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Star Trek TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer

Updated: September 8, 2023

The Star Trek universe kicked off in 1966 with the original series , created by science fiction visionary Gene Roddenberry , and later exploded into a massive film and TV juggernaut.

While the original series, which starred William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, saw only three seasons, it made an indelible impression on the sci-fi genre. Live-action TV follow-up Star Trek: The Next Generation , with  Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard leading an ensemble cast, captivated viewers from 1987–1994 and inspired three more series that would air within the next decade:  Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ,  Star Trek: Voyager , and  Star Trek: Enterprise .

Starting with 1979’s  Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Paramount Pictures has been regularly cranking out Trek films with the original series and Next Generation casts, as well as a rebooted version in 2009 with Chris Pine as Starfleet Academy cadet James Kirk and Zachary Quinto as young Spock. ( See the Star Trek films ranked here. )

In 2017,  Trek  returned to small screens with season 1 of CBS All Access streaming title  Star Trek: Discovery , set during a tumultuous wartime era about a decade before the original and starring Sonequa Martin-Green . The new series marked a TV franchise reboot by Alex Kurtzman , writer on the 2009 Star Trek film and its sequel  Star Trek Into Darkness .

RELATED: All Star Trek Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

The year 2020 gave fans a celebration of one of its most iconic characters with the premiere of Star Trek: Picard and Stewart reprising his role in the new streaming series that launched its second season in 2022. New live-action series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was also released in 2022, and its first season was quickly Certified Fresh with a 100% Tomatometer score (it has since dropped to 99% on one review). The show’s second season, released in 2023, was nearly as well received and is Certified Fresh at 97% on the Tomatometer.

The TV franchise has since introduced two animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks , about the misfit support crew on one of Starfleet’s least-important ships, and kid-friendly Star Trek: Prodigy , which tells the story of a diverse group of teens who inadvertently become the crew of a prize starship and learn important lessons in their subsequent adventures. The latter series — No. 3 on our list below — has since been canceled by Paramount+, but a petition to save the show has gathered over 33,000 signatures.

Have a look below to find out which series score highest with critics in our Trek TV by Tomatometer list.

Disagree with the results? Tell us in the comments which series you think should have been ranked higher (or lower).

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022) 98%

Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973) 94%

Star Trek: Prodigy (2021) 97%

Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020) 92%

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) 92%

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) 91%

Star Trek: Picard (2020) 89%

Star Trek: Discovery (2017) 84%

Star Trek (1966) 80%

Star Trek: Voyager (1995) 76%

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) 56%

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From 'Picard' to 'Discovery': Every 'Star Trek' TV Show (So Far), Ranked

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Star trek online just dropped three new starships — here's how they pulled it off, jill gideon and david rossi need to be endgame in ‘criminal minds: evolution’.

Not so long ago, Star Trek fans faced a great drought—years without a new Star Trek show for fans to boldly go where no one had gone before. How times have changed! Now, the franchise has branched out to include kid-friendly show Star Trek: Prodigy . Star Trek: Discovery has been renewed for a fifth season. And Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has won over fans, old and new.

With so many shows expanding the franchise, we have to ask: how do the shows fare? We take a look at every major Star Trek show that’s aired so far and rank them based on merit. Let the arguments ensue!

RELATED: Jonathan Frakes on Directing 'Star Trek: Discovery,' 'Picard,' and What It Was Like Seeing 'Galaxy Quest' For the First Time

12. Star Trek: Picard

Set 20 years after his last appearance, Star Trek: Picard follows an elderly Jean-Luc Picard ( Sir Patrick Stewart ) who bands together with a ragtag crew to right the wrongs of his past.

Picard is undoubtedly one of the most popular and famous characters in the franchise, and the show is at its best when the spotlight is on him. Sir Patrick and the rest of the returning cast all step back into their characters’ shoes like no time has passed at all. But most of the new entrants are rather dull and the villains uninspiring.

While Michelle Hurd brings a layered complexity to her under-baked character and Santiago Cabrera flexes his skills playing multiple personalities, the rest of the characters feel muddled. Surprisingly, the show is most successful when it leans into the nostalgic elements, and Picard continues to be an arresting figure.

11. Star Trek: Prodigy

In Star Trek: Prodigy , a motley crew of young aliens are thrown together after escaping a prison colony. They end up on a highly coveted ship, the Protostar, under the guidance of a holographic version of Captain Janeway (voiced by Kate Mulgrew ).

The low ranking of Star Trek: Prodigy does not signify that something is wrong with this show. The animation is gorgeous, and the characters are unique. The youthful nature of the main cast brings with it an air of irreverence and rebellion. The show is a little darker than expected considering its target audience is children, but the stories border on hopefulness and camaraderie. However, the shortened runtime restricts the storytelling—the character development feels a little rushed and some plot lines need fleshing out. But the show remains a refreshing entry in the franchise because it’s outside the confines of the Alpha Quadrant and the Federation.

10. Star Trek: The Animated Series

Star Trek: The Animated Series continues the adventures of the Enterprise and its crew. The show kept the franchise alive in the 1970s, but its ambition outmatched the execution. Without the constraints of live-action, the two-season series was able to embrace the wackier and grander premises of the science-fiction genre.

However, the show does feel turgid and the animation is rudimentary. While most of the main cast from Star Trek: The Original Series returned to voice their characters (except for Walter Koenig because the creators ran out of budget), they rarely voice-acted together, and the disjointed acting is obvious in many episodes.

One of the major issues with TAS was that the show was created and aimed at a younger target audience yet didn’t appeal to them. But the show has plenty of intriguing storylines and concepts, including an episode where Uhura ( Nichelle Nichols ) captains the ship.

9. Star Trek: Enterprise

The last show before the drought, Star Trek: Enterprise follows the adventures of the first Enterprise crew. Positioned as a prequel, the show has rightfully garnered a ton of fans, but it still feels a little lackluster. Also, that theme song needed a lot of revision!

Due to its setting, the writers were bogged down correcting the continuity issues from the previous series. Some of the storytelling also feels regressive and out of place in the new millennium. The ship’s lack of advanced technology, especially the transporters, restricts the writing and slows down the pace. The characters are interesting and charming, especially the Mirror Universe versions. Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer cuts a striking figure, but the supporting cast’s charisma is inconsistent and sometimes underdone by their characterizations.

The show shines brightest when it embraces multi-arc storylines, but the change was too little too late. Enterprise was unceremoniously canceled before its time.

8. Star Trek: Short Treks

Star Trek: Short Treks is an anthology series set around the new Trek shows, though there are a few stories set in different eras.

Despite being only 10 episodes long over two seasons, Short Treks has a range of stories for all Trekkies to enjoy. The first season comprises two prequel stories of characters seen in Discovery while introducing new characters who would eventually join the show. The second season capitalizes on the fan-love for the USS Enterprise crew who appeared in Discovery Season 2. And there are a couple of animated shorts that expand the Star Trek universe further.

These bite-sized snippets not only give viewers a peek at the greater New Trek-verse, but they make for a perfect format to spotlight characters and arcs that would not have made it into the regular storylines. Short Treks is a thrilling new perspective into this beloved franchise.

7. Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery rang in a new phase in the franchise. Originally set years before the original series, the show cast a Black woman, Sonequa Martin-Green , in the lead, and peppers the cast with actors of color. If that isn’t all, Discovery became the first franchise show to introduce a gay couple in the main cast— Anthony Rapp and Wilson Cruz ’s characters Paul Stamets and Hugh Culber—and has since broadened queer representation with the addition of a transgender actor, Ian Alexander , playing a transgender character, Gray Tal, and a non-binary actor, Blu del Barrio playing a non-binary character, Adira Tal. With every season, Discovery proves how effortless it can be to expand diversity in a franchise, all the while creating compelling stories and characters.

If there’s one criticism that can be levied on the show is its gloomy tone. Star Trek relies on a utopian outlook, but Discovery is often dark and pessimistic.

6. Star Trek: Voyager

USS Voyager is sent on a mission to retrieve a fugitive Maquis vessel when the ship is pulled into the Delta quadrant—seventy thousand light-years from home.

Star Trek: Voyager was unfairly maligned for too long and, looking back decades later, one can’t help but wonder if misogyny played a part in that. Voyager marks the first time a Star Trek show was headlined by a woman and had a female captain. Thankfully, better sense has prevailed and over the past few years, the show is getting a lot of love from fans and Star Trek creators alike. Without the safety net of the Federation, Voyager and her crew have to be innovative to survive, to collaborate and stick together.

Voyager isn’t a perfect show, but it has come in for extra scrutiny. Some of the writing may be inconsistent, but the characters are the MVPs. Each one has relatable characteristics that make them compelling to watch, and several story arcs are analogous to discussing one's identity, and surviving trauma.

5. Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek has usually focused on larger-than-life characters—the movers and shakers of Starfleet. But what about the cadets, crewmen and ensigns who appear in the corners of frames? Well, we find out the secret life of those unnamed junior officers in Star Trek: Lower Decks . Set aboard the USS Cerritos, the show follows a group of four lower deckers as they bumble their way through every mission, chafing against the senior staff who have their own issues to resolve.

This is a hilarious, irreverent show, buoyed by a voice cast that’s obviously enjoying every minute of their job. The animation is in line with the modern age’s preferred adult animated comedies. Lower Decks works best when it leans into the Star Trek concepts that creator Mike McMahan is a vocal fan of. When it veers away from the lore and tries to be too bawdy and ‘out there’, the writing tends to suffer.

4. Star Trek: The Original Series

Way back in the 1960s, Gene Roddenberry had a vision that would eventually come to fruition in the form of Star Trek: The Original Series (then called Star Trek ). It’s hard to imagine a world without Star Trek in it—despite low ratings during its three-season run, the show has become a cult classic and a mainstay in science-fiction history.

The show was a pioneering effort by Roddenberry—the utopian future it depicted combined with its take on an equal society irrespective of gender and race was a bold move. The adventures of the USS Enterprise are still enthralling and much of the political subtext painfully relevant. The central dynamic of the main trio continues to be one of the most engaging in pop culture.

While our collective nostalgic love for TOS remains, some of the show’s sensibilities feel dated now, especially the treatment of the female characters.

3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine took some time to take off. The first few seasons are episodic and many of the storylines are questionable. But once it finds its stride, Deep Space Nine takes on its own unique formula.

As the first Star Trek show to cast a Black actor in the lead, Avery Brooks , the show shook up the Star Trek formula from the get-go. The main setting is aboard a static space station and the main thrust of the story is the Federation’s peace-keeping efforts following the Cardassian invasion of Bajor. The final three seasons center mainly on the Federation war against the Gamma Quadrant power, the Dominion.

From the beginning, the show tackles heavy issues like racism, religion and the impact of war, and it also includes some queer elements that were missing from the franchise. The character interactions are a highlight in the series, as is the writing, especially in the latter half of the show’s run when the multi-arc episodes become tight and compelling.

2. Star Trek: The Next Generation

There’s just no arguing with the brilliant storylines and the impact of Picard on pop culture. Like many of its Star Trek counterparts, Star Trek: The Next Generation had an iffy start but found its groove soon after. The consistency of the writing, the high concept storytelling and the range of themes play a huge part in The Next Generation ’s enduring legacy in the genre.

Sir Patrick Stewart as Picard is a real renaissance man—embodying the best of humanity as a captain and a friend while owning up to his errors. The expansive cast of characters all have their moment to shine, which is a change from The Original Series . The chemistry between the actors and their character dynamics is another reason we can’t help but tune in repeatedly. The show probes the meaning of being human with episodes like “I, Borg” and “Measure of a Man”. Star Trek truly matured with The Next Generation.

1. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Perfectly balancing the beloved episodic nature of Old Trek, while weaving in the inclusivity and modern sensibilities of New Trek, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a feast for the soul. Led by Anson Mount ’s enigmatic and charming Captain Christopher Pike, the Enterprise is a ship that’s at the forefront of space exploration. But instead of being manned by a bunch of stuffed shirts, the crew of the ship is eccentric, with undercurrents that allude to complex backstories.

The show reimagines several characters from the original series, including T’Pring ( Gia Sandhu ), Nyota Uhura ( Celia Rose Gooding ), Christine Chapel ( Jess Bush ) and Joseph M’Benga ( Babs Olusanmokun ), giving them the spotlight that was missing in their original introductions. The new cast of characters is just as intriguing, with La'an Noonien-Singh ( Christina Chong ) adding a sense of moral drama to the proceedings, and Erica Ortegas ( Melissa Navia ) reveling in being a mysterious, scene-stealing personality.

The stories are compact, succinct, and juggle dramatic tension with levity, nostalgia, and action. You will end each episode feeling like a little kid who's watching Star Trek for the first time.

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The best Star Trek series, ranked

Ready to settle in and watch some Star Trek episodes? Since there are so many, we’ve ranked all of the different series to help you get started on your quest.

Star Trek is one of the greatest franchises ever created. If you're new to the world of transporters and holodecks, you have so much wonderful content to catch up on — of course, some would say too much content.

Since there are over 850 episodes and counting (all of which you can stream on Paramount+ ), watching all of Star Trek can be more difficult than fighting a Gorn in the desert. To make things easier for you to get started, we've ranked every series (besides the short-form series Short Treks ) of this long-running franchise. Some of these choices were a bit daunting to play favorites with, but, like Jim Kirk, there's no belief in the no-win scenario.

Without further ado, here's our list of every Star Trek series ranked from worst to best.

11. Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

Star Trek: Picard was meant to be like comfort food to fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation . And whether fans were turned off by the changes in franchise direction with shows like Discovery or just wanted to see Patrick Stewart back in action, Paramount clearly thought this show would be almost universally beloved.

That didn't happen . The warm and fuzzy feeling of seeing a few familiar faces in the first season evaporated because of an often-confusing plot about androids. The second season continued this confusion with a time-travel story that often bordered on incoherence. While many Star Trek shows take a few seasons to hit their stride, it was shocking that so much of this relatively short series was seemingly created with "make it so-so" in mind.

10. Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974)

If you're in the right mood (or you've been sipping on some Saurian brandy), Star Trek: The Animated Series has some wacky entertainment value. Any given episode had the writers throwing in stories like a giant version of a beloved character. And the animators threw some fun curveballs, including making the embodiment of evil into a shirtless hottie that would make even shirtless Kirk jealous.

However, this animated show was often caught between two very different worlds. It wasn't fully a return to the (relatively) grounded exploration of space, science, and morality of The Original Series . And it didn't fully lean into the chaotic possibilities of a cartoon world (something Lower Decks would later handle much better). So, while more and more elements of The Animated Series have become canonical thanks to shows like Discovery , and it's fun to hear the voice acting of the Original Series cast, this cartoon is one that all but the most hardcore fans can skip.

9. Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)

Despite what you might have heard, Star Trek: Enterprise is not a bad show. It just didn't start as a very good show. The series was tragically canceled after the fourth season, which was arguably when it had just begun to hit its stride (thanks in part to longer story arcs and a really fun glimpse into Trek 's popular Mirror Universe).

At the end of the day, Enterprise is a show best enjoyed by Star Trek fans that like to pore over the Memory Alpha wiki and familiarize themselves with Trek minutiae. As a prequel show, it laid the groundwork for everything from Starfleet policy to alien interactions that other shows explore in more detail. If you don't have a shot at winning any Star Trek trivia contests at your local bar, it's still worth watching how captivating Scott Bakula can be in the captain's seat.

8. Star Trek: Prodigy (2021–present)

Star Trek: Prodigy was very difficult to rank. Unlike the other two Trek cartoons, this series was explicitly designed for younger audiences. Paramount clearly wants to use this show as a gateway for these younger fans to explore the wider world of Star Trek , but there are enough elements (most notably the return of Kate Mulgrew , reprising her role as Captain Janeway via a holographic form) to keep veteran franchise fans invested.

Ultimately, your enjoyment of this series will be largely dependent on how much you enjoy animated/YA entertainment. If nothing else, you should check out the first two episodes of this show to see just how beautiful the CGI animation can get.

7. Star Trek: Discovery (2017–present)

If Enterprise is the Star Trek show cut off too soon, Discovery may very well be the first Star Trek show to outlive its welcome, though it will end after its fifth season . There are many things the show gets right, from nifty effects to quirky characters to amazing casting (seriously, Sonequa Martin-Green is electrifying whenever she is on screen).

The show veers from a disjointed-but-interesting first season to a mesmerizing second season, which gets a real shot in the arm by introducing Captain Pike (played by the inimitably charming Anson Mount ) and Spock (played as a perfect homage to Leonard Nimoy by Ethan Peck). Later seasons, however, prove that the series can't get away from galactic-level threats, and character drama begins overriding plot development enough that we want to slingshot around the sun and return this series to its earlier roots.

6. Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)

Like many Trek series, Star Trek: Voyager had a rocky beginning, and it was often overshadowed by the excellent Deep Space Nine . Ironically, Voyager dramatically improved with what could be a cynical casting stunt: adding the alluring Jeri Ryan (constantly wearing a catsuit, no less).

Though it really looked like a desperate ratings stunt, Ryan turned the reformed Borg Seven of Nine into the most interesting character on the show. And, despite their alleged clashes behind the scenes, the actress helped to elevate every scene she shared with Kate Mulgrew. Between the new cast member, improved writing, and Mulgrew being nothing short of a damned icon, Voyager soon became appointment television, and it's definitely worth binge-watching for modern audiences.

5. Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020–present)

Lower Decks is an impressive show for many reasons, including the fact that its execution elevates its initial premise, which focuses on the lives of the lower-level staffers aboard the starship. Because showrunner Mike McMahan previously wrote for Rick and Morty and the animation takes its cues from the cartoon adventures of Rick Sanchez, many fans may have assumed Lower Decks would simply be " Star Trek meets Rick and Morty ."

Thankfully, that's not the case. Aside from animation similarities, the main element these two cartoons have in common is a breakneck, borderline chaotic pace. But as entertaining as it can be, Rick and Morty is an often nihilistic show with gags revolving around how nothing really matters. Lower Decks , however, is a lighthearted series that serves as the cure to modern Trek . If you've dismissed other contemporary series such as Discovery and Picard because they are grim, violent, and serious, Lower Decks is a wonderfully lighthearted alternative that is never afraid to poke fun at its own franchise.

4. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022–present)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a truly pleasant surprise to fans of the franchise. Set years before Captain Kirk sat in that famous chair, we see Capt. Christopher Pike (Anson Mount reprising the role) lead the U.S.S. Enterprise into bizarre adventures alongside some familiar characters (Ethan Peck returning as Spock, for example) and a few new ones.

Part of what helps this show shine is that it marks a return to episodic Trek in that every installment is a self-contained adventure as opposed to other newer series like Discovery and Picard , which build entire seasons around a single plot. The characters all ooze with the same swashbuckling charm of The Original Series characters, and we can't wait to see more of their adventures. We also can't wait to see more of Anson Mount's amazing hair (arguably the most awesome practical effect in the franchise).

3. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)

Star Trek: The Next Generation has the dubious honor of being the first Trek show where veteran fans warn against new fans starting at the very beginning. Early episodes ranged from stupidly horny (planetary inhabitants in the episode "Justice" were barely wearing scraps of clothing) to ridiculously racist ("Code of Honor" may very well be the worst Star Trek episode ever made). Many of these problems stemmed from the fact that despite being called "The Next Generation," the show was trying to recreate The Original Series (right down to using some of the same writers and shamelessly reusing scripts from the scrapped Star Trek: Phase II series).

As fans like to joke, the show got better as Commander Riker's beard got longer. Season 2 was a major improvement, which was then usurped by season 3, which brought in new uniforms, new sets, and Michael Piller to head up the writing team. Just like that, TNG embraced its differences from its famous forerunner (Picard was cerebral whereas Kirk was impulsive, Data yearned for emotion whereas Spock detested it, and so on). At last, the gamble paid off, and the next generation of this franchise ushered in the next generation of Star Trek fans.

2. Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969)

What can we say about The Original Series that hasn't been said already? Gene Roddenberry successfully fused science fiction with American pioneer spirit to create his vision of this " Wagon Train to the stars." The episodes were both fun and thought-provoking in equal measure, and William Shatner as Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Spock, among many others, turned in performances that seared themselves into our collective pop culture consciousness.

The Original Series offered social commentary about racism, imperialism, and (often to Spock's annoyance) the human condition. And the blend of big acting, ambitious sets, and poignant plots helped this show become something truly transcendent. The OG Star Trek shaped not only the future of the franchise but television itself, and it's not hard to see why it continues to win over new generations of fans year after year.

1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)

Placing Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in the top spot is perhaps a contentious decision. However, this series did more than measure up to the quality of The Next Generation (a lofty feat in and of itself). The show also made a number of storytelling and production choices that have helped DS9 seem more relevant in recent years than ever before, including tackling issues about race, religious fundamentalism, and war on a regular basis.

Perhaps the main way DS9 feels so pertinent is that the show broke the longstanding Trek rule of making only standalone episodes. As the powers that be focused more on creating their next show, Voyager , DS9 showrunner Ira Steven Behr was able to get away with creating long story arcs and frequent episode callbacks. The end result of this is that Deep Space Nine is the first of the pre-streaming era Trek shows that is perfect for binge-watching.

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Star Trek Streaming Guide: Where to Watch All the TV Shows and Movies

Find out where you can stream all the voyages of sci-fi’s longest-running franchise.

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Launched on September 8, 1966 — nearly 54 years ago — the NBC-TV series Star Trek was the beginning of a new age of science fiction on television and, eventually, the big screen. The first show to echo the sophistication and vision of sci-fi literature , Star Trek was only a cult hit at the time of its initial run but refused to die even after its cancellation, with the original 79 episodes running for years in syndication.

More than five decades later, Star Trek encompasses eight TV series (a total of 764 episodes and counting) and 13 films, plus countless books, comics, games and more. It’s had its ups and downs, its high points and its misfires, but it remains one of the most beloved and durable franchises in all of pop culture.

Now, thanks to streaming, all those episodes and movies are available to watch any time (we know you diehard Trekkers have the Blu-rays and DVDs, but you don’t have to break those out anymore). Below is a handy guide to where you can stream every iteration of Trek , from The Original Series to the movies to the new Star Trek: Picard . Grab your remote and boldly go…

Star Trek TV

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)

The one that started it all, the original Star Trek came along at a time when most screen sci-fi (movies and TV) was still just monster movies or kiddie fare ( Lost in Space , anyone?). Gene Roddenberry ’s vision of an intelligent, allegorical sci-fi series, which used actual genre writers for much of its first two seasons, was groundbreaking in ways that reverberate to this day. And its cast, led by William Shatner as Captain Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock and DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy, became iconic.

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Available in the US on Amazon , Hulu , Netflix , CBS All Access

Available in the UK on Netflix UK , Amazon UK * (*purchase only)

Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974)

Using the voices of many of the original cast members and even employing writers from the original series, TAS had a genuine chance to extend the original show with the visual freedom animation offered. But the format turned out to be its enemy, as clunky, cheap animation and frequent reuse of shots gave the show a shoddy, amateurish reputation. Some of the stories are quite good, however.

Available in the US on Amazon , CBS All Access

Available in the UK on Netflix UK

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

Set nearly a century after the original series, with Gene Roddenberry mandating that conflict between the crew members be diminished by that point, ST: TNG proved to be enormously popular even with a brand new, unfamiliar crew. It took most of three seasons for the show to find its footing, but Captain Picard (a magnificent Patrick Stewart ) and company went on many captivating and genuinely outstanding adventures of their own.

Available in the US on Amazon , Netflix , CBS All Access , Hulu

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

Many fans consider DS9 the best Trek series ever , and they certainly can make a good argument for it: the first Trek show not set on a starship, but instead on a remote space station, DS9 addressed cultural divides, character conflict, religion and war in a bolder fashion that any Trek entry before it — while also utilizing the kind of serialized storytelling that is now the standard across the medium.

Available in the UK on Netflix UK , Amazon UK* (*purchase only)

Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)

Voyager found members of a Federation starship and the rebel Maquis stranded together 70,000 years from Earth in the Delta Quadrant, facing a 75-year journey home. Headed by Trek ’s first female captain , Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), Voyager encountered all kinds of interesting new races as well as old enemies the Borg during the long and often compelling journey home.

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)

The first series to act as a prequel, set a decade before the creation of what would become the United Federation of Planets, Enterprise followed the crew of the first ship to bear that name. Uneven in quality and struggling to find resonant stories, Enterprise was canceled after four seasons and ended an 18-year run for Trek on TV. 

Available in the US on Amazon , Netflix , Hulu , CBS All Access

Star Trek: Discovery (2017- )

Set 10 years prior to TOS , Discovery ’s troubled birth (it went through numerous delays and several showrunners) led to the most polarizing show in the franchise to date. Focusing for once on a central character other than the captain — mutinous anthropologist Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), who turns out to be the adopted sister of one Mr. Spock — it has often ignored or played fast and loose with Trek continuity while painting Starfleet in a more conspiratorial light. Season 3 will debut in 2020.

Star Trek: Picard (2020- )

Like Discovery before it, Picard has divided Star Trek fans with its depiction of a Federation in decline, marked by bigotry, deception and treachery. But there is no questioning the powerful presence of Patrick Stewart, playing an older, flawed Picard for the first time in 18 years, and the thrill of seeing old friends like Seven of Nine, Will Riker and Deanna Troi. The show has certainly had its moments ; we’ll see if more are to come in the already-announced season 2 .

Available in the UK on Amazon UK

Star Trek: 50 Best Episodes

The 15 best worst episodes of star trek: the original series, star trek movies.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

After an aborted attempt at a second TV series ( Star Trek: Phase II ), Paramount Pictures brought Trek to the big screen in a lavish, $40 million epic (the most expensive movie of its time) that reunited the original crew in a 2001 -like encounter with a massive, mysterious space probe. Slow-moving, alternately impressive and shaky visually, ST: TMP nevertheless proved that the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise could hold their own on the big screen — and strangely, the film has actually aged better than most.

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Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Still considered the finest Trek movie of all , and rightfully so, The Wrath of Khan focused — like the original show — on character and story instead of visual effects and esoteric concepts. Bringing back a deadly enemy from the first season, the generic superman Khan (Ricardo Montalban), the movie was thrilling, dramatic and, with the death of Spock at the finale, incredibly moving.

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Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

Even though the end of Star Trek II strongly hinted at Spock’s return, it wasn’t a given. But Leonard Nimoy did come back for Star Trek III — as director (and yes, as Spock too in the film’s closing minutes) of this somber and often underrated entry . Captain Kirk loses almost everything — his beloved ship, his commission and his newly reconciled son — to save his friend’s life in a poignant story about friendship and loyalty. And there’s a bad-ass villain too, a Klingon captain played to the hilt by Christopher Lloyd.

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Leonard Nimoy’s second outing as director is both a comedy and an environmentally themed adventure — and it turned out to be one of the biggest hits of the franchise. This light-hearted romp sent Kirk and the gang back to 20 th century San Francisco to rescue a pair of humpback whales, and the fish-out-of-water (pun intended) antics of the crew provide plenty of laughs and a ton of heart.

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Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Shatner got behind the camera for this turgid, unfunny mess , which regularly rates near the bottom of any Trekker’s list. The old “alien pretending to be God” trope, a long-lost brother we never knew Spock had and the other cast members acting by and large like buffoons make this perhaps the most embarrassing of the Enterprise ’s big screen voyages. There are a few nice moments — there always are — but this nowhere near first on our revisit list.

Available in the UK on NOW TV , * Amazon UK , *YouTube , * Sky Store (*purchase/rent only)

Star Trek IV: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

The classic Trek cast bounced back from Star Trek V with a final adventure that was also one of their best . A suspenseful, urgent meditation on aging, grievance and the end of the Cold War, Star Trek IV was a remarkable example of how Trek could show us at our finest even while facing down our lingering demons. Plus it ends with both a great space battle and one of the greatest cast send-offs ever (which was emulated by none other than Avengers Endgame ).

Star Trek: Generations (1994)

What could have been a magnificent passing of the torch from the classic Trek cast to the TNG crew ends up looking and feeling more like a tepid extended TNG episode with weak cameos from Kirk, Scotty (James Doohan) and Chekov (Walter Koenig). Patrick Stewart and his team are all solid, as is villain Malcolm McDowell, and the crashing of the Enterprise is a genuinely gripping setpiece. But the story and motivations are undercooked — as is most of the movie.

Available in the UK on NOW TV , * Amazon UK , * Sky Store , * YouTube (*purchase/rent only)

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Easily the best of the TNG quartet, First Contact travels back in time to the very start of Earth’s push into space, where the Borg intends to cripple humanity once and for all. The crew of the Enterprise follow them to make sure history isn’t changed, even as Picard confronts his fear and hatred of the Borg . Jonathan Frakes does a nice first-time directing job, balancing the action and character work ably, while Alice Krige steals the show as the sensual Borg Queen.

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

Like Generations , the third TNG theatrical outing feels like a mediocre TV segment stretched to feature length; even Frakes’ direction seems uninspired. One difference: with Picard fighting a secret plan (engineered by F. Murray Abraham, above) to uproot the natives of a “fountain of youth” planet, the seeds were planted for later Trek entries that portrayed an increasingly corrupt Federation. Otherwise, this is a forgettable, often cheesy film.

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

The final big-screen outing for the TNG cast is better than its reputation suggests , as Picard squares off against a renegade Romulan who happens to be his clone. Tom Hardy chews the scenery fabulously as the latter, and the climactic battle between his massive ship and the Enterprise is well handled by director Stuart Baird. There’s also a surprising emotional payoff for Data (Brent Spiner) that ends up being the hook for Star Trek: Picard 18 years later.

Star Trek (2009)

J.J. Abrams does what many thought couldn’t be done — he reboots Star Trek with a fresh, young cast inhabiting the original roles made iconic by Shatner, Nimoy and their crew. The new cast, led by Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock, is the best thing about the film, which also uses a clever plot device to position this timeline just slightly to the side of the original one. The reliance on action over ideas is a bit of a letdown, and unfortunately would carry over to the next two movies.

Available in the UK on Netflix , NOW TV , * Amazon UK , * Sky Store , * YouTube (*purchase/rent only)

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

One of the worst Trek films ever , right down there with The Final Frontier . STID insults both fans and casual viewers with a brain-dead script, frantic action and massive contrivances (such as the sudden ability for someone to beam across the galaxy or the screenwriters’ well-worn “magic blood” gimmick). But its most egregious offense is turning into a half-assed remake of The Wrath of Khan that’s as dumb as it is pointless. This is what happens when people tackle Trek with no understanding of it.

Available in the UK on * Amazon UK , * Sky Store , * YouTube (*purchase/rent only)

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Still too reliant on action over depth, and featuring the third revenge-driven storyline in a row, Star Trek Beyond is nevertheless better than its predecessor . It mostly works as a standalone adventure, and once again the Pine/Quinto cast delivers with heart. But even though Beyond does occasionally capture the vibe of classic Trek , there’s a vague sense of desperation at work — like the franchise knows it’s run out of gas (and crashing the Enterprise for the third time in 13 films doesn’t help).

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Don Kaye | @donkaye

Don Kaye is an entertainment journalist by trade and geek by natural design. Born in New York City, currently ensconced in Los Angeles, his earliest childhood memory is…

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How to watch the star trek movies and tv shows in order.

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Key Takeaways

• Explore the Star Trek universe by watching the franchise in chronological order, based on stardates.
• The original Star Trek timeline includes the TV show Enterprise and the first two seasons of Discovery.
• The original series, The Animated Series, and the first Star Trek movie are important parts of the franchise's origins.

With the Star Trek franchise rapidly expanding on Paramount+ , now is the perfect time to boldly go explore the Star Trek Universe.

The universe is composed of 13 films and nine TV shows. Now, it'd be easy enough to watch them all in the order they premiered, but if you prefer to watch everything chronologically (when the events take place), we've compiled an ultimate viewing guide for you. Below, you'll find the entire franchise organized by stardates. It starts with the oldest event in the original Star Trek timeline.

Speaking of timelines, there are two in Star Trek: The original, which includes nearly all the films and TV shows; and Kelvin, an alternative timeline that kicked off with the latest three reboot films. To better understand what we're talking about, please read the guide below. Those of you who want to proceed spoiler-free, however, can scroll all the way to the bottom for the list version of this guide.

Also at the bottom, we've included another spoiler-free list. It's structured by order of release - or when each film and TV show premiered.

How to watch all the Marvel movies and TV shows in chronological order

The Marvel Cinematic Universe began in 2008 and is still going strong. Here's the entire MCU timeline, shows and movies included.

The original Star Trek timeline

The thing to remember about this order is that it is chronological - based entirely on the stardate time system in the Star Trek franchise. Think of stardates as years. In that case, the order below starts with the oldest events in the Star Trek Universe - but it excludes the Kelvin timeline films.

There are spoilers below.

1 Star Trek: E nterprise

The first to boldly go where no man has gone before, star trek: enterprise.

Stardate: 2151 to 2156

Enterprise follows the adventures of one of the first starships to explore deep space in the Star Trek Universe.

Set right before the founding of the Federation of Planets (and about 100 years before the original Star Trek series), Star Trek: Enterprise is a TV show that follows the adventures of Captain Jack Archer, played by Scott Bakula, and the Starship Enterprise crew. This ship is the first Federation vessel to have Warp 5 capabilities, allowing its crew to be among the first deep-space explorers.

The series introduces many of the different alien species important to the Star Trek Universe, such as the Vulcans and Klingons. It also begins to lay the groundwork for the Federation of Planets, in the fourth and final season.

2 Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2

Discover a new type of starship, set ten years before the original series, star trek: discovery.

Stardate: 2256

The first two seasons of Discovery is set ten years before the original series as the crew of the titular ship tests an impressive new warp drive.

Star Trek: Discovery follows Michael Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green, the first officer aboard the USS Shenzhou before she is found guilty of mutineering. However, with the Federation at war with the Klingons, the captain of the new Discovery ship, Gabriel Lorca, played by Jason Isaacs, enlists Burnham to help get the ship’s experimental warp drive properly working.

Discovery's early setting in the Star Trek universe was changed with a leap through time at the end of season two, which is why we're placing the recently released third season elsewhere on our list.

3 Star Trek: Strange New World

A direct prequel to the original series., star trek: strange new worlds.

Stardate: 2258

Strange New Worlds follows the early adventures of the Starship Enterprise, before Kirk became its captain.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike.

Pike will be a familiar name to Star Trek fans, as Pike is the man who commanded the starship Enterprise before Captain Kirk. The series follows Pike doing just that, in his final five-year mission as captain of the Enterprise before he becomes Fleet Captain and hands the reigns to Captain Kirk.

This being a prequel to the original Star Trek series, there are also other recognizable names, with Ethan Peck playing Spock and Celia Rose-Gooding as Uhara. A third season is currently in production.

4 Star Trek: The Original Series

Where it all began, star trek: the original series.

Stardate: 2266 to 2269

The original Star Trek series follows Captain Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew as they boldly go where no man has gone before.

This is the original Star Trek TV show. It began airing in 1966 and primarily follows the crew of the USS Enterprise, starting with them embarking on a five-year mission “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before”.

The series introduces William Shatner’s Captain James T Kirk and Leonard Nimoy’s Spock, too.

It also gives us the basis for the universe that makes Star Trek so successful, from introducing numerous alien species like the Vulcans and Klingons to showing us the inner workings of the Federation of Planets. The origins of the Star Trek Universe wouldn’t exist without it.

5 *Optional* Star Trek: The Animated Series

Continue the journey with the original crew, star trek: animated.

Stardate: 2269 to 2270

Continue the adventures of the original series in this animated version that sees most of the cast return to voice their characters.

After The Original Series ended, it quickly became a cult classic. Creator Gene Roddenberry then began work on an animated series that saw most of the original cast provide voice work for the animated versions of their characters. The show essentially functions as the fourth season of the original series, with the original characters navigating unexplored sections of space.

However, it was eliminated from canon by Roddenberry himself, when the rights were renegotiated following the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. So, if you want to consume every drop of Star Trek content, add this to your list.

6 Star Trek: The Motion Picture

The first star trek movie, star trek: the motion picture.

Stardate: 2273

Captain Kirk, his crew, and a newly remodeled Enterprise head out to investigate an alien entity known as V'ger.

This is the first feature film in the Star Trek Universe. It sees Captain James T Kirk retake the helm of a renovated USS Enterprise to investigate a mysterious cloud of energy that is moving toward Earth. The energy cloud destroys a Federation monitoring station, as well as three Klingon ships, but before Kirk is able to engage it, he must learn to operate an unfamiliar USS Enterprise.

7 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Star trek: the wrath of khan.

Stardate: 2285

The crew of the Enterprise faces off against it's most fearsome adversary, Khan.

The second Star Trek movie is perhaps the most successful entry in the franchise. It sees Captain James T Kirk taking command of a USS Enterprise staffed with untested trainees in order to track down the adversary Khan Noonien Singh and his genetically engineered super soldiers.

In the process of escaping a planet that Kirk trapped him on, Khan learns of a secret device known as Genesis, capable of re-organizing matter to terraform (make them habitable) planets. Khan tries to steal the device, but, of course, Kirk will do all he can to stop him.

8 Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

The crew of the enterprise try to resurrect spock, star trek iii: the search for spock.

Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise set out on a mission to recover Spock's body and bring him back to life.

Following their battle with Khan, the crew of the USS Enterprise returns home to Earth in this third feature film.

Once there, Leonard H “Bones” McCoy, played by DeForest Kelley, begins to act strangely, leading to him being detained. Captain James T Kirk, with the help of Spock’s father, Sarek, played by Mark Lenard, then learns that Spock transferred his Katra into McCoy before dying.

If nothing is done, McCoy will die from carrying Spock’s Katra. So, the crew of the USS Enterprise go back to the site of their battle with Khan - in the hopes of retrieving Spock’s body. To top it all off, they must battle with the Klingon Kruge, played by Christopher Lloyd, over control of the Genesis Device. The Search for Spock is also directed by Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy.

9 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Earth is in danger and the only hope is humpback whales, star trek iv: the voyage home.

Stardate: 2286

The Enterprise travels back in time to 1986 and has to untangle a mystery involving humpback whales and an alien probe.

In this film, a mysterious ship begins orbiting Earth and destroys the planet's power grid. It emits strange noises, too, and the newly resurrected Spock realizes the sound is similar to the now-extinct humpback whale. Believing the strange ship is expecting to hear back the song of humpback whales, the crew goes around the Sun and travels back in time to 1986 to get a humpback whale.

Nimoy returned to direct this film, as well.

10 Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

The enterprise crew must face off with spock's brother, sybok, star trek v: the final frontier.

Stardate: 2287

The Enterprise heads out on a mission to rescue hostages from the planet Nimbus 3.

After finishing a mission, Kirk, Spock, and Bones are enjoying a camping trip in Yosemite in this film when they are ordered to rescue hostages on the planet Nimbus III. But, once arriving on the planet, the crew realizes Spock’s half-brother, Sybok, is responsible for taking the hostages in order to lure a starship, with the hopes of reaching the mythical planet Sha Ka Ree and meeting a God.

Sybok realizes he’ll need Kirk’s expertise to navigate through the barrier at the centre of the Milky Way that leads to this mythical planet. Along the way, the Klingon Kraa decides to hunt Kirk. The Final Frontier is also the only Star Trek film directed by William Shatner.

11 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

The final film starring the original series cast, star trek vi: the undiscovered country.

Stardate: 2293

After being framed for a political assassination, Kirk and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise must unravel the conspiracy to avoid war with the Klingon Empire.

In the final film of this series, we see the Klingon homeworld nearly destroyed, leading the hostile empire to engage in peace talks with the Federation. Captain James T Kirk is assigned to escort the Klingon ambassador, but is instead blamed when assassins beam aboard the Ambassador’s ship and kill him. The Klingons then sentence Kirk and McCoy to life imprisonment on a frozen asteroid.

At that point, Spock and the rest of the crew must find the true culprits behind the attack of the Klingon ship and rescue Kirk and Bones.

12 Star Trek: The Next Generation

The next generation takes over the uss enterprise, star trek: the next generation.

Stardate: 2364 to 2370

A new crew takes over the Enterprise and heads out on a five-year mission to explore the unknown.

Set 71 years after the USS Enterprise’s last mission with Captain James T Kirk at the helm, The Next Generation introduces us to a new USS Enterprise staffed with the next generation of Starfleet officers, led by Captain Jean Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart).

This TV series also shows us new species of aliens, the Cardassians and the Borgs, which replace the now-friendlier Klingons as the Federation’s primary adversaries.

The Next Generation ran for seven seasons and featured a couple of cameos from The Original Series, like Spock and Bones, among others.

13 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Everyday life in the deepest reaches of space, star trek: deep space nine.

Stardate: 2369 to 2375

Set on a stationary space station instead of an exploring starship, Deep Space Nine explores what life in space is like after the exploring part is done.

This TV show overlaps with the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It focuses on the former Cardassian space station, a backwood outpost that the Federation now controls and has ordered a Starfleet crew to run, with Avery Brook’s Benjamin Sisko as the commanding officer.

It's not about a starship exploring the unknown, but rather the trade disputes and political manoeuvring surrounding a crucial military hub.

14 Star Trek Generations

The two enterprise crews unite to take on a force with the power to destroy stars, star trek: generations.

Stardate: 2371

The first Star Trek film to feature the Next Generation crew also brought back the Enterprise crew from the original series.

Star Trek Generations is the first film to feature the crew of The Next Generation while also starring some of The Original Series cast.

The plot primarily centres around an El-Aurian, named Dr Tolian Soran (played by Malcolm McDowell), as well as an energy ribbon known as the Nexus.

You see, in 2293, Soran is rescued from the Energy Ribbon by a retired Captain James T Kirk, who is attending a maiden voyage of a new USS Enterprise. Then, in 2371, while answering a distress call, Captain Jean Luc Picard finds Soran - and he has a weapon capable of destroying stars.

15 Star Trek: Voyager

A federation starship stranded in uncharted space, star trek voyager.

Stardate: 2371 to 2378

Follow a Captain Janeway and her crew of the USS Voyager as they attempt to find their way home after being stranded in space.

After leaving Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in search of a group of Maquis rebels, the Starship Voyager, led by Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), is captured by an energy wave that sends it - and a ship of Maquis rebels - into the middle of the unexplored Delta Quadrant. With both ships damaged and far from home, the crews agree to join forces and begin a 75-year journey back to Earth.

16 Star Trek: First Contact

The crew of the enterprise travels back before the first warp drive was used, star trek: first contact.

Stardate: 2373

The Enterprise must travel back in time to prevent a Borg ship from assimilating all of Earth.

In this film, the USS Enterprise tries to help defeat a Borg Cube attacking Earth, with Captain Jean Luc Picard assuming command of a fleet of starships. However, just before the Cube is destroyed, it releases a smaller ship that enters a temporal vortex. The USS Enterprise gives chase through the vortex, but in the process, realizes the Borg traveled back in time and assimilated the entire planet.

And once through the Vortex, the crew arrives in 2063. More specifically, they arrive one day before Zefram Cochrane (played by James Cromwell) uses the first warp drive system, which draws the attention of the Vulcans, leading to humanity's first contact with an alien race.

17 Star Trek: Insurrection

The enterprise must uncover the mystery around a nearly immortal group of people, star trek: insurrection.

Stardate: 2375

The crew of the USS Enterprise uncovers a conspiracy involving the forced relocation of a peaceful alien race.

The action now centres around a planet with a type of unique radiation that rejuvenates its people, known as the Ba’ku. The effects of the radiation make the Ba’ku nearly immortal.

In this film, Brent Spinner’s Data is sent undercover to monitor the Ba’ku people and soon begins to malfunction, which causes Captain Jean Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise to investigate.

They uncover a conspiracy between a species, which is hostile to the Ba’ku, and Admiral Mathew Doherty, a Starfleet officer played by Anthony Zerbe. The crew of the Enterprise must stop them both in order to save the Ba’ku from being forcibly removed from their home planet.

18 Star Trek: Nemesis

Picard vs picard, star trek: nemesis.

Stardate: 2379

Captain Picard and the crew face a new, dangerous enemy in the form of a clone of Picard himself.

Captain Jean Luc Picard and the USS Enterprise crew are sent on a mission to meet with the leader of the Romulans, Shinzon, played by a super young Tom Hardy. Once there, they learn that Shinzon is actually a clone of Picard, created in the hopes that he would one day be able to infiltrate the Federation. The Romulans had abandoned the plan and sent Shinzon into slavery.

He led a rebellion, however, and created his own starship, the Scimitar. Soon, the Enterprise learns Shinzon’s true plan is to use a form of radiation poisonous to all life in order to attack the Federation and destroy Earth.

19 Star Trek: Picard

Picard's forced out of retirement one more time

Star Trek: Picard

Stardate: 2399

Captain Picard's retirement is about as full of adventure as his career on the Enterprise.

One of the most popular starship captains in the Star Trek Universe, Jean Luc Picard had retired to a life of wine-making, but a new mission set 20 years after the events of Nemesis sees Captain Jean Luc Picard return to space along with many of his old friends. The first season sees Picard struggling with the events that led to his retirement from Starfleet -- when he's forced into a conflict that sees him thrust into a captain's chair again.

The second season sees Picard transported to an alternate timeline by the interdimensional being known as Q (John De Lancie), who originally appeared in The Next Generation. The third and final season of Picard recently got a teaser and is slated to premiere in spring 2023.

20 Star Trek: Discovery seasons 3 and beyond

The discovery's journey picks up later than any other star trek content.

Stardate: 3188

Catch up with the rest of Discovery after a timejump shifts the story to the end of the Star Trek timeline.

Burnham and the crew of the Discovery make a jump through time that lands them further in the future than we've ever seen in the Star Trek Universe.

There, Burnham is separated from the rest of the crew of Discovery.

While trying to locate the ship, she learns that the United Federation of Planets has fallen following the event known as The Burn, which saw ships simultaneously explode throughout the entire galaxy. The fuel for Star Trek's ships, Dilithium, has also become extremely rare, which makes travel across wide distances of space much harder. In the fourth season, Burnham and the crew of the Discovery begin the process of rebuilding the Federation of Planets. A fifth season of Star Trek Discovery is slated to premiere in 2024.

Kelvin timeline: The alternate Star Trek timeline

These films kick off JJ Abrams' alternate Star Trek timeline. Officially called the Kelvin timeline, it's named after the USS Kelvin. If you want to watch them, you can do so either before or after Star Trek: The Original Series. We prefer you watch it after - in fact, watch it after you've finished the original Star Trek timeline, because it literally takes place in a different timeline.

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This Is The Correct Order In Which To Watch The Star Trek Franchise

Don't look now, but "Star Trek" is a thing again. It's been a while — after redefining television in the 1960s and enjoying a resurgence in the '80s and '90s, the final episode of ""Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2005 marked the beginning of a dark period in which there was simply no "Trek" to be had. Then, in 2017, the drought ended with the premiere of " "Star Trek: Discovery ," and when it rains, it pours. "Discovery" heralded the arrival of a whole new era of ""Star Trek," and that's just the beginning — Paramount+ will soon play host to two new "Star Trek" shows, with three more currently in development, and there's a new movie scheduled for release in 2023 . Suddenly, we are awash in "Trek," which means that if you're unfamiliar with Gene Roddenberry's universe, it's a pretty good time to jump on board. Only where do you start with a franchise this big — and more importantly, what's the proper watch order?

These are the questions we're here to answer. While it's tempting to try and watch "Star Trek" chronologically, using either the fictional timeline or release dates, we recommend an order that's a bit of a blend of both. Following this list should result in an experience that provides a complete picture of what "Star Trek" is while also remaining easy to binge. With that in mind (and with the understanding that a few spoilers are unavoidable ), it's time to boldly go where every previous "Star Trek" installment has gone before!

The Original Series

When you watch "Star Trek," you really need to begin at the beginning. Not with Enterprise, which is set earlier in the "Trek" timeline than any show, but with "Star Trek" — or as it's lovingly called these days, "The Original Series." This is the show that ran on NBC from 1966 to 1969, forever altering the television medium, the science fiction genre, and the experience of being a fan. While some viewers may find the special effects laughable or the political themes unsubtle, the most astonishing thing about "TOS" is how well it holds up, even more than 50 years later. The first two seasons, in particular, are absolutely riddled with classic episodes, and while the third season is significantly worse due to changes in the creative team, it's still fun to watch William Shatner ham it up as Captain Kirk, Leonard Nimoy raise a single Vulcan eyebrow as Mr. Spock, and the original Starship Enterprise soar through space. Most importantly, though, those first 79 episodes introduce rules, concepts, and even characters that "Star Trek" is still playing with today, from Class M planets and the Prime Directive to Khan and the Klingons.

The Animated Series

The unofficial fourth and fifth seasons of "Star Trek," "The Animated Series" aired on NBC from 1973 to 1974, after tempers had cooled somewhat between NBC and Roddenberry, who left "Star Trek" after its second season out of frustration with the network. Not only was the entire original cast back (minus Walter Koenig), but so was Roddenberry, and so was D.C. Fontana, Roddenberry's longtime assistant who had grown into one of the most celebrated "Trek" writers and had also departed after Season 2. Between the return of some of the show's original creative minds and cast, and the fact that animation allowed them to do so much more than live action special effects of the era, "TAS" is pure, undiluted "Star Trek."

It's never been made explicitly clear whether "TAS" is canon, but considering the number of "TAS" ideas re-used in later live-action shows, plus the introduction in "TAS" of canon pieces of backstory, like Kirk's middle name, it's silly at this point to believe otherwise. And it's required viewing for completists who want to see every televised adventure undertaken by the original Enterprise crew.

The first six films

"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was released by Paramount in 1979, and while it's not an especially good film, it holds historical importance as the launching point for the "Star Trek" movie franchise. The real highlights in this part of the list, though, are the three films that followed. The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home essentially form their own trilogy of movies within the larger "Trek" saga, and are some of the most popular and critically acclaimed installments in the franchise. "The Wrath of Khan," in particular, tends to show up near the top of "best science fiction films in history" lists, making the titular Khan such an iconic villain that he was recast for the J.J. Abrams reboot movies, while "The Voyage Home" is probably the most charming "Star Trek" film, as the Enterprise travels to the past to rescue the humpback whale species from extinction.

Even the most dedicated binge-watcher can safely skip the horrendous fifth movie, "The Final Frontier," but "The Undiscovered Country" is an absolute masterpiece, and taken together, these six films provide a worthy capstone to the franchise's inaugural era.

It might seem counterintuitive to follow up the oldest "Star Trek" series with one of the newest, especially given that "Star Trek: Discovery" actually takes place prior to "The Original Series." But there's a good reason to jump from the tales of Kirk and Spock to the tales of Michael Burnham and...well, and Spock, who shows up in Season 2. "The Original Series" and its accompanying animated and film extensions are foundational to "Discovery," which is set shortly after the events of the rejected "Star Trek" pilot "The Cage." And characters from "The Cage" show up in Season 2 and are also appearing in their own spinoff, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

While an in-universe chronological watch order would put the first two seasons of "Discovery" before "TOS" and the third season at the very end (as the crew travels forward in time to the far future) it makes more sense to us to treat "Discovery" as its own story. The third season does occasionally reference "past" events from other shows, but that does lead nicely into the next "Trek" installment...

The Next Generation (Seasons 1-5)

For many Trekkies today, "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was their introduction to the franchise, and for good reason. If any one series beyond the original can lay a claim to being the single most iconic "Star Trek" story, it's Next Generation, which premiered in 1987 and went on to not only have seven seasons of its own, but to jumpstart a chain of interlocking "Star Trek" shows that would thoroughly dominate the 1990s. Before that, though, the first five seasons of Next Generation stood alone, and if you're trying to get somebody instantly hooked on Trek, this might actually be the place to start, despite the fact that the first couple of seasons don't hold up incredibly well.

If you're absorbing all of "Star Trek," though, "Next Generation" has to be the place to start. After all, it's the next generation of what, exactly? The answer is the Starship Enterprise, which comes with an entirely new cast and crew, introducing the world to Worf, Data, Counselor Troi, and Geordi LaForge, and permanently branding the hearts of a thousand Trekkies with the image of Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard .

The Next Generation (Season 6) / Deep Space Nine (Season 1)

Okay, this is where it gets weird. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" debuted in January 1993, just a few months after "Next Generation" kicked off its sixth season — a season full of unmitigated classics, incidentally, from the return of Montgomery Scott in "Relics" to the legendary two-parter "Chain of Command." Picard even makes a cameo in the first episode of "DS9," which takes place aboard a space station and uses the ideas and events of earlier "Next Generation" episodes to inform characters like Commander Benjamin Sisko and Quark. It's essentially impossible to understand Sisko's backstory, for example, without first having seen the "Next Generation" episode "The Best of Both Worlds."

Despite the fact that they take place over roughly the same time period, we recommend watching the entirety of Season 6 of "Next Generation" followed by the entirety of Season 1 of "DS9," if for no other reason than the former has more episodes than the latter, making it a complicated process to intercut between them. But however you choose to do it, these two seasons really should be watched back to back.

The Next Generation (Season 7) / Deep Space Nine (Season 2)

Similarly, the second season of "DS9" coincides with the last "Next Generation" season. While it might lack the standout episodes of earlier seasons, Season 7 manages a few achievements. For one thing, it puts a bow on one of the most beloved shows in television history with a flourish, ending the program with an ambitious, timeline-jumping two-parter that ties directly into the events of the very first episode. It also inadvertently lays the groundwork for a much more modern "Trek" show with an episode about junior officers called "Lower Decks." But most importantly, it ties into and reinforces "Deep Space Nine," most notably in the penultimate episode "Preemptive Strike," which deals with concurrent "DS9" problems like the Cardassians and the Maquis.

By the end of Season 2, "DS9" has already proven capable of standing on its own, having picked up and ran with the Maquis threads from earlier "Next Generation" episodes, returned to the Mirror Universe first introduced in the original series, and introduced the Dominion and the Jem'Hadar, who will serve as the series' primary antagonists. But the stories of Picard and company were far from over...

Generations

The four feature films built around the cast of "Next Generation" are a direct continuation of the movies that came before, not least because the first one, 1994's "Generations," serves as a bridge between "TOS" and its descendant, and between Kirk and Picard, in about the most literal way you could imagine. This movie marks the final appearance of several characters from the original show, including Kirk himself (the one played by William Shatner, at any rate) which makes it a crucial piece of the "Star Trek" timeline, as does the introduction of Data's emotion chip. Of course, some might consider the movie worth it just to see Malcolm McDowell chew the scenery like he hasn't eaten in three days, and we can't say they're wrong.

"Generations" launched Picard's crew onto the big screen almost immediately after their exit from the small one, meaning they would continue to be the face of "Star Trek" for the remainder of the decade. But back in the realm of "Trek" TV, things were only heating up, as a new series prepared to take the field and challenge "DS9" for television dominance.

Deep Space Nine (Season 3) / Voyager (Season 1)

Once again, it's time to switch between two seasons of "Star Trek," as the third season of "DS9" overlaps with the debuting "Star Trek: Voyager." The first "Trek" series to feature a woman (Kathryn Janeway) in the captain's chair, "Voyager" also had a unique and fascinating premise. Much of the "DS9" action is driven by the existence of a nearby wormhole that leads to the Gamma Quadrant, a section of space far away from the Federation's native Alpha Quadrant. This allows the titular space station and its intrepid crew to encounter any number of new and dangerous alien species. "Voyager" goes even farther, literally — a solitary ship finds itself transported to the even more distant Delta Quadrant and spends the rest of the series trying to get home.

Due to this premise, there's no reason whatsoever to jump between individual episodes of these two seasons, as the events of one show don't affect the other in any way. But jumping between shows by the season provides a fun and accurate experience of what it was like to watch the interlocking "Star Trek" programs of the 1990s.

Deep Space Nine (Season 4) / Voyager (Season 2)

Like most "Star Trek" shows, "Voyager" takes a couple of seasons to find its feet, and Season 2 in particular contains some of its most notoriously bad episodes, from the tone-deaf Native American implications of "Tattoo" to Janeway and Voyager pilot Tom Paris turning into salamanders and having salamander babies together in "Threshold" to the utter abomination that is "Tuvix." At least it has the consideration to get them all out of the way early on.

"DS9," meanwhile, was encountering its own problems in Season 4, which took a sharp turn away from the burgeoning conflict with the Dominion and instead spent most of its time dealing with the newly antagonistic Klingon Empire. Fortunately, even as the overarching plot went briefly off the rails, the writing was getting better and better, and the diversion is, if nothing else, entertaining. As a bonus, Season 4 features one of television's first lesbian kisses, and also brings in Worf, the Klingon security officer from "Next Generation" — until Picard, Michael Dorn was the only actor to star in the main casts of two different "Star Trek" shows.

First Contact

As a result of his dual roles, Worf would spend the next several years hopping back and forth between television and the movies. One reason it's important to watch Season 4 of "DS9" prior to watching "First Contact," the second film starring the "Next Generation" cast, is because in order to include Worf in the story, the latter is obligated to include a scene in which the Enterprise rescues another ship called the Defiant, introduced in "DS9" and captained by Worf himself. Future "Next Generation" movies, which decline in quality moving forward, come up with increasingly hand-wavy reasons for his presence on the Enterprise bridge.

"First Contact" itself, however, is by far the best of the "Next Generation" films and one of the best "Star Trek" films in general, as the crew travels back in time to prevent the cybernetic hive mind known as the Borg from altering history. Not only is "First Contact" a great movie (and the film directorial debut of Jonathan Frakes, who plays Commander William Riker), it also kicks off a spectacular "Star Trek" run that can stand up against any other period in franchise history.

Deep Space Nine (Season 5) / Voyager (Season 3)

With Season 5, "DS9" gets back on track after the previous outlier season, quickly focusing around a single unified threat thanks to an alliance between the show's original antagonists the Cardassians and the Dominion. The presence of the sinister Changelings adds an intrigue element to the story, as any character could potentially be a Changeling in disguise — a concept that would be used to great effect years later in the 2004 reboot of "Battlestar Galactica." The season concludes with the official start of the Dominion War, a conflict that would dominate the remainder of the show.

"Voyager," meanwhile, was also getting back on track in its third season, which generally sees an uptick in quality — particularly toward the end, with episodes like "Before and After," "Real Life," and "Worst Case Scenario." Robert Picardo, who plays Voyager's holographic doctor, also gets to make a cameo in "DS9" as the Doctor's creator, Lewis Zimmerman, in the episode "Doctor Bashir, I presume." And Season 3 ends with the first installment of "Scorpion," which catalyzed "Voyager's" official rise to greatness in part thanks to a memorable new character.

Deep Space Nine (Season 6) / Voyager (Season 4)

These two overlapping seasons, airing in late 1997 and early 1998, represent the pinnacle of "Star Trek's" '90s golden age. In "DS9," the Dominion War is in full swing, the series' much-discussed religions themes are building in prominence, the mysterious Section 31 is introduced, foreshadowing its prominent role in both "Enterprise" and "Discovery," and most memorably, the showrunners do what almost no iteration of "Star Trek" has ever dared to do: permanently kill off a member of the main cast.

Casting changes are also a major part of Season 4 of "Voyager," which jettisons the little-loved character of Kes and officially introduces Seven of Nine , a liberated Borg drone played by Jeri Ryan who quickly joins the ranks of the franchise's most widely known characters. It's an oversimplification to suggest that the overall brilliance of Season 4 is the direct result of Ryan joining the cast, but no matter how much of it you attribute to her, it's a phenomenal season of television, filled from start to finish with some of the best "Voyager" episodes (and also "Retrospect," but we don't talk about that one).

Insurrection

It's not "First Contact," but 1998's "Insurrection" is still a pretty good "Next Generation" movie, another solid offering from Jonathan Frakes. While "Insurrection" doesn't interact much with the events of "DS9" or "Voyager," watching it at this point in the "Trek" timeline provides an overall context for the state of the Federation, which has been intermittently challenged, as the movie's primary villain points out, by the Borg, the Cardassians, and the Dominion. A sense of the Federation being assailed from all sides isn't strictly necessary for the film's story of familial betrayal on a planet that confers immortality, but it does make viewing it a more interesting experience (though again, the perfunctory inclusion of Worf simply because he's expected to be in "Next Generation" movies is potentially jarring for "DS9" fans who have become invested in his character development, which "Insurrection" largely ignores).

"Insurrection" is Frakes' last "Star Trek" movie as director (though he would later direct episodes of "Discovery" and "Picard") and marks the beginning of the end of the '90s "Trek" boom. There's still plenty of great "Trek" ahead, but the curve is now pointing down.

Deep Space Nine (Season 7) / Voyager (Season 5)

The final season of "DS9" represents one of the single greatest creative accomplishments in "Star Trek" history, as no "Trek" show to date has managed to stick such an ambitious and satisfying landing. In a unique move, the last 10 episodes of the season form a single, series-ending story, and the feature-length finale, "What You Leave Behind," is considered one of the greatest "Trek" episodes of all time. "DS9" had been great for at least two seasons prior to this one, but the success of Season 7 cemented it as a foremost jewel in the crown of the "Star Trek" franchise.

"Voyager," meanwhile, continued its stellar run of episodes, capping off a three-year rehabilitation effort that saw one of the franchise's shakiest shows become one of its best. It was good timing, too, because with "DS9" wrapping up ("What You Leave Behind" aired the week after the Season 5 "Voyager" finale, "Equinox"), Captain Janeway and her crew were suddenly the only starship in the galaxy. And you, intrepid binge-watcher, can finally stop switching between two different shows.

Voyager (Seasons 6-7)

Unlike "DS9," the final seasons of "Voyager" are not its best, though admittedly, after Seasons 4 and 5, that's a high bar to clear. Season 6 comes close with a steady stream of classics, introducing both the popular Holodeck scenario Fair Haven and the "Pathfinder" storyline that sees "Next Generation" vets Reginald Barclay and Deanna Troi join up as recurring characters. By Season 7, however, the quality of "Voyager" has begun to dip noticeably — the final season contains few memorable episodes and at least one extremely ill-conceived romantic subplot. It earns some redemption, however, with the two-part series finale "Endgame," which, whether you like it or not, at least fulfills the promise of the show's premise and comes to a definitive conclusion about whether the ship and its crew are ever getting back to the Alpha Quadrant. It's a moment that would have been easy to shy away from, and "Voyager" meets it head on.

"Endgame" aired in May 2001, and in retrospect, the title didn't only apply to "Voyager." The continuous story that "Star Trek" had been telling for the past 14 years over the course of three different shows and three different movies was over. There was, however, one last (incredibly depressing) chapter to get through.

The final "Next Generation" film, released in 2002, is by far the worst of them, and the worst "Star Trek" movie in general since 1989's "The Final Frontier." It was so bad, in fact, that it notoriously killed "Star Trek" — plans for a fifth "Next Generation" movie were scrapped after "Nemesis" bombed at the box office, and creatively, it's an absolute nightmare, introducing a Romulan sister planet with the unfortunate name of Remus, blatantly attempting to restart Data's entire character arc via a literal copy with the also unfortunate name of B-4, and tying these and other unfortunate decisions together with a nonsensical plot featuring Tom Hardy as a secret clone of Picard. After "Nemesis," the scuttling of future franchise installments can honestly be seen as a mercy killing.

"Star Trek" wasn't quite dead in 2002, however. While we've now officially made it through the combined stories of "Next Generation," "DS9," and "Voyager," there's one more show, independent from the others, that now enters the viewing order. And watching it involves going back to the very beginning... and even before that.

In a chronological viewing, "Star Trek: Enterprise" would actually be the first show you watch, since it takes place a hundred years prior to "The Cage." Indirectly spinning off from the events of "First Contact," it tells the story of Earth's first warp starship, appropriately named the Enterprise and captained by Scott Bakula's Jonathan Archer, and of humanity's early relationships with alien species like the Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans, and Andorians. Despite its status as a prequel, the sheer degree to which "Enterprise" relies on its audience having knowledge of other "Star Trek" properties makes it almost impossible to recommend as an entry point. It fits much better here, as the official end of the franchise's second major era, especially given that the final episode, "These Are The Voyages...," frames itself as a holodeck simulation being watched by the Enterprise crew from "Next Generation."

"There Are The Voyages..." aired on May 13th, 2005. There wouldn't be another "Star Trek" show for more than 12 years. At this point, our watch order breaks away from order of release, but we feel strongly that it's how "Star Trek" from 1987 to 2005 should be watched.

Lower Decks

If you think 12 years is a long gap between "Star Trek" installments, that's nothing compared to the 45 years that went by between "Trek" stories told via animation. "Short Treks" was technically the first "Trek" show since "The Animated Series" to include animated episodes, and that aired in 2019, but 2020 gave us the first season of "Lower Decks," an entirely animated show about the people who don't get to hang out on the bridge.

The first franchise installment to ever concern itself primarily with characters who are not in command of a starship or space station, "Lower Decks" is the "Star Trek" equivalent of shows like HBO's "Harley Quinn" — an irreverent, adult-oriented comedy that revels in its TV-MA rating, delivering violence, sex, and swearing at warp speed frequencies. Chronologically, it's set shortly after the events of "Nemesis," but more importantly to the binge-watcher, it's the dessert following a feast — a vital dose of pure fun after absorbing almost four full decades of space drama.

The Kelvin timeline

After the box office failure of "Nemesis" brought an abrupt end to the "Next Generation" movies, there wasn't a new "Trek" film until 2009. And far from being a continuation of the existing movie franchise, this new version, simply called "Star Trek," was a reboot of "The Original Series," casting new, younger versions of Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the first Enterprise crew. Sequels to the reboot followed in 2013 and 2016.

Watching these three movies as part of a "Star Trek" binge is pretty much entirely optional, since they take place in an alternate timeline created when the USS Kelvin was destroyed in battle with time-traveling Romulan ship from the 24th century, leaving an infant James T. Kirk without a father in the process. Moreover, the trilogy is widely considered to be of uneven quality (though the third movie, "Star Trek Beyond," is considerably better than its predecessor, possibly due to the departure of director J.J. Abrams). Still, if you're going to watch them, this is the place in the viewing order to do it, as a key plot point of the first film — the Romulan sun going supernova — plays a major role in "Picard."

Short Treks

The Kelvin movies might not exert much direct influence over the larger plot of "Star Trek," but they played a major role in the future of the franchise by bringing in Alex Kurtzman. Kurtzman is the showrunner on "Discovery," and with the exception of "Lower Decks," he has been directly involved in every modern "Trek" series. In 2018, after the successful first season of "Discovery" led to a new expansion of the "Star Trek" franchise, Kurtzman and co-creator Bryan Fuller (formerly a writer on "DS9" and "Voyager") premiered "Short Treks," an anthology series of short, unrelated stories. As of this writing, there have been two seasons and 10 total episodes, some live-action, some animated.

"Short Treks" spans almost the entire "Star Trek" timeline — two episodes are set in the period of time between "Enterprise" and "The Original Series," while a third takes place in the far future. As a result, watching it requires a sense of the entire scope of the "Trek" universe. It's the penultimate entry in this watch order, however, because the Season 2 finale, "Children of Mars," leads directly into the final entry: "Picard."

"Star Trek: Picard" is the first of the modern "Trek" offerings to look forward rather than back, giving us a story set after the events of "Next Generation," "DS9," and "Voyager." Indeed, not only does the series follow up with Jean-Luc Picard 20 years after we last saw him (and 12 years after the Romulan sun went supernova) but it also brings in an older version of Seven of Nine, once again portrayed by Jeri Ryan. As mentioned, Picard also ties into the most recent installment of "Short Treks," which involves a terrorist attack by synthetic life forms that eventually leads to a ban on their creation — one of the many plot elements of "Picard" that has drawn criticism for being inconsistent with the original utopian vision of "Star Trek."

With so many new "Trek" shows on their way, this list will quickly become outdated. But all the upcoming series will reward previous "Trek" viewing, from Janeway's return on "Star Trek: Prodigy" to a show focused entirely on Section 31. So if you're going to binge all of "Star Trek," you might want to get started now!

Upcoming Star Trek TV Shows: What's Ahead For The Sci-Fi Franchise

Here's what's ahead for Star Trek.

It’s a golden era for Star Trek tv shows, as the franchise is churning out more content than ever before. Fans with a Paramount+ subscription can stream a plethora of old and new content from one of the greatest sci-fi franchises of all time.

There’s a ton of new Star Trek content coming in the future, including the debut of a new show as well as the return of all the ones fans already know well. For those who need a breakdown of what all to expect, look no further because here’s where and when all the new Trek will arrive in 2023 and beyond. There’s even some information on planned shows that aren’t quite ready yet, but hopefully, we’ll see them soon enough. 

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 - Premiering On April 4th 2024

Captain Michael Burnham and the crew are back, and based on what we've seen and heard about Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 so far, some changes are on the way. Season 5 will see the crew race against others in an attempt to secure an ancient power, and will apparently have a tonal shift that will skew more toward action and adventure. We also learned that this coming season will be the final adventure , as Paramount+ decided to end the series after this coming season. The final season will kick off in April and, fingers crossed, leave an avenue open for more stories with these characters in the 32nd century. 

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 - In Production

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is coming back for Season 3, and is currently filming for the upcoming season. It's likely the season will kick off with the second part of the adventure started in the Season 2 finale . Pike must decide whether or not he's going to listen to Starfleet and retreat to avoid further conflict with the Gorn or to stay and try to save the kidnapped crew members. I have a hunch I know what decision he'll make, but I'm also very invested in seeing if Scotty will remain with the crew and what other adventures will come as well. 

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 - Coming In 2024

Paramount+ originally renewed Star Trek: Prodigy for Season 2, but announced later that it had been canceled alongside other shows on the platform. While the news was a bummer to many and encouraged responses from stars like Kate Mulgrew , there is a silver lining. After some talk with other companies, Paramount managed to negotiate a deal where the series will transition over to Netflix , and Season 2 will release over there. At this time, it's unknown whether or not this will lead to more seasons of Prodigy , but fans are thankful they'll at least get to see the season that was being worked on coming up in 2024. 

Section 31 Movie - Production Complete

Section 31 was one of the first Star Trek spinoffs announced after Discovery , and yet it took the longest to get off the ground. The series was supposed to Michelle Yeoh ’s Phillipa Georgiou and her efforts in the secret ops Starfleet faction that does the jobs that others in the organization would rather not know about. Other former Discovery stars, like Shazad Latif, were involved at one point, but some believed the odds of it happening aren't great after Michelle Yeoh's Oscar win .

It turns out Yeoh was interested in making it happen, and Paramount+ decided to alter the idea to a movie . Fans are excited about the project all the same, and ready to see Michelle Yeoh back in her role. Production on the film is officially underway, and it's looking like a premiere sometime in late 2024 to 2025 is likely.

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Starfleet Academy - Production Starting In 2024

Alex Kurtzman revealed not long ago that Star Trek is actively working on another new live-action series , and it’s going to be set at Starfleet Academy. Of course, we don’t know exactly what era this series is set to take place during or who is going to star in it yet. We don’t really know much of anything, though it’s worth noting that Star Trek: Discovery did write off its character Tilly when she took an offer at Starfleet Academy. The episode where that happened seemed like it could be a backdoor pilot for the show, but again, we have no idea. We do know that the writer's room is underway, but details are scant beyond that.  

As shown above, there’s still a ton of Star Trek on the way in 2024, and beyond. The only way to watch these shows is with a Paramount+ subscription , which is totally worth picking up with the increasing amount of shows and movies available to watch. 

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

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Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show

Star trek’s prequel movie can answer first contact’s 30 year old questions, star trek's best doctor who crossover is strange new worlds.

• Watching Star Trek in timeline order allows viewers to experience the expansive and enduring universe that has spawned multiple TV series and films for over 57 years.
• Star Trek: Enterprise serves as a prequel to the original series, showcasing the voyages of the original crew in the 22nd century, a hundred years before Captain Kirk's command.
• Star Trek: Discovery introduces a new era of Star Trek, set ten years before the original series, and follows Commander Michael Burnham as she navigates through space and prevents a Klingon war.

Watching all of the Star Trek series in timeline order is a great way to experience the final frontier. Created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek - now dubbed Star Trek: The Original Series - premiered in 1966. After only lasting 3 seasons on NBC, little could anyone have guessed that Star Trek would endure for over 57 years and spawn a dozen TV series (and counting) as well as 13 feature films (and possibly more).

Watching Star Trek in order was once relatively simple. Star Trek: The Original Series began with the 23rd-century voyages of the Starship Enterprise commanded by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). After Star Trek was revived as a movie franchise in 1979, a spinoff titled Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered in 1987 and depicted the adventures of the new USS Enterprise-D in the 24th century. Two more spinoffs followed before the first prequel series set in the 22nd century, Star Trek: Enterprise , premiered in 2001. Today, Star Trek on Paramount+'s multiple series take place throughout the Star Trek timeline , from the 23rd century to the distant future of the 32nd century. Here's the proper timeline order to watch every Star Trek series.

Star Trek is ending series like Discovery and Lower Decks but renewed Strange New Worlds while setting up new streaming and theatrical movies.

13 Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)

22nd century: 2151-2161.

The earliest-set Star Trek series is Enterprise , later retitled Star Trek: Enterprise in season 3. Taking place almost a hundred years after Earth's First Contact with the Vulcans seen in Star Trek: First Contact, Enterprise centers on the voyages of the NX-01 Enterprise led by Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) . Enterprise aired for four seasons, and Archer's adventures primarily took place in the 22nd century with a couple of caveats: Enterprise introduced a Temporal Cold War that impacted the 25th century, and the controversial Enterprise series finale , "These Are The Voyages..." depicts events from 2161 but was actually set during the 24th century of Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7. Still, Enterprise remains the recognized beginning of Starfleet's mission of galactic exploration in Star Trek.

Star Trek: Enterprise

12 star trek: discovery seasons 1 & 2 (2017-2019), 23rd century: 2256-2258.

Premiering in 2017, Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2 were set in 2256 and 2258, about a hundred years after Star Trek: Enterprise . The first two seasons of Discovery also take place about a decade before Star Trek: The Original Series , which makes it a prequel (initially). Discovery brought Star Trek into the modern streaming TV era, but its feature film-quality production values and storytelling risks clashed with established Star Trek canon. At the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 2 , the series time jumps to the other end of the Star Trek timeline so that the rest of Star Trek: Discovery occurs during the 32nd century.

Star Trek: Discovery

In 2018 and 2019, Star Trek released a series called Star Trek: Short Treks that supplemented events from Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2 and set up Star Trek: Picard season 1.

11 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022 onward)

23rd century: 2259 onward.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds picks up in 2259, months after Star Trek: Discovery season 2, and centers on Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One (Rebecca Romijn), Star Trek legacy characters reintroduced in Discovery season 2. Strange New Worlds is yet another prequel that takes place approximately 5-7 years before Star Trek: The Original Series , but it has been incredibly well received for bringing the optimistic and episodic voyages of the Starship Enterprise to modern audiences. By the end of Strange New Worlds season 2 , younger versions of James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) and Scotty (Martin Quinn) have also been successfully introduced.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

10 star trek: the original series (1966-1969), 23rd century: 2266-2269.

Star Trek: The Original Series was the first Star Trek show ever to air, but its mid-23rd century setting (2266-2269) now sets TOS as the fourth series in the Star Trek timeline . The original Star Trek is about the pioneering five-year mission of Captain Kirk's Starship Enterprise to seek out new life and new civilizations. After TOS was canceled, it remained popular thanks to syndication, which opened the door to an aborted sequel series, Star Trek: Phase II , which was turned into 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture . TOS continued as a movie franchise for six more films, concluding with 1991's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country .

After Star Trek rereuns became a hit in syndication in the 1970s, a revival series, Star Trek: Phase II , was planned before the success of Star Wars led Paramount to rework Phase II into Star Trek: The Motion Picture , launching the Star Trek movie franchise.

Star Trek: The Original Series

9 star trek: the animated series (1973-1974), 23rd century: 2269-2270.

Star Trek: The Animated Series continued the five-year mission of the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek: Original Series. TAS featured most of the Star Trek actors voicing their characters and many of the writers from the live-action series penned scripts. TAS can be regarded as Star Trek: The Original Series season 4 , but its canonical status was considered apocryphal for years. The more recent Star Trek series have included numerous references to TAS , making the animated Star Trek show relevant and canonical once more.

Star Trek: The Animated Series

In 2023, Star Trek released a series of animated shorts called Star Trek: very Short Treks that aren't considered Star Trek canon.

8 Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

24th century: 2364-2370.

Star Trek: The Next Generation begins in the mid-24th century, about 70 years after Star Trek: The Original Series. TNG is about the USS Enterprise-D led by Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Airing for 7 wildly successful seasons, Star Trek: The Next Generation 's cast inherited the Star Trek movie franchise, delivering four films from 1994-2002. Perhaps the most popular Star Trek series of all, TNG kicked off what is creatively the richest and most complex period of Star Trek , spawning three spinoff shows. Star Trek: The Next Generation' s legacy is concluded in Star Trek: Picard .

Star Trek: The Next Generation

7 star trek: deep space nine (1993-1999), 24th century: 2369-2375.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the first spinoff of Star Trek: The Next Generation , and it begins around the time of TNG season 6. The first Star Trek series starring a Black lead character, Commander and later Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), DS9 broke the Star Trek formula by being set on a space station guarding the Bajoran Wormhole. DS9 pioneered serialized storytelling in Star Trek , and the popular Klingon Worf (Michael Dorn) from TNG joined Deep Space Nine' s cast in season 4. Arguably DS9 's greatest storyline was the Dominion War, which altered the late 24th-century Star Trek galaxy and continued to impact Star Trek: Picard in the early 25th century.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

6 star trek: voyager (1995-2001), 24th century: 2371-2378.

The second spinoff of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager takes place at the same time as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the TNG movies in the 24th century. Voyager' s eponymous starship, led by Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), was stranded in the Delta Quadrant millions of light years from home. Janeway, the first female Captain to lead a Star Trek series , commanded the USS Voyager throughout its tumultuous 7-season journey back home to Earth. Voyager explored a region of the Star Trek universe never before seen and created a breakout character in the former Borg named Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan).

Star Trek: Voyager

5 star trek: lower decks (2020 onward), 24th century: 2380 onward.

The first Star Trek animated comedy , Star Trek: Lower Decks is set in the late 24th century, beginning in 2380, about two years after the USS Voyager returned to Earth and a year after the final TNG film, Star Trek: Nemesis . Lower Decks is a continuation of Star Trek: The Next Generation' s era , but centering on the "less important" starship, the USS Cerritos, and its junior officers. Lower Decks proved a comedic Star Trek can work wonders, shedding a humorous new light on both the mundane and fantastic events of being a Starfleet Officer.

Star Trek: Lower Decks ' Ensigns Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) played their characters in live-action in a comedic crossover with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

4 star trek: prodigy (2021 onward), 24th century: 2383 onward.

Star Trek: Prodigy is designed to bring a new young audience to Star Trek and instill the values of Starfleet into new viewers. Star Trek: Prodigy 's cast consists of all-new teenage characters mentored by legacy Star Trek icons like Admiral Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager. Star Trek: Prodigy begins in 2383 but incorporates time travel into its saga, with the upcoming Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 poised to travel to an alternate 25th-century timeline and possibly beyond while touching upon every other iteration of the Star Trek franchise.

Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: Prodigy was canceled by Paramount+ but found a new streaming home in Netlfix, thanks in part to a dedicared #SaveStarTrekProdigy fan campaign.

3 Star Trek: Picard (2020-2023)

24th-25th century: 2399-2402.

Star Trek: Picard depicts the sunset years of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard , who is joined by the entire cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation in Picard season 3. Star Trek: Picard season 1 is set in 2399, at the end of the 24th century, although Picard season 2 is a time travel adventure that brings the Starfleet legend and his motley crew to Los Angeles 2024. The 25th century formally begins in Star Trek: Picard season 3, set in 2401, and the popularity of Picard 's final season creates hope that the 25th-century era will continue in a new series dubbed Star Trek: Legacy .

Star Trek: Picard

2 star trek: discovery season 3, 4 & 5 (2020-2024), 32nd century: 3188-onward.

Star Trek: Discovery broke from its prequel chains to have the honor of blazing the 32nd century, the farthest known point of the Star Trek timeline . At the start of Discovery season 3, Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) arrived in 3188, with her starship, the USS Discovery, joining her a year later. After back-to-back missions where the USS Discovery saved the galaxy, Captain Burnham is poised to embark on a hunt for "the greatest treasure in the known galaxy" in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 , the series' final season.

1 Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (2025)

32nd century ().

The newly announced Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is expected to be set in the 32nd century after Star Trek: Discovery ends . Discovery season 4 reintroduced Starfleet Academy, which was defunct for over a century following the galactic cataclysm called The Burn. The new Starfleet Academy show would logically explore the reborn institution and how it forges the next generation of 32nd-century Starfleet Officers, which would make Starfleet Academy the new farthest point in the Star Trek timeline.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Every Star Trek TV series except Star Trek: Prodigy is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Prodigy is available to stream on Netflix.

• Where to watch 'Star Trek' TV shows
• Where to watch 'Star Trek' movies
• 'Star Trek' timeline and eras explained

Where to watch every 'Star Trek' movie and TV show, from 'The Original Series' to 'Strange New Worlds'

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• There are now 12 shows and 13 movies in the "Star Trek" franchise.
• The iconic sci-fi series focuses on the lives of Starfleet members as they explore the universe.
• Most "Star Trek" titles are available to stream on Paramount Plus ($5/month).

The "Star Trek" franchise continues to boldly go where no man has gone before. From "The Original Series" in 1966 to the spin-offs, sequels, and prequels of today, "Star Trek" has been a pop culture mainstay for more than 50 years. 

The franchise focuses on the adventures of various Starfleet crew members as they travel throughout the universe. And beneath the series' fun escapism, "Star Trek" movies and shows have used science fiction to comment on issues like racism, sexism, human rights, and politics. By exploring new worlds in "The Original Series," creator Gene Roddenberry was able to tell allegorical stories with thoughtful themes that relate to our own experiences.

In many ways, "Star Trek" has always highlighted diverse storytelling. In fact, one of the first interracial kisses ever aired on TV was in an episode of "The Original Series." This mix of sci-fi entertainment and social commentary is still present in the latest "Star Trek" installments, most of which air as Paramount Plus originals. "Star Trek: Discovery" introduced multiple queer leads, including the first transgender and non-binary characters in the "Star Trek" universe. 

If you're a new fan looking to explore the world of "Star Trek" for the first time, or you're a devoted Trekkie who just wants to watch it all over again, we've compiled a list of every "Star Trek" movie and TV show, along with details on where you can stream them all right now. 

Where to watch 'Star Trek' shows

There are 12 "Star Trek" shows in total, including nine live-action series and three animated shows. All of the shows are available on Paramount Plus, and many are also available to buy or rent from video-on-demand (VOD) services. One series, "Deep Space Nine," is also streaming on Netflix.

Where to watch 'Star Trek' movies

The "Star Trek" franchise includes 13 movies from 1979 to 2016. A new movie is also set to begin production in spring 2022. You can currently watch every "Star Trek" film on Paramount Plus. The movies are also available to buy or rent without a subscription through different VOD services, and you can stream a couple for free with ads.

'Star Trek' timeline and eras explained

"Star Trek" movies and TV shows all take place in different time periods that focus on different crews and starships. These time periods are generally categorized by fans and creators into four distinct eras: Pre-TOS, TOS, TNG, and Kelvin

Pre-TOS era

Movies and TV shows set during the Pre-The Original Series (Pre-TOS) era take place at some point before James T. Kirk becomes captain of the Enterprise.

A few notable series set during this early time period include "Star Trek: Enterprise," "Star Trek: Discovery," and " Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ."

The Original Series (TOS) era of movies and TV shows follows the crew members on the starship USS Enterprise after Kirk (William Shatner) becomes captain. Other notable characters featured during this period include Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), and Hikaru Sulu (George Takei).

The Original Series era includes the first "Star Trek" TV show from the 1960s, as well as several spin-off movies that feature Captain Kirk and his crew. 

The Next Generation (TNG) era is set 100 years after Kirk's adventures during "The Original Series," and includes movies and TV shows about the new crew of the USS Enterprise with Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard.

"Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager" are set during this time period as well, but focus on other crews and starships. Captain Picard's story also continues after "The Next Generation" in the Paramount Plus original series "Star Trek: Picard."

Kelvin Timeline

The Kelvin Timeline was introduced in 2009 with the release of director J.J. Abrams' first "Star Trek" movie starring Chris Pine as Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock. This film features the crew from "The Original Series" but takes place in an alternate universe that's separate from the main "Star Trek" timeline. 

In this version of events, Kirk still becomes Captain of the USS Enterprise but his path to get there is brand new, which gives the writers freedom to explore different storylines with familiar characters. 

The Kelvin Timeline includes "Star Trek" (2009), "Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013), and "Star Trek Beyond" (2016). An upcoming fourth movie in the Kelvin Timeline is set to begin production in spring 2022.

Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.

• Main content

Where To Watch Every Star Trek TV Show and Movie in Order

Rachel Ulatowski

Official JustWatch writer

Paramount has ushered in a new era of Star Trek. Following the conclusion of Star Trek: Discovery , the studio ordered multiple new series and began developing the TV movie Star Trek: Chapter 31 , which will star Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh. Given its revitalization, now is the perfect time to delve into the franchise. This guide will demonstrate where and how to watch every Star Trek movie and TV show in order.

The Star Trek franchise began in 1966 with the premiere of Star Trek , also known as Star Trek: The Original Series. Created by Gene Roddenberry, the sci-fi series follows Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and First Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) as they guide the Enterprise on a mission of intergalactic space exploration. While the show received poor ratings during its three-season run, broadcast syndication and reruns breathed new life into the franchise, garnering it a cult following after its 1969 cancelation.

Following the show’s re-evaluation, Roddenberry convinced Paramount to continue the original series on the big screen with Star Trek: The Motion Picture . Although it wasn’t a huge box-office hit, it did well enough to earn five more sequels, for which Roddenberry was a consultant.

As Star Trek: The Original Series remained one of the most popular syndicated TV shows years after its release, Paramount and Gene Roddenberry began working on another live-action series: Star Trek: The Next Generation . The series takes place aboard a new Enterprise one century after the events of the original series, with Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) at the helm. Along with his crew, Captain Picard carries on his predecessors' mission of exploring new worlds.

Star Trek: The Next Generation also continued on the big screen after its conclusion, receiving four feature films. While films like Star Trek: First Contact were well-received, Star Trek: Nemesis was a critical and financial failure. The failure of Star Trek: Nemesis was followed by another blow as the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise was canceled amid low ratings.

Paramount switched directions on the big screen and released what many consider a “reboot” trilogy. However, the films aren’t an official reboot as they merely explore an alternate timeline known as the Kelvin Timeline and see Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto take over as Captain Kirk and Spock, respectively.

While the Kelvin Timeline film series played out, Star Trek went on a hiatus on the small screen. After a 12-year break, Paramount revived the franchise, aiming to create Star Trek shows specifically for its streaming service, CBS All Access (now Paramount+). In 2017, it released Star Trek: Discovery, followed by a new round of shows, including Star Trek: Picard , which continued Captain Picard’s story after Star Trek: The Next Generation.

There are no signs of the franchise slowing down, with the first TV movie, Star Trek: Chapter 31, on the way and Paramount showing interest in further Star Trek TV films, theatrical films, and shows.

How to watch the Star Trek franchise in order

Viewers can watch the Star Trek franchise either by release date order or chronologically. Those hoping to watch chronologically should know that the Kelvin Timeline trilogy takes place outside of the timeline of the other shows and movies, so they can technically be watched at any point. Star Trek: Short Treks also does not fit in the chronological order as it is an anthology series. Additionally, viewers may have to jump between shows occasionally due to time jumps in series like Star Trek: Discovery.

See below for the chronological order of every Star Trek show and movie:

Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1 - 2

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Animated Series

Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Star trek ii: the wrath of khan, star trek iii: the search for spock, star trek iv: the voyage home, star trek v: the final frontier, star trek vi: the undiscovered country, star trek: the next generation, star trek: generations, star trek: first contact, star trek: insurrection, star trek: nemesis, star trek: deep space nine, star trek: voyager.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 3 - 5

Viewers can also watch the Star Trek franchise by the release date order detailed below. Read on to find out where to stream every Star Trek movie and TV show in the United States!

Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise and its crew. The show is set in the Milky Way galaxy, roughly during the 2260s. The crew is headed by Captain James T. Kirk, first officer Spock, and chief medical officer Leonard McCoy. Shatner's voice-over introduction during each episode's opening credits stated the starship's purpose: The series was produced from 1966-67 by Desilu Productions, and by Paramount Television from 1968-69. Star Trek aired on NBC from September 8, 1966 to June 3, 1969. Although this television series had the title of Star Trek, it later acquired the retronym of Star Trek: The Original Series to distinguish the show within the media franchise that it began. Star Trek's Nielsen ratings while on NBC were low, and the network canceled it after three seasons and 79 episodes. Nevertheless, the show had a major influence on popular culture and it became a cult classic in broadcast syndication during the 1970s. The show eventually spawned a franchise, consisting of five additional television series, 12 theatrical films, and numerous books, games, toys, and other products.

The animated adventures of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and the crew of the Starship Enterprise.

When an unidentified alien destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Captain James T. Kirk returns to the newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command.

The starship Enterprise and its crew is pulled back into action when old nemesis, Khan, steals a top secret device called Project Genesis.

A surprise visit from Spock's father provides a startling revelation: McCoy is harboring Spock's living essence.

When a huge alien probe enters the galaxy and begins to vaporize earths oceans, Kirk and his crew must travel back in time in order to bring back whales and save the planet.

Follow the intergalactic adventures of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and his loyal crew aboard the all-new USS Enterprise NCC-1701D, as they explore new worlds.

A renegade Vulcan with a startling secret hijacks the U.S.S. Enterprise in order to find a mythical planet.

After years of war, the Federation and the Klingon empire find themselves on the brink of a peace summit when a Klingon ship is nearly destroyed by an apparent attack from the Enterprise. Both worlds brace for what may be their deadliest encounter.

At Deep Space Nine, a space station located next to a wormhole in the vicinity of the liberated planet of Bajor, Commander Sisko and crew welcome alien visitors, root out evildoers and solve all types of unexpected problems that come their way.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D find themselves at odds with the renegade scientist Soran who is destroying entire star systems. Only one man can help Picard stop Soran's scheme...and he's been dead for seventy-eight years.

Pulled to the far side of the galaxy, where the Federation is 75 years away at maximum warp speed, a Starfleet ship must cooperate with Maquis rebels to find a way home.

The Borg, a relentless race of cyborgs, are on a direct course for Earth. Violating orders to stay away from the battle, Captain Picard and the crew of the newly-commissioned USS Enterprise E pursue the Borg back in time to prevent the invaders from changing Federation history and assimilating the galaxy.

When an alien race and factions within Starfleet attempt to take over a planet that has "regenerative" properties, it falls upon Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise to defend the planet's people as well as the very ideals upon which the Federation itself was founded.

During the mid-22nd century, a century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation.

En route to the honeymoon of William Riker to Deanna Troi on her home planet of Betazed, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise receives word from Starfleet that a coup has resulted in the installation of a new Romulan political leader, Shinzon, who claims to seek peace with the human-backed United Federation of Planets. Once in enemy territory, the captain and his crew make a startling discovery: Shinzon is human, a slave from the Romulan sister planet of Remus, and has a secret, shocking relationship to Picard himself.

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. The human adventure has begun again.

Star Trek Into Darkness

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.

Star Trek Beyond

The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Star Trek: Discovery

Follow the voyages of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new life forms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself.

‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Is the Perfect Show for Trekkies — Now They Need to Watch It 

By Joe Otterson

Joe Otterson

TV Reporter

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When it was announced in 2019 that Nickelodeon would be getting its own animated “Star Trek” series, I must admit I was skeptical.

After all, “Star Trek: Discovery” was already airing its second season (which clearly set up the phenomenal spinoff “Strange New Worlds), and “Picard” had already been announced, as had the adult animated series “Lower Decks.” How could a show clearly intended for kids measure up against all of that?

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Not only did this show grab me right away, but my wife, who is by no means a Trekkie, found herself sucked into it as well. I do have to explain things to her from time to time, like what exactly a Ferengi is, but we are both completely hooked. Even friends who have happened to stop by while we’re watching it get into it. As one of them put it midway through an episode, “Why the hell am I so invested in this already?”

It could be because of the well-written characters: The cocky Dal, the wayward Gwyn, the surly Jankom, the noncorporeal Zero, the child-like Rok-Tahk, and the seemingly indestructible Murf.

It could be because the show is able to blaze its own path while also incorporating memorable parts of “Trek’s” past into the storytelling: The return of Kate Mulgrew as Janeway, the use of archival voice recordings to bring back characters like Odo and Spock in the Season 1 episode “Kobayashi,” or even a little encounter with the Borg.

Or maybe it’s the absolutely stunning visuals. I have almost never seen an animated series with more stunning imagery than what I see in nearly every episode of “Prodigy.”

Yet that’s where the problem is.

“Prodigy” aired its first season on Nickelodeon and Paramount+, and was renewed for a second season not long after it launched. But then, Paramount announced it was canceling the show , and pulling Season 1 off of its streaming service despite the fact that production on Season 2 was already underway.

Thankfully, CBS Studios was able to strike a deal with Netflix that saw the streaming giant pick up both seasons. Season 2 officially debuted on July 1, and it is a remarkable feat of storytelling. Despite being a “kid’s show,” Season 2 builds on the momentum of Season 1 and then some, weaving a complex time travel storyline that is among the finest seasons since the relaunch of the “Star Trek” TV franchise.

Now, “Trek” fans need to watch it.

It is no secret that shows’ renewals depend on viewership. Netflix doesn’t release much viewer data, beyond its weekly Top 10 lists, so it’s hard to gauge how well “Prodigy” Season 2 is doing. Thus far, though, it has not appeared on the Global Top 10 list, nor the U.S. Top 10 list.

It would be a grave disservice to “Star Trek” as a whole to let a show as wonderful as this one go when it is just finding its legs. So this is me sending out a distress call on all channels: Watch “Star Trek: Prodigy.” To not do so would be highly illogical.

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Giant Freakin Robot

Star Trek Takes Emmy Nominations For Multiple Shows Including Canceled Series

Posted: July 22, 2024 | Last updated: July 22, 2024

Every year, TV shows are nominated and win awards via the Emmys made up of 24,000 Television Academy members. To qualify, a TV show must air on Television in America sometime between June and May. This year, two Star Trek series were nominated for an Emmy: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the now-cancelled Star Trek: Lower Decks, both for their impressive sound editing.

Strange New Worlds’ Nomination

When the Television Academy announced its nominations for the 76th Annual Emmy Awards, on the list were two Star Trek shows nominated for an Emmy. This year’s Emmys cover television shows that ran somewhere between June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024.

The first was Strange New Worlds. It was nominated for several categories, including one for sound editing. Specifically, the episode was “Hegemony” and it was nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing For a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour). In addition to this Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode being nominated for this Emmy, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Fallout, Shogun, and 3 Body Problem were also potential nominations.

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A Group Effort

Several team members from this Star Trek series were nominated for an Emmy based on sound editing. Matthew E. Taylor (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Michael Schapiro (The Matrix Resurrections), Sean Heissinger (Star Trek: Discovery), Kip Smedley (Sausage Party: Foodtopia), Ian Herzon (Killers), Deron Street (Crazy Rich Asians), Clay Weber (Good Burger 2), Rick Owens (The Revenant), Jesi Ruppel (Greenland), and John Sanacore (Birdman), all working with the sound department on various components, were nominated.

Lower Decks’ Nomination

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is still ongoing, as of its nomination for an Emmy. It first started in 2022, and there are currently two seasons, with the third set to premiere in 2025. It’s a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, following the story of the USS Enterprise and Crew under Captain Christopher Pike.

In addition to Strange New Worlds, one other Star Trek series was nominated during the 76th Annual Emmy Awards. Interestingly, it was nominated for a very similar category: Outstanding Sound Editing For a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation. The series in question was Star Trek: Lower Decks and the episode is “The Inner Fight”.

Facing Stiff Competition

Alongside this Star Trek series, Ahsoka, The Bear, Blue Eye Samurai, and Only Murders in the Building were nominated for the same Emmy. The crew of Star Trek: Lower Decks nominated for the Emmy were James Lucero (Royal Crackers), Drew Guy (The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy), Mak Kellerman (Human Resources), John Wynn (Krapopolis), and Michael Britt (Mulligan).

Watch Both Titles On Paramount+

This Star Trek Emmy-nominated series is an animated show. It focuses on a crew handling the USS Cerritos, considered one of the least important ships under Starfleet’s command. It ran from 2020 to 2024, being canceled after its fifth season.

For those wanting to watch these Star Trek series nominated for an Emmy, Star Trek: Strange New World and Star Trek: Lower Decks are available on Paramount+. The nominee winners will be announced on September 15, 2024, so you’ll have to wait a few months to see if your favorite Star Trek series manages to win.

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You Can Finally Stream All the Star Trek Movies in One Place

Surely, the best of times.

Most science fiction movie franchises that get past six films are fairly impressive. Way back before the MCU blew up in 2012 or the Star Wars sequels began in 2015, sci-fi film franchises generally didn’t get into the double-digits. In fact, the seemingly immortal Planet of the Apes franchise just now released its 10th film overall. Star Wars has 11 theatrical films, but five of those all came out in the last nine years. This summer, the Alien franchise will release its ninth film in very fragmented continuity, which funnily enough, has the subtitle Romulus , a term that was arguably popularized by the scrappiest science fiction franchise of them all — Star Trek .

While it's tempting to think of Star Trek as primarily a TV sci-fi empire (there are 11 distinct shows, with a 12th in production) the fact is, as a film franchise, Star Trek is not only massive but also extremely durable. And as of right now, every single Star Trek movie — from 1979 to 2016 — are all streaming on Paramount+. Here’s why even someone with a casual interest in science fiction or Star Trek should binge these movies ASAP.

In 1979, a TV series getting turned into a major motion picture was not common. Before Star Trek: The Motion Picture, the best examples of TV shows having feature film versions were the 1954 Dragnet and the 1966 Adam West-led Batman . What made Star Trek: The Motion Picture significant is that not only was it a TV series-turned-movie, but it was also released a decade after the show had been canceled. On top of this, it was a major aesthetic redesign for the entire concept. While Star Trek: The Original Series was known for its over-the-top colors and melodramatic action-adventure-oriented directorial choices, The Motion Picture was a contemplative epic, directed by cinema legend Robert Wise, with a graceful score from Jerry Goldsmith. For any of its faults, Star Trek: The Motion Picture wasn’t an attempt to emulate Star Wars. If anything, it was the exact opposite.

And from 1979, each Star Trek movie — to some degree — has been a departure from the previous installment. While the films sometimes struggled to translate the smaller-stakes brilliance of the episodes of the various series into big tentpole events, there’s no denying that each Star Trek film is utterly dissimilar to all other Star Trek films. With 1982’s crowd-pleasing favorite The Wrath of Khan , director Nicholas Meyer solidified a nautical flavor and mashed it up with a revenge thriller. Directing two back-to-back films, The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home , Leonard Nimoy created one movie about a spiritual journey and another film about environmentalism. By the time you get to Meyer’s other Trek film, The Undiscovered Country , you’re dealing with a deeply political film with smart commentary on the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the dangers of nationalism in general.

And that only covers through 1991! The four films spanning The Next Generation crew’s jump to the big screen are equally diverse in themes and concepts. While 1994’s Generations explores ideas of mortality and addiction, 1996’s First Contact reimagined the Trek revenge film with the hero as the person at fault. And though Insurrection (1998) and Nemesis (2002) are generally considered some of the weakest films in the franchise, the performances from guest villains F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hardy are outstanding.

Data (Brent Spiner) and Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) battle the Borg in Star Trek: First Contact .

In 2009, J.J. Abrams famously rebooted the Trek franchise with a new film simply titled Star Trek . While this film still creates a fair amount of controversy in hardcore Trekkie fandom circles, it is probably the best J.J. Abrams movie ever, and holds up extremely well as a great contemporary blockbuster, 15 years after its release. Star Trek Into Darkness , its 2013 sequel, is probably one of the least-loved Trek films of all time, but that doesn’t mean that Benedict Cumberbatch’s take on Khan isn’t fantastic. Nor, can anyone ignore the brilliant spectacle of the film in general. But it was 2016’s Star Trek Beyond that provided one of the most well-balanced Trek movies since The Wrath of Khan. Helmed by Fast and Furious alum Justin Lin with a script co-written by Lin, Simon Pegg, and Doug Jung, Into Darkness’ much-superior follow-up movie showed a deep, deep love for the flavor of The Original Series.

Since 2016, there have been no new Star Trek films in theaters. Instead, the franchise has expanded significantly in the medium of streaming TV, while various plans for a new Star Trek movie have remained stalled for more reasons than even Data could recall off the top of his head. Late 2024 will see the release of the first direct-to-streaming Trek movie — the highly anticipated sci-fi spy flick Star Trek: Section 31 , starring Michelle Yeoh. After that, a new Trek “origin story” movie, directed by Toby Haynes, is expected sometime in 2026, just in time for Star Trek’s 60th anniversary.

Whether or not that movie will actually beam down is unclear. But, until then, if you want to experience a wide variety of sci-fi adventures, set in a cozy, yet compelling future, you can’t do much worse than to binge all the Trek movies, starting at the very beginning.

All 13 Star Trek feature films are streaming on Paramount+.

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Episode list

Star trek: strange new worlds.

S2.E1 ∙ The Broken Circle

S2.E2 ∙ Ad Astra Per Aspera

S2.E3 ∙ Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

S2.E4 ∙ Among the Lotus Eaters

S2.E5 ∙ Charades

S2.E6 ∙ Lost in Translation

S2.E7 ∙ Those Old Scientists

S2.E8 ∙ Under the Cloak of War

S2.E9 ∙ Subspace Rhapsody

S2.E10 ∙ Hegemony

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