Ranking Every ‘Star Trek’ TV Series–Where Did Your Favorite End Up?

Few TV series have fundamentally shaped our understanding and appreciation for science fiction to the same extent as Star Trek.

Just as its equally successful sci-fi rival Star Wars accomplished in the annals of film, Star Trek offered a refreshingly original take on the kitschier ‘60s genre. Reinventing science fiction from the ground up, Star Trek outfitted the genre with a newfound air of sophistication and compelling intrigue, forcing us to look up at the stars with renewed interest, postulating about the potential wonders awaiting our attention.

With yet another Star Trek series (Starfleet Academy) on the way, we thought we’d take a look back at each and every one of Star Trek’s many TV shows, ranking them in order from worst to best.

11. Enterprise (2001 – 2005)

In theory, following any TV series as globally renowned as The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine was bound to be a challenge. But even then, Enterprise served as a disappointing entry in the series’ continuity, all but derailing the Star Trek franchise for the remainder of the 2000s. In what could have been the Star Trek equivalent to Battlestar Galactica, all viewers saw was a half-baked prequel series with far too few compelling storylines and even less memorable characters.

10. The Animated Series (1973 – 1974)

Taking advantage of the newfound craze surrounding The Original Series, The Animated Series specifically looked to capitalize on viewers’ demand for additional Star Trek-themed adventures. What followed may have been satisfying at the time, but the years haven’t proven kind to this short-lived NBC animated TV show. While its dated animation is damning enough, the episodes themselves simply felt like leftover material discarded in the writing room of The Original Series: decent, but nowhere near the same scope as its narrative precursor.

9. Picard (2020 – 2023)

Most dedicated Trekkies tend to take a divided view of The Next Generation’s long-awaited companion piece, Picard. Though it was certainly a thrill seeing Patrick Stewart return to the captain’s chair after 30 long years, Picard’s middling storylines never really did justice to the titular character or his former crew members, basing itself too much around fan service and nostalgia and not enough on a cohesive plot line or fully thought-out episodic storylines.

8. Prodigy (2001 – )

If there’s one thing Prodigy proves, it’s that TV series aimed towards younger viewers can also cater to older audience members. Like Star Wars’ Clone Wars or Skeleton Crew series, there’s an undeniable charm behind this light-hearted portrayal of the Star Trek series, one that’s sure to leave viewers of all ages satisfied with its approachable humor, agreeable characters, and outstanding visual animation.

7. Voyager (1995 – 2001)

It’s fair to say that Voyager’s greatest strength also happens to be its most significant weakness. In lieu of the serialized storylines typically associated with its original precursors, Voyager offered up more succinct one-off storylines per each of its many episodes. What resulted might have hindered any possibility at long-term character development or the chance to build an overarching story, but it also happened to deliver a myriad of exceptionally well-crafted adventures for the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager.

6. Discovery (2017 – 2024)

The first major Star Trek series since the end of Enterprise in 2005, Discovery walked so that its immediate successors (Strange New Worlds especially) could run. In a series that prides itself on straight-laced logic and brainy realism, Discovery’s more emotional tune could prove either grating or unexpectedly inventive for some members of the audience. Either way, there’s plenty to enjoy about this wholly original Star Trek continuation – itself a return to form for the long-dormant franchise.

5. Lower Decks (2020 – 2024)

If you happened to enjoy the similarly-veined Star Trek spoof Galaxy Quest, there’s a decent chance you’ll love Star Trek’s animated series, Lower Decks. A tongue-in-cheek homage to its various precursors, Lower Decks’ biggest appeal has to be its complete and total lack of seriousness or overarching melodrama. Opting for a more light-hearted interpretation of the Star Trek universe, Lower Decks’ inherent humor and relatively mundane storylines make it a fresh and fun addition to its series’ continuity. Sure, it’s not as good as The Next Generation – but then again, it’s not really trying to be, either.

4. Strange New Worlds (2022 – )

Among the more recent additions to the Star Trek series, it’s still a little too early to tell where Strange New Worlds will eventually stand in the franchise’s larger universe. But if its first two seasons are any indication, fans could look forward to one of the finest Star Trek series since the glory days of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. Providing a unique spin on the underlying characters at the heart of The Original Series, Strange New Worlds serves as a momentous prequel series unlike any other in the franchise’s history, leaving fans hungry for additional content featuring Anson Mount’s dashing Captain Pike. 

3. Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999)

In point of fact, a serious argument could be made naming Deep Space Nine as the greatest Star Trek show viewers have seen yet. Boldly going where no man has gone before, Deep Space Nine’s producers looked at the direction The Next Generation seemed to be headed and then bravely decided to veer the opposite way. Fortunately, this risky decision quickly paid off in spades, paving the way to a complex, intelligent, genuinely thought-provoking sci-fi series that wasn’t afraid to take gambles or chances. 

2. The Original Series (1966 – 1969)

Looking back, it’s easy to dismiss The Original Series as slow-paced, tedious, and loaded with filler episodes that could be categorized as flatout boring. But even at its worst, it’s hard to take anything away from the impressive achievements behind Gene Roddenberry’s legendary space opera. Achieving rightfully-deserved iconic status in the decades since its release, its bearing on contemporary pop culture cannot be overstated, whether evaluating William Shatner’s breathless line delivery as Captain Kirk or Leonard Nimoy’s career-defining portrayal of Spock.

1. The Next Generation (1987 – 1994)

There’s a reason most fans tend to instantly cite The Next Generation as the finest entry in the Star Trek series, even when held up to its larger-than-life predecessor, The Original Series. Rebooting Gene Roddenberry’s universe for an entirely new era, The Next Generation found a way to significantly improve upon the flaws of its forebearer, right down to the increased emphasis on the Enterprise-D’s eclectic crew. While its initial seasons sometimes felt like a pale imitation of The Original Series, The Next Generation only grew better over time, ushering in the television equivalent to The Godfather Part II – a bigger, bolder, more visually astounding epic fans never dreamed possible.