, the move is expected to pour more than $129 million in projected qualified spending into the region.
The award appears on the approved projects list from the California Film Commission under the code name “Unt. DET Project 13.” The listing logs 176 California filming days, 275 cast hires, 250 crew hires, $129,083,000 in qualified expenditures and a $48,000,000 credit. The commission announced this round of television awards in March as part of the rollout of its expanded Program 4.0.
Deadline first reported that the codename tracks to CBS’ Tracker, and the Los Angeles Times confirmed the show is produced by Disney’s 20th Television and stars Justin Hartley. Hartley told Deadline that the team is “so grateful to the crew and people of Vancouver” and “thrilled” to start filming in Los Angeles thanks to the state incentive. Studio and production sources say 20th Television is securing facilities in and around L.A. ahead of a late-June start.
How the credit adds up
California’s Program 4.0 doubled the state’s annual tax credit pool and introduced uplifts that make relocating series more competitive, according to guidance from the California Film Commission. Productions can earn extra percentage points for out-of-zone filming and for certain local-hire wages, a structure that can significantly boost an award and help explain why a series would shift production back to California from Canada or other regions. Those changes, together with larger per-project caps, sit at the core of the state’s push to bring more production jobs home.
What it means for L.A. crews and the wider industry
Tracker’s relocation fits a larger trend: the Los Angeles Times notes that more than 100 productions have received credits since the program expanded last year, suggesting the incentive is already reshaping where shows are made. Lawmakers are paying attention. The Times reports that Sen. Adam Schiff has pushed for a bipartisan federal film incentive to work alongside state programs and reduce offshoring.
For local grips, technicians, vendors and the small businesses that orbit a set, a series shooting for nearly half the year in California means steadier bookings and paychecks that ripple far beyond any single stage. With production offices now locking locations and staffing up, Tracker’s move is a clear sign that California’s upgraded incentives can still pull high-value television work back to the Golden State. Filming is expected to begin this summer, and for a region hungry for consistent production, the timing could not be better.
