Without a Trace is an American television show set in New York City. The show is about an FBI missing persons unit; each episode typically follows the investigation into one person's disappearance. (The unit is fictitious; the real FBI has no dedicated missing persons unit, but investigates disappearances as needed on a case-by-case basis.)
The series debuted as part of the CBS fall line-up in 2002. It was created by Hank Steinberg, and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. The show was the first to ever score strong ratings opposite longtime NBC hit ER -- which, like Without a Trace, is produced by Warner Bros. Television and CBS Paramount Television. The first two showrunners were Hank Steinberg and Ed Redlich. Between Seasons Two and Three, Steinberg and Redlich moved away from active participation in the series, and staff writers Jan Nash and Greg Walker took over as showrunners.