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Star Trek first aired almost 60 years ago, and since Captain Kirk and his crew began their five-year mission aboard the USS Enterprise in 1966, the franchise has spawned 12 TV series and 13 movies (we’re not going to count Section 31). The best Star Trek series make for iconic sci-fi. However, some of the more recent productions haven’t managed to capture the magic, according to many fans. So, if you want to check out Star Trek for the first time, you’ll want to know where to start.
Best Star Trek TV series as of 2026
Surprisingly, the original Star Trek didn’t even get a full run. The show was canceled after three seasons, but went on to become one of the most popular syndicated TV shows of all time. Unfortunately, Star Trek’s popularity has fluctuated over time. The Star Trek series, aside from the original, aired during the franchise’s golden age during the 1980s and 90s. Since the cancellation of Enterprise, many fans moved on, and the Kurtzman revival has been divisive (to say the least).
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)
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Let’s start with the gold standard. The original Star Trek TV series follows Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew aboard the USS Enterprise as they take on various missions in deep space. First airing in 1966, the show did more than serve as pop culture entertainment. Amid the civil rights movement, the escalating war in Vietnam, and Cold War tensions, Star Trek offered something rare at the time: genuine hope for humanity’s future. It also delivered multiple landmark moments, including the first interracial kiss ever seen on television, a Black actor (Percy Rodriguez) portraying a high-ranking official, and a storyline in which a woman could serve as a Starfleet officer. Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura, later stated that Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged her to stay on the show, stressing how important her role was as a symbol for Black children.
The Original Series was revolutionary, not just for science fiction but for entertainment history as a whole. Unfortunately, it was canceled after only three seasons.
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
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Even if you’re brand new to Star Trek, you can begin with The Next Generation. Set a century after Captain Kirk’s original mission, The Next Generation takes us aboard the USS Enterprise-D under the leadership of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart. As the crew explores the galaxy, they face physical threats and moral dilemmas. This series stays true to the Star Trek style of allegorical storytelling but also keeps things interesting with unfolding character drama and space adventure.
The series ran for 178 episodes across seven seasons between 1987 and 1994, which came as a surprise. As a fun fact, well-respected stage actor Patrick Stewart initially signed on to reprise his role, thinking it would be a short-term gig. Though his contract was initially for six years, Stewart thought for sure the series would be canceled. But fans absolutely adored this show, and the popularity kept it on the air far longer than expected. The first two seasons can be uneven, but by Season 3, the show finally finds its footing.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
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Deep Space Nine is hands down one of the best Star Trek series, and not just for the ’90s kids who grew up with it. In addition to cementing the Star Trek universe, it took on heavier, darker tones, which was unexpected for a space saga. The show is set on Deep Space 9, a space station near the planet Bajor. Once under Cardassian control during their brutal occupation, the station is now jointly operated by Starfleet and the Bajoran government. The series follows Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), who’s tasked with helping Bajor recover both politically and spiritually after decades of oppression. Of course, things take some turns from there.
With some crossover from The Next Generation, launching Deep Space Nine while The Next Generation was still on the air was a gamble by producers. But while The Next Generation focused on utopian ideals and exploration, Deep Space Nine made its own identity, one that was grittier and unafraid to dwell in ambiguity. And as anyone knows, ambiguity can often be the most polarizing. The series also moved away from the usual episodic formula, spending more time on lengthier, multi-episode arcs. Storylines touched on everything from interstellar wars to religious fundamentalism to space terrorism. And while it may not have the constant ship-hopping of TNG, this series goes beyond entertainment and fuels philosophical debate. We can get behind a show like that.
Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)
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Voyager ran from 1995 to 2001 and takes us aboard the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager on its journey back to the Alpha Quadrant after being zapped to the far side of the galaxy, only a casual 70,000 light-years from home. Unless they can find some fancy new warp tech or a wormhole, it’s going to take them a lifetime to get back. Tricky, tricky.
Unlike Deep Space Nine, which leans into themes like religion and politics, Voyager takes us back to exploration. Though it gives us something that feels more like classic Star Trek, it’s not just about the adventure. The show still gives us some real characters dealing with their moral compasses in the face of disaster. Do you steal technology from another species if it means getting home faster? Or do you stick to your morals and risk arriving home as a senior citizen?
Some of the character development can feel inconsistent, and not every episode hits, but the core premise is easily one of the most intriguing in all of Star Trek.
Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)
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Produced between 2001 and 2005, Star Trek: Enterprise brings us into prequel territory. This one gets a lot of hate, but it’s much better than people give it credit for. Despite its shortcomings and an incredibly cheesy early 2000s theme song, Enterprise helped bring Star Trek into the 21st century, and its tone had a noticeable influence on the series that followed.
The show takes us along with Captain Jonathan Archer and the crew of the first Warp 5-capable starship, the Enterprise NX-01, as humanity takes its first real steps into deep space. Because these are still early days for Starfleet, the crew is essentially newbs, and that gives the first two seasons a genuinely heartfelt, wide-eyed tone. The Xindi arc in Seasons 3 and 4 gets some pushback, particularly for its dose of post-9/11 nationalism. But like many other Star Trek storylines, Enterprise was shaped by real-world events, so that’s not necessarily surprising.
Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020)
Maybe one of the silliest, strangest Star Trek series, we can get behind this one because it is ultimately a love letter to the canon. One of the animated spinoff series echoing the 1973–74 animated Star Trek, Lower Decks, is extremely well-scripted, and the voice acting is strong enough to handle the mix of genres the writers are going for. The trap with series loaded with winks and references to eras bygone is that they can end up feeling cheesy and lazy. Fortunately, Lower Decks plays as an homage while still doing its job to give us something new. Even if you aren’t a superfan or you’re trying to convince someone who isn’t to enjoy a binge with you, this one is an easy watch and a ton of fun.
Set in 2380, Lower Decks follows the support crew on one of the fleet’s least important ships, the USS Cerritos. While the crew works to manage their duties, they’re also dealing with plenty of strange sci-fi anomalies along the way.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-)
There’s nearly a twenty-year gap between our previous live-action entry and our final pick. That’s not to say Star Trek: Picard or Star Trek: Discovery weren’t terrible, but they certainly aren’t on our shortlist.
Strange New Worlds, on the other hand, is a return to classic episodic storytelling. The series follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the USS Enterprise as they explore uncharted space in the years before Captain Kirk takes command. There’s a lot this series has going for it, but the most important thing is its ability to feel much closer in spirit to the original Star Trek while still being modern in style and tone. Great visuals, movie-level CGI, a story-driven narrative, and solid acting.
How we chose the best Star Trek TV series
We picked the best Star Trek series based on fan reception and importance to the franchise. Perhaps not equally essential, but still important nevertheless, is how well each one holds up on a rewatch. A series might be good, but if it’s not something you’d want to come back to, it’s harder to call it a true favorite. So we gave extra points to shows we’d want to sit down and watch time and time again.
You can catch these favorites, plus other Star Trek TV series, streaming on Paramount+.
