How To Watch Every ‘Star Trek’ Series in Chronological Order

Star Trek has proven to be one of the most enduring franchises in TV history, with new series and feature films fleshing out the saga at a seemingly endless pace. When Gene Roddenberry’s original series ended its three-season run in 1969, few could have predicted that the little-watched sci-fi show would eventually develop a cult following, later becoming a staple of popular culture for generations to come.

But with so many series jumping back and forth in time, it can be challenging to know how it all lines up, especially for newcomers. So for those who might want to dive into Trek in chronological order, this is the guide for you. For the purposes of this list, we’ll be focusing on in-story chronology rather than real-world release order. Without further ado, let’s take a trip to the future.

‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ (2001-2005)

Taking place a century before the exploits of Kirk, Spock, and the gang, Star Trek: Enterprise covers the dawn of space exploration, before Starfleet became the powerful and polished entity we know it to be. The series follows the crew of the original Enterprise starship, the first ship capable of reaching warp five, under Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). While not as well-received as some other series, it’s notable for covering the early days of Starfleet’s mission to explore strange new worlds, running for four seasons.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ (Seasons 1 and 2, 2017-2019)

Paramount+

While still a prequel to the original series, Discovery takes us much closer to those events, beginning roughly ten years before, following the crew of the USS Discovery in the early days of the Federation’s war with the Klingons. The first Trek series of the streaming era, it distinguished itself with more serialized storytelling in its early seasons, before shifting to a more episodic model later on. It has proven somewhat divisive among fans for some of its bolder storytelling choices, but it still managed to run for five seasons, concluding in 2024.

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ (2022-Present)

Paramount+

Running concurrently with the first two seasons of Discovery, Strange New Worlds takes us back to the Enterprise in the decade before Kirk became captain, under the command of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). Strange New Worlds was designed as a conscious throwback to the style of the original Trek, with a colorful, retro look and episodic structure that found the crew encountering various, well, strange new worlds. It recently concluded its third season, and a fourth is due next year.

‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ (1966-1969)

NBC

Now we come to the granddaddy of them all, Star Trek: The Original Series (better known as Star Trek during its run). The adventures of Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Science Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and the rest of the Enterprise crew likely need no introduction, as they’ve become part of the fabric of American culture. It was one of the first TV series to take the genre of science fiction seriously, introducing a more thoughtful approach (while still leaving plenty of room for alien seduction). While it only ran for three seasons, its impact has been felt for decades.

‘Star Trek: The Animated Series’ (1973-1974)

Paramount+

Running for two seasons in the mid-’70s, this attempt at an animated Star Trek revival featured many of the original actors returning to voice their characters, including Shatner, Nimoy, DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy, James Doohan as Scotty, and others. While it was fairly well-received at the time, Roddenberry himself deems it non-canon, while others consider it a quasi-fourth season of The Original Series. Regardless, it still deserves a place in Trek history and on this list.

‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ (1987-1994)

Paramount Domestic Television

When Next Generation premiered in 1987, nobody knew if a new series based in the Trek universe could take off as much as the original. But after a slightly rocky first season, Next Generation became arguably even more beloved than TOS, staking its claim as possibly the best Trek series of them all, running for seven highly rated seasons. Taking place about a century after TOS with a new Enterprise crew helmed by the formidable Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), it expanded on the original’s focus on interstellar diplomacy, and introduced an extremely memorable crew in the process, including the android Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner), Klingon Security Officer Worf (Michael Dorn), and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden).

‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’ (1993-1999)

Paramount

Deep Space Nine began its seven-season run while Next Generation was still airing, and was tied directly into that series, particularly as Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) lost his wife during a battle with the Borg in Season 4 of that series. Set largely on the titular space station rather than a starship, Deep Space Nine is sometimes in the running for best Trek series, taking a very different approach that embraced more serialized storytelling in its ongoing Dominion War storyline beginning in its third season. A darker and more morally murky series overall, it never reached the heights of popularity of Next Gen, but fans who appreciate its complex storytelling often hold it up as the best.

‘Star Trek: Voyager’ (1995-2001)

Paramount+

Voyager takes place roughly concurrently with Deep Space Nine, and continues for a few years after that series’ end. Following the titular USS Voyager as it attempts to return to Earth after being stranded about 70,000 light-years away, Voyager has mixed reception among fans, with some considering it disappointing while others consider it underrated. It’s often considered the most progressive Trek series in terms of casting, featuring the first female commanding officer in a lead role in a series, Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), and a more gender-balanced crew overall (a source of no small amount of ire from some regressive fans). Despite this, it also managed to run for seven seasons.

‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ (2020-2024)

Paramount+

Trek‘s first adult-oriented animated series, Lower Decks takes place in the late 24th Century, around the same time as Next Gen, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. The series takes a different approach, focusing not on the high-ranking officers making life-or-death decisions, but on the lower-ranking crew members who do all the menial, less glamorous jobs on one of Starfleet’s least important ships. Lower Decks is more comedic than most other Trek series, serving as both a loving send-up and tribute to its predecessors, and featuring voice appearances by characters from some previous series.

‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ (2021-2024)

Netflix

Developed specifically for younger viewers, Prodigy originally aired on Nickelodeon from 2021-2023. Netflix picked up the streaming rights shortly after, but opted not to renew them this year. Taking place five years after the Voyager crew returned to Earth, the animated series follows a group of young aliens who discover an abandoned starship called the Protostar and use it to learn about Starfleet and traverse the galaxy, with the aid of a Captain Janeway hologram. While lighter in tone, the animated series still received praise for its accessible but complex storytelling and its focus on younger characters.

‘Star Trek: Picard’ (2020-2023)

CBS

Set about 30 years after the conclusion of Next Gen, Picard picks up with a now-retired Jean-Luc Picard as he’s pulled back into action. While the first season attempted to tell a new story while folding in some legacy elements (to mixed results), the series embraced full-on nostalgia by its third season, bringing back characters like Worf, Crusher, Riker, Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) for a Next Gen reunion. Not surprisingly, its third season is generally its most well-received, serving as a satisfying victory lap for the beloved ensemble.

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ (Seasons 3-5, 2020-2024)

Paramount+

You might be wondering why Discovery is split into two parts in this timeline. That’s because, at the end of Season 2, the series jumps forward in time to the 32nd Century, roughly 900 years into its future, where it would remain for the duration. There, they find a fragmented Federation, struggling after a cataclysmic event known as “The Burn.” Captain Burnham and the Discovery crew work to restore the Federation’s place in the galaxy while dealing with new threats.

More Trek series, like Starfleet Academy, are already on the way, so this list will likely continue to grow for years to come. Star Trek seems like an unkillable franchise at this point, as baked into the fabric of American television as long-running series like Dr. Who are in the UK. The universe is infinite, and there are endless corners to explore, which means Trek will likely keep on trekking.