Jensen Ackles' new show,Countdownon Prime Video, is a lot of fun, especially forTrackerfans, as this could’ve been a greatspinoff series for Russell Shaw. There’s plenty of high stakes and action, and Mark Meachum is similar to Russell.
Since Ackles was introduced as Russell inTracker, there have been requests to create a spinoff series.Trackerseason 2solidified the need for a spinoff focusing on the oldest Shaw brother. After all,it’s clear he has some storiesthat could have been told inTrackerseason 3.
Now, the question is whether aTrackerspinoffcan even happen.Countdownmakes it clear that Ackles can still lead a series, but there are concerns there isn’t time for the actor to lead two shows at the same time. There may also besome concerns regarding the CBS schedule.
Jensen Ackles Stars In The Crime Drama Series Countdown On Amazon Prime Video
Since leavingSupernatural, Ackles has not been out of work for too long. He starred in the third season ofThe Boysand was in a couple of episodes ofBig Skyseason 2 before landing a series regular role in season 3. Now he’s landed the leading role ofMark Meachum in the Prime Video seriesCountdown.
Meachum is a bit of a cowboy in the series, and others have noted that he has a death wish. There are reasons for this that are quickly explained in thefirst episode ofCountdown, and we get a little more insight into his mental state, but allMeachum wants is to keep Los Angeles safe.
However, he isn’t working alone. While he does have some lone wolf traits,Meachum also works well with a team, taking orders from Eric Dane’s Nathan Blythe and working closely with Jessica Camacho’s Amber Oliveras. In each episode, we have seen Meachum come up with undercover ideas and find ways around some of the trickiest plots happening.
Ackles' Russell Show Could Have Similar Adventures As Meachum Via A Tracker Spinoff
Meachum And Russell Are Very Similar
Something that many have noted is that Meachum is a lot like Dean Winchester inSupernatural. At the same time, there were plenty ofSupernaturalEaster eggs in theTrackercharacter, Russell. It makesMeachum and Russell similar, making it clear thatCountdownshows us what aTrackerspinoff could have been.
A potentialTrackerspinoff would likely focus on Russell’s survivalist skills a little more, and he wouldn’t have had the secret issues Russell has inCountdown, taking out the death wish mentality. However, Russell is always up for some fun andlikes to take a few risks on cases when we see him.
There’s also a similar backstory with law enforcement. We know that Russell joined the Army while Meachum is part of the LAPD. Both of them work well with teams when they need to, butalso bring their own ideas to the table. The adventures that Russell would get up to would be similar to those onCountdown.
Can A Tracker Spinoff With Ackles' Russell Still Happen Despite Countdown?
It Would Be Difficult To Have 2 Jensen Ackles Shows At The Same Time
As much as we would love to still see aTrackerspinoff focused on Russell, it would be difficult with theCountdowncurrently inproduction. On top of that,Ackles will star in the prequel series forThe Boyswith Aya Cash, adding another timetable to the mix, but streaming tends to be easier to manage together.
Just recently, Max Thieriot had this problem leadingFire Countrywhile still being onSEAL Team,leading to Clay Spenser being killed off in the military drama.
A network production takes nine months of the year for a full season, and that means only a few months in the summer for other projects. Recently,Max Thieriot had this problem leadingFire Countrywhile still being onSEAL Team,leading to Clay Spenser being killed off in the military drama.
If CBS did want to launch a Russell Shaw series, we would need a backdoor pilot inTracker. Russell could call on his brother to help with a situation, building more on Russell’s connections with the military and setting the tone for a new spinoff. However, it would need to wait for the 2026–2027 TV season at the earliest.
