While most shows will return this fall, Matlock Season 2 is over on the 2026 TV schedule, but not for good, thank goodness. Fans will be able to look forward to Season 3 in early 2027. Of course, there will be much to look forward to as we know the Kathy Bates-led legal drama digs into a new mystery. However, Jason Ritter has set his sights set on another thrilling CBS drama.
While Ritter has been busy with Matlock since its premiere back in 2024, he has still managed to take on other projects at the same time. For example, he appeared in the Peacock series Poker Face in 2025 and is set to recur in HBO's upcoming Lanterns series. So, him wanting to appear on another show, especially CBS, is possible, and he told Us Weekly what show he would love to be on.
Spoiler: It's Tracker, and he wants a crossover! Here's what he said about (hopefully) getting to work with fellow Eye Network peer Justin Hartley:
Article continues belowJustin and I are very friendly. I really love him. He’s such a nice guy. Julian is going to be looking for new positions so maybe he can train me in his tracking ways and I can help him find some people
I feel like a crossover between Matlock and Tracker would be pretty great because there are so many storylines that could come out of it. Honestly, it sounds like Ritter has been thinking about this possibility for a while. Even if it weren’t a crossover, just seeing him on the show, whether it would be as someone who needs Colter’s help, an ally, or even as an enemy, would be so much fun. It's worth noting Ritter and Hartley are "friendly."
Tracker's guest stars have also been pretty great so far, so Ritter would fit right in. However, the best thing about Tracker is that it’s a case-of-the-week format, so if Matlock were to crossover with the other show, the characters could interact in interesting ways and then move on.
The actor admitted what he would truly be like in a Tracker situation, and I appreciate his honesty, because it’s what I would probably be like, too:
Who knows? It’s TV, so anything can happen. A guy like me can be a hero on TV but in real life, if I was on Tracker, I’d be like, ‘All right, I got these guys … Oh, one of them snuck up behind me and that’s the end for me. Save me, please. I’ve made this mission 20 times harder by being captured.'
Just like Matlock, Tracker is coming back for another season, so who knows what could happen? I feel like fans would love to see a crossover between the two shows, but even just having Ritter playing a random character on Tracker would be entertaining. It's all probably dependent on what the writers would be able to come up with, and then scheduling, of course. Still, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ritter didn’t let up on this dream until it's a reality, and since Tracker continues to be a hit at CBS, there's plenty of time for this to come down the pipeline.
If Ritter were to be on Tracker, it’s hard to predict what would actually happen, but if it means we get an embarrassing TikTok dance from him, or another viral moment, I'm in. For now, it seems like Ritter will have to keep campaigning for his role on Tracker, and fans can always watch him on Matlock, streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.
