The current era of network TV is rife with lone wolf and super-genius protagonists, but the 2025-26 season may be a crucial one for the single main character drama. It's certainly not a new framework for TV, but t he last few years have seen a surge in new series built around the singular protagonist, including (but not limited to) Tracker, High Potential, Elsbeth, Watson, Matlock, Brilliant Minds, Doc , and Will Trent .
Network TV has undergone drastic changes in the past few years, thanks to streaming, COVID, and the strikes, and it's gotten much less daring as a result. Barring a few more original attempts, however, it's been pretty evenly split between franchise spinoffs and single main character shows. While the chances of gaining traction and sticking around for more than