The show is a competition series that centers on nine teams of two as they are fugitives on the run from highly skilled investigators. Each pair attempts to use their wits to evade capture for 28 days in a 100,000-square-mile region in the southeastern United States in order to win the grand prize of $250,000.[2][3]
Theresa Payton Head of Intelligence, Former White House CIO[16] Ben Owen Senior Analyst, MI5 (Former) & Hunter on Hunted UK[17]
Intelligence Analysts Steve Masterson Intelligence Analyst, Naval Intelligence (Former)[18] Connie Min Intelligence Analyst, CIA (Former)[19] Aki Peritz Intelligence Analyst, CIA (Former)[20] Zaira Pirzada Intelligence Analyst, Academia[21]
Cyber Analysts Myke Cole Cyber Analyst, USCG[22] Charles DeBarber Cyber Analyst, US Army Cyber Intelligence (Former)[23] Landon Stewart Cyber Analyst, US Army/NSA (Former)[24] Dr. Max Wachtel Forensic Psychologist, Behavioral Profiler[25]
Operations
Lenny DePaul Head of Operations, US Marshals (Ret.)[26] Ryan 'Ry Phi' Phillips Operations Supervisor, SWAT[27] Andrew Stumpf Operations Supervisor, Navy SEAL (Ret.)[28]
Hunters
Team Alpha John "Buck" Smith US Marshals (Ret.)[29] Walter "Griff" Garrison Detective (Ret.)[30]
Team Bravo Jermaine Finks Department of Homeland Security[31] Chad Light US Army Special Forces (Former)[32]
David & Emiley began running in Atlanta, Georgia. They immediately withdrew $100 at an ATM then traveled to a friend's house. Content of a page removed from Emiley's desk planner was recovered by the hunters when they shaded the next page using a pencil.
Matt & Christina began running in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. They withdrew $100 at an ATM near a bus station at which they proceeded to buy tickets and board a bus. Using this information, the investigators sent hunters to the bus' destination in Atlanta, where Team Foxtrot (assisted by Team Golf) captured them near the bus station after 1 day on the run.
Angela & Michele were captured after 10 days on the run by Team Echo in Augusta as they were leaving a friend's business after Angela's daughter revealed their location of their friend.
Aarif & Immad began running in Marietta, Georgia and traveled to a farm.
Lee & Hilmar began running in Atlanta, Georgia and traveled to a friend's house.
Troy & Chele began running in New Port Richey, Florida. They went camping in a forest, but were captured after 18 days on the run by Team Bravo in Dade City, Florida, near their friend's property.
Lee's wife told Lee & Hilmar about her unknowingly butt-dialing the hunters who had then called her back and told her some of what they'd heard during the call.
Miles & Will began running in Atlanta, Georgia. A "Have You Seen Me?" campaign by the investigators on social media produced a tip (by the sister of the woman currently helping them) which led to the investigators tracking the movements of the tipster's sister's phone as she was driving the fugitives to South Carolina. A flying drone found them on a boat. They were captured after 15 days on the run by Team Hotel (assisted by Team Echo) in Beaufort, South Carolina.
Sentra & Thu began running in Woodstock, Georgia. They immediately withdrew $100 at an ATM and bought a burner phone. The investigators were able to determine the purchase location and time, with which they were able to get the receipt with the phone number. The investigators began tracking the phone's movements.
Aarif & Immad were captured after 22 days on the run by Team India (assisted by Team Golf) in Atlanta, Georgia.
After 28 days on the run, English & Stephen made it to the extraction point at Lake Blue Ridge Marina in Blue Ridge, Georgia.
After 28 days on the run, Lee & Hilmar made it to their extraction point at Blairsville Municipal Airport in Blairsville, Georgia.
Eliminated:
Aarif & Immad
Winners:
English & Stephen
Lee & Hilmar
Production
The show was filmed without the assistance of government or law enforcement.[54] Each episode ends with a disclaimer stating that 'while the investigative techniques shown are real, some procedures have been replicated for broadcast.'
Some information the hunters obtained — such as the Enterprise rental agreement and the car's location — came from the production itself, provided to the hunters when they requested it.[55] Also, participants granted access in advance to their personal records, homes and phones, and then that information was meted out to the hunters the same way it would have been during an actual investigation.[54]
There was a clear firewall between the hunter team and fugitive team.[54] The production team did considerable research to ensure that the requests and receipt of information simulated what would happen in the real world, such as waiting for a subpoena. Additionally, the hunters had to make proper requests, and were sometimes denied information by the production team.[55]
Hunted was picked up by Channel 4 in the UK, but renamed Hunted USA to avoid confusion with the UK version.[56]