With its rich history, the Star Trek franchise can be conveniently segmented into distinct eras for a comprehensive overview. We start with the iconic The Original Series from the late '60s, followed by the cinematic adventures of those pioneering scientists. The torch was then passed to the Rick Berman era, which kicked off with The Next Generation and concluded with Enterprise. Fast forward to the present, and we're in the midst of the modern era, spearheaded by Paramount+ with the launch of Discovery in 2017.
Today, we turn our attention to the latest addition to this era: Star Trek: Section 31, which marks the franchise's first straight-to-streaming TV movie, initially conceived as a series. Over the past eight years, the creative minds behind the modern Trek have expanded the universe with five new shows—two of which venture into animation—as well as a collection of short-form content known as Short Treks.
The diversity in storytelling across these projects—from pure sci-fi drama to comedy, animation, shorts, and feature-length narratives—presents a unique challenge when comparing them. It's also important to remember that a series may have its ups and downs across seasons. For our rankings, we consider the entire run of each show, not just its standout episodes.
So, with that in mind, let's embark on this journey, ready to "make it so," "engage," "fly," "blast off," "punch it," or whatever command you prefer to shout while donning your Starfleet captain's uniform!
The Best Star Trek Series of the Modern Era (and the Worst)
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