Traveler is an American thriller drama television series that premiered on May 10, 2007 on ABC.
The series follows Jay Burchell (Matt Bomer) and Tyler Fog (Logan Marshall-Green), two college graduates who become suspects of the bombing of a museum in New York while they are pulling a juvenile prank. Complicating things are that A) It appears that their friend and roommate, Will Traveler (Aaron Stanford), framed them for the bombing, and that B) Traveler disappears and there is no evidence that he ever existed. Jay and Tyler flee from the authorities, who believe them to be domestic terrorists. While on the run and trying to clear their own names, they attempt to delve into Will Traveler's past in hopes of discovering Will's motives for turning on his friends.
The series was officially canceled after eight first-run episodes on July 18, 2007. David DiGilio, the creator, posted an "answers blog" on September 28, 2007, which officially ended the show.
This series features examples of:
- Becoming the Mask: As it turns out, this is what happened to Will Traveler. He becomes fond of the two roommates he's setting up, and ends up sparing their lives (at great cost to him later), against the plans of his employers.
- Cliffhanger: The series ends in one. Jay, Tyler and Will manage kidnap Jack Freed, the director of the Fourth Branch who's behind the conspiracy Will is trying to take down, but before they can use him to clear Jay and Tyler's names, the limousine with Jack Freed in it explodes.
- Clear My Name: The series is about Jay and Tyler having to go on the run to clear their names after being framed for a bombing.
- Double-Meaning Title: Traveler refers to both Will Traveler's last name, and the fact that Jay and Tyler have to go on a cross-country trip (i.e. become travelers) to clear their names.
- Wham Episode: For an eight episode-long series, it managed to have at least two of these.
- In the third episode, "New Haven", after it appeared that he died in the explosion in the first episode, Will Traveler is shown to be alive and well.
- In the seventh episode, the aptly titled "The Reunion", Jay and Tyler reunite with Will.
