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11 Sci-Fi Shows to Binge If You Love ‘Star Trek’

Set a course for these adventures in space.

There is no dearth of shows set in the world of Star Trek nowadays. Thanks to Paramount+ (previously known as CBS All Access), Trekkies can enjoy all kinds of fare, from darker serialized stories in Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard to old-school episodic style of storytelling in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . We also have animated fare that appeals to adults, like Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Prodigy , that’s geared to younger generations.

But just because we live in an age of "All Trek All the Time", doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some excellent science-fiction adventures outside the United Federation of Planets. Shows set in space have been around forever, though some have been forgotten. The shows on this list have vastly different tones and production values, and every viewer will have their own favorites. If you love Star Trek, or episodic adventures in space, then you may want to catch up with these shows in between seasons.

RELATED: Star Trek Day Programming and Global Pop-Ups Revealed for Paramount+ Event

An astronaut from Earth finds himself aboard the living spaceship Moya as the ship and its crew fight to escape a fascist military operation known as the Peacekeepers. Farscape aired in the early noughties, in an attempt to capture audiences who were losing interest in Star Trek , but unlike Star Trek the central crew aren’t always upstanding citizens. The protagonist, John Crichton ( Ben Browder ), is a great audience stand-in, with his pop culture retorts and easy-going air about him keeping him relatable. His perfect match turns out to be Aeryn Sun, played by Claudia Black , a no-nonsense former soldier who thaws into a compassionate character by the end of the series. Their dynamic is a big appeal of the show , as are the visuals and animatronics that bring this sci-fi universe to life.

Set aboard the titular space station, the space opera Babylon 5 focuses on what happens when humans and aliens must work together to bring peace to a galaxy that's still learning diplomacy. Babylon 5 doesn’t hold back on the horrors of war and the toll that it takes, while the show even touches on humanity’s darker aspects with plot lines featuring Xenophobic groups as well as the impact of political and religious influences. Parts of the show echo the atmosphere of Deep Space Nine , not only with its space station setting (there was some controversy around how similar the settings were) but also by showcasing how large-scale galactic events can affect the most ordinary of individuals.

Stargate is a sprawling franchise of shows based on the Roland Emmerich film, beginning with Stargate SG-1 , which debuted in the late 1990s and remains a favorite among genre fans. Later shows added to the canon of the franchise — the main premise revolves around Earth's discovery of a "Stargate," which is a cosmic portal that can ferry humans across vast distances. Of course, human beings decide to exploit this discovery for potential resources, which results in humanity battling aliens, especially the snake-like Goa'uld. Stargate is heavy on lore for sci-fi fans to immerse themselves in, but more importantly the show serves as "comfort viewing," with a fun and likable cast of characters.

Dark Matter

In the future, six people wake up on a spaceship with no knowledge of who they are and how they got there. They have to work together to discover the truth, but how can they trust each other? Based on the comic series of the same name, one of the most comparable aspects of Dark Matter to Star Trek is the introduction of The Android ( Zoie Palmer ), a character who is the smartest person in the room but knows little about human interaction. Though the show was canceled after only three seasons, it did develop a loyal fanbase, thanks to its combination of humor and darkness, with a diverse cast and a seemingly omnipresent villain. Dark Matter was less about the epic part of sci-fi, and more about the dynamics between people — something Star Trek fans will enjoy, since that franchise also emphasizes eclectic partnerships and friendships.

Killjoys deserved a lot more love than it received. This underrated sci-fi adventure follows Dutch ( Hannah John-Kamen ), Johnny ( Aaron Ashmore ), and D'avin ( Luke Macfarlane ), three bounty hunters who bungle every mission they’re on and still survive to tell the tale. The three protagonists have great chemistry and riff off each other perfectly. There’s a lot of quips mixed in with the brawls and space-hopping. What especially works for this Canadian show is that it’s a little more LGBTQIA+ friendly than Star Trek used to be, making for welcome change within the space opera genre. The show began with more episodic storytelling like older Trek , before introducing season-long villains like Deep Space Nine and Enterprise had. Also, one theme that appealed to fans of Killjoys was the concept of a found family — a quintessential theme of all Trek properties.

The Mandalorian

Star Wars and Trek are sometimes pitted against each other as franchises, which has never made sense. Now that Star Wars has debuted its own live-action series on Disney+, the differences between the franchises have decreased even more. You want an adventure in space? The Mandalorian has that as our hero flies from system to system to protect his young charge. You want aliens, betrayal, new and unconventional bonds formed? All of that can be found aboard the Razor Crest. What about epic battles, duels, and scheming villains — it’s in there! The Mandalorian is its own show, with a unique visual style, but the seasons so far definitely fill the void whenever you’re craving more Star Trek content, and you don’t feel like re-watching your favorite installment yet again.

Battlestar Galactica

If you’re a Trekkie, Battlestar Galactica has most likely been on your watchlist for a while. The reboot of the 1970s show is set aboard the titular spaceship, which leads the fleet carrying the last remaining humans in the universe. Admiral Adama ( Edward James Olmos ) oversees a crew consisting of fan-favorite characters like Katee Sackhoff ’s Starbuck and Jamie Bamber ’s Apollo, among others, alongside the newly-appointed President Laura Roslin (two-time Oscar nominee Mary McDonnell) . Adama has a destination in mind, but his hopes may be dashed as the fleet battles an old enemy in new form. The Cylons are like the Borg, insidious and relentless. Worse, the Cylons in the reboot can look like humans, so trust is at a premium in the show. Some of the storylines and character arcs on the show were controversial up to and including the series finale, but Battlestar Galactica continues to be thought-provoking, and the characters will easily become some of your favorites.

Lost in Space

For fans of space and exploration, the 2018 reboot of Lost in Space (yes, another reboot!) will be right up your alley. The show follows the Robinson family, Molly ( Maureen Robinson ), John ( Toby Stephens ) and their three children, aspiring doctor Judy ( Taylor Russell ), budding writer Penny ( Mina Sundwall ), and science-enthusiast Will ( Maxwell Jenkins ), as they travel to outer space. The Robinsons face several obstacles in space — from the environment, alien species, robots, and even their fellow humans — but always find a way to power through. As long as this family are together, they can overcome anything. Although they do need more than a little help from their friendly, albeit, taciturn, robot. Who else will loudly proclaim ‘Danger, Will Robinson’ at the first signs of trouble?

The Expanse

Set in the 24th century (like several Star Trek shows), The Expanse is one of the more critically-acclaimed science-fiction shows of the new millennium. Based on a series of novels by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck , the series follows several characters unwittingly intertwined in a giant conspiracy that threatens to destabilize the already teetering state of peace in the Solar System. The characters are distinct and compelling, but it’s the political storylines that keep you hooked. Shohreh Aghdashloo is particularly riveting as United Nations member Chrisjen Avasarala, as is Frankie Adams , who joined the show in the second season as gunnery sergeant Bobby Draper. The dynamics among the crew of the Rocinante ship are another reason you’ll continue to tune in. With The Expanse, come for the space adventure, stay for the political intrigue.

Quantum Leap

The original Quantum Leap and its 2022 sequel capture the core values of Star Trek —understanding, tolerance and a love of all people, irrespective of their differences. While the original show may feel a little dated nowadays (well, so does some of Star Trek ), through Sam Beckett ( Scott Bakula ) ‘leaping’ into other people, the show examined tough topics including racism and women’s rights. It helps that Bakula also starred as Captain Jonathan Archer on Enterprise . The sequel series stars a diverse cast including Raymond Lee, Caitlin Bassett, Mason Alexander Park, Nanrisa Lee and Ernie Hudson . The show is an absolute delight with heartwarming stories brought to life by Lee’s effortless performance and a deeper relationship between the lead characters than there was in the original . The stories are also more representative, and include an episode with an Indian immigrant family, as well as an episode about a trans teenager who just wants to play basketball. There’s an extra layer of mystery added in that will keep you tuning in for more.

The long-lasting British science-fiction show Doctor Who has the episodic, planet-hopping, and alien-encountering fun of Star Trek , but brings its own distinct flavor. Every era has its own appeal, and now that the show has broadened its horizons to cast more women, people of color, and trans actors as leads, Doctor Who is becoming more representative with every series. The show is quirky and silly, but can be scary (Weeping Angels, anyone?), thought-provoking, and somber ( just take a look at Donna Noble's tragic companion arc ). Everyone will have their own favorite Doctor, but there are a lot of companions to cheer for as well. There’s never a dull moment when the Time-Lord steps into their Tardis and decides which planet or year to fly off to. Every episode is an unforgettable adventure, and one never knows if the Doctor will meet a strange new alien, a historic figure from Earth’s past, or something else completely out of this world.

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The Best Sci-Fi TV Shows and Movies Inspired by Star Trek

From classic space adventures to parodies to stories about loving Star Trek, these are the best TV series and movies inspired by the Final Frontier.

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Star Trek is one of best and most well-known science fiction franchises of all time, so it’s no surprise that it’s had a huge influence on the rest of the genre. From other space-faring adventures to distant worlds to straight up parodies of the Enterprise and its crew, there are plenty of shows and movies that owe a bit to Gene Roddenberry ‘s creation.

This is not a list of every single show or film that has been inspired by Star Trek because that list would cover a pretty good proportion of sci-fi on screen since 1966. But if you want to watch something Star Trek -adjacent, we’ve picked out 10 of our favorite shows and movies that were, to a greater or lesser degree, inspired by Star Trek .

Back in 1998, BBC 2 ran a Red Dwarf Night featuring interviews with celebrity fans, one of whom was Patrick Stewart. Stewart talked about how he was channel hopping (remember that, fellow oldies?) one night around 1993 or 1994 and came across something that, to his own “horror and outrage”, appeared to be a “rip-off” of Star Trek: The Next Generation . He was reaching for the phone to call his lawyer, “when something happened that made me laugh – and it was something that certainly would not have happened on The Next Generation .” Stewart realized the show was a comedy, not a cheap rip-off, started laughing, and became a fan.

Red Dwarf actually started around the same time as Next Gen , both being developed from 1986, though Red Dwarf was delayed in getting to air until 1988 due to an electricians’ strike. Following the misadventures of the last human being alive as he embarks on a 3 million year journey to get back to Earth, the series combines elements of a few different space-set shows and films, including Silent Running and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy , but there is clearly a hefty dose of Star Trek: The Original Series in there. As time went on, more and more Next Generation crept in as well, especially with the addition of android crewmember Kryten as a full time cast member in Series 3.

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Stargate SG-1

Stargate SG-1 was spun off from the 1994 Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich film Stargate , and the basic premise comes directly from that film: a US Air Force team go through a mysterious gate found in Egypt to another planet – or, in the case of the TV show, lots of other planets. When the show was adapted for television, although it did not feature many spaceships until later seasons, it did start to draw on the well-established tropes of Planet of the Week style space opera that Star Trek helped to popularize. The tortured military hero gained a wise-cracking style to suit star Richard Dean Anderson that aligned him more with “always a joke at the end of the episode” Kirk, the typical 1990s-nerdy Egyptologist slowly became more of a respected expert who sneezed less often, and more importantly the team gained a woman who was not sold to the Egyptology nerd in marriage (yes that is really the plot of the movie and yes, she calls him out on it) and a stoic alien.

The addition of Teal’c is where we can really see the influence of Star Trek creeping in because Teal’c is basically the love child of Spock and Worf, in the best way. He is extremely calm and composed – he has very deep emotions, but he keeps them under the surface and meditates frequently. He is also quite fond of a raised eyebrow. The “scientist” position on the team was already taken by Carter, so Teal’c fulfills the “warrior” role. Standing out as a warrior in a military setting is quite the task, but like Worf, Teal’c’s “honorable warrior” approach and fondess for his own culture’s weapons marks him out as a warrior among warriors.

Futurama follows Philip J Fry, who accidentally falls into a cryogenic freezer on New Year’s Day in 2000 and wakes up on December 31, 2999 (and leaves his dog behind, in quite possibly the most traumatic episode of television ever made). Fry finds work with his distant nephew (an elderly man) at a delivery company called Planet Express. Being a science fiction comedy set in a future full of spaceships, there are of course references to Star Trek scattered throughout, and the short-skirted, egotistical, womanizing recurring character Captain Zapp Brannigan clearly has more than a bit of Kirk in him.

Futurama also incorporated Star Trek into its stories more directly on occasion. The show’s very first guest star was Leonard Nimoy as his own cryogenically preserved head, welcoming Fry to the Head Museum (a regular feature on the series). And later there was a whole episode dedicated to Star Trek itself, “Where No Fan Has Gone Before.” In this episode, Fry discovers that Star Trek inspired a whole religion, which led to the Star Trek Wars, which led to the show and everything associated with it being banned. But a powerful alien being has watched the whole show, and has given the preserved heads of most of the original actors new bodies so they can participate in an eternal Star Trek convention. It’s a loving, joyous send-up of the show and features all but one of the then-surviving original cast members plus, inevitably, Jonathan Frakes, because every spin-off of Star Trek in any form must feature Jonathan Frakes in some role. This is the Rule.

Battlestar Galactica (reboot)

Battlestar Galactica 2003/4 – 2009 is a reimagining of the original 1979 series Battlestar Galactica , so needless to say its main point of reference is that show (though the original has some connections with Star Trek as well, as we covered here ). But it was also developed, executive produced, and had many episodes written by Ronald D. Moore, who first earned his stripes as a writer on The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and briefly on Voyager before his working relationship with his writing partner Brannon Braga broke down and he left.

While in many ways Battlestar Galactica was deliberately the anti- Star Trek – featuring a somewhat grimmer world view and an even higher body count – it also had many similarities, inevitably, since they are both set on space ships and led by a ship’s Captain or Commander. But Moore also emphasized some of the most interesting themes of 1990s Star Trek in his noughties version of BSG . Having left Voyager after only a couple of episodes, he obviously felt he had more to say about a spaceship on a long journey to get to Earth. And he had done a lot of work on Deep Space Nine , at the time the grittiest Star Trek series (possibly overtaken by Discovery or Picard since then– argue that out in the comments!). DS9 ’s penchant for morally gray characters and storylines and for stories based around a mysterious alien religion is clearly reflected in the themes emphasized by Moore’s reimagining of Battlestar Galactica .

Firefly/Serenity

Firefly (and its follow-up movie Serenity ) is another show that, on the surface, seems to be deliberately doing something different to Star Trek . Set in the future and following the crew of a spaceship, it has a Western-inspired vibe. The ship has a courtesan and a mercenary on board, and the use of Chinese phrases scattered among the English seems to be a reaction against the perceived tendency of Star Trek and other series to make the future look very American (somewhat unfairly, and Uhura’s native language is very specifically established as Swahili in “The Changeling,” although she is admonished and told to speak English which is especially odd as they all have Universal Translators… but we digress).

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But actually, Firefly is very directly inspired by Star Trek , which was famously conceived by Gene Roddenberry as a “wagon train to the stars.” Its even more famous tag line describes space as “the final frontier,” clearly positioning the show as basically a Western in space. Firefly takes that basic idea but goes in a different direction with it. Instead of focusing on the exploration aspect of the movement of immigrants to America ever further west in the 19th century, Firefly picks up on other elements of Westerns and Western tropes – particularly the lawlessness in a frontier environment with minimal law enforcement. It is the yin to Star Trek ’s yang.

WALL-E ’s most obvious and immediate inspirations are the films Silent Running and 2001: A Space Odyssey , but if you look closely, there is a good bit of Star Trek in there as well. It is, of course, largely set on a spaceship and one of the main characters is the ship’s captain – so far, so superficial.

But there are deeper connections to Star Trek here. One of the things that is notable about WALL-E is just how good and well-intentioned all the future human characters are. The present-day human character played by Fred Willard, and by implication all the other present-day humans, are somewhat terrible, but all of the future humans we meet are good people who are open to new experiences when they are exposed to them. Their sedentary, passive lifestyles are simply what they have been taught and brought up with. The simplest and briefest exposure to the world around them, even just by being accidentally toppled out of their mobile chairs, sets them off on a journey of discovery, and the ship’s captain is thrilled and excited to learn more about Earth and about his own ship’s true mission. That attitude is pure Star Trek – a passion for discovery and exploration, even when it is one that ultimately leads back to Earth again.

The Orville

There was a point, around 2017-2019, when The Orville was famous for being more like Star Trek than Star Trek . This is not meant – by us anyway – as a criticism of Star Trek: Discovery , which is a great show. But in its first two seasons, Discovery deliberately leaned away from some of the Star Trek series that had come before, following a disgraced former mutineer instead of a Captain or Commander, featuring a morally dubious Captain who actually turned out to be “evil,” focusing on war and trauma, and using arc-based instead of episodic storytelling. It was pretty similar to Deep Space Nine in many ways, but for fans of the more upbeat, Planet of the Week, episodic storytelling of the Original Series , The Next Generation , or Voyager , it was a bit of a shock ( Star Trek: Enterprise , like Discovery , re-tooled itself somewhat halfway through).

The Orville , on the other hand, basically is Star Trek in the 1990s mold of Next Gen or Voyager . Seven episodes of the show were actually written by Brannon Braga with his new writing partner, former scientific consultant on Star Trek , André Bormanis. And yes, writers are of course capable of writing different things, but although The Orville started out as a Star Trek spoof, pretty much the only difference between the two by season 3 is that people on the Orville sometimes eat pot brownies.

The show also stars Deep Space Nine ’s Penny Johnson Jerald in a regular role as the ship’s doctor, and has guest-starred Next Gen ’s Marina Sirtis, Voyager’ s Robert Picardo and Tim Russ, and Enterprise ’s John Billingsley, and the show’s directors include Star Trek ’s Brannon Braga, Robert Duncan McNeill and, of course, Jonathan Frakes. So it must be Star Trek .

Avenue 5 is a sadly short-lived science fiction comedy that blends elements of Voyager , Red Dwarf , and WALL-E . It takes from Red Dwarf and Voyager the basic plot that a spaceship has ended up a long way from home, and an essential crew member has been killed and must somehow be replaced. It then adds a well-meaning Captain who was only ever intended to be a figurehead, and not to actually run the ship, from WALL-E . Hilarity – and some surprisingly shocking deaths – ensue.

Although the somewhat less than inspirational characters skew closer to Red Dwarf , Battlestar Galactica , or Firefly , Avenue 5 shows its Star Trek side pretty clearly in the hiring of Voyager ’s Ethan Phillips (Neelix) as former astronaut Spike Martin. It also features an entire plot line built around the ability to split the ship into two, a clear reference to one of the Enterprise -D’s most famous (and least used) features.

Avengers: Endgame

This one is probably the biggest surprise on this list. Granted, it does feature spaceships and space travel, but as a big budget superhero film, it does not obviously have much in common with space opera.

What connects the second-highest grossing film of all time with Star Trek is the importance of the ensemble and the relationship between a group and its leader. Kevin Feige has mentioned a couple of times (both times speaking to Entertainment Weekly ) that he loves The Next Generation and that he had its final episode “All Good Things” in mind when developing Avengers: Endgame . “All Good Things” (written by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore) has some time-hopping going on that is not dissimilar to Endgame , but Feige talked specifically about the very last scene, when Picard finally sits down to play poker with his senior officers. That relationship between the Captain and his crew and them all coming together, just like the shawarma-based post-credits in the first Avengers film, is what Feige really wanted to take from Star Trek and incorporate into the MCU.

The film also takes its title from the final episode of Voyager and directly lifts its closing images featuring the autographs of the actors playing the six main characters from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , the final film focusing on the original Star Trek crew played by their original actors, symbolizing its similar position as a grand ending to the earliest phase of a franchise.

Galaxy Quest

We’re finishing with a film and a show that are not just “inspired by” Star Trek – to all intents and purposes, they are Star Trek , or very nearly. The premise for 1999’s Galaxy Quest is that aliens have been watching a Star Trek -like show and mistaken it for “historical documents,” so when they find themselves facing an enemy they can’t defeat, they crash a convention to ask the “crew” of the NSEA Protector for help. With a cast led by Tim Allen (a perfect Shatner-a-like), Sigourney Weaver (of course), and Alan Rickman (whose sad passing is the reason a proposed TV show never got off the ground), the resulting story is hilarious, heart-warming, and heart-breaking in equal amounts.

Galaxy Quest is perfect. It just is. If you are a Star Trek fan and you haven’t seen it, why not? Go and watch it immediately! You will never be able to watch an episode of Star Trek without quoting a line from Galaxy Quest ever again (especially not the Original Series episode “Arena”). Hear yourself constantly saying, “I’m the guy that dies to show the situation is serious!” “Quick, let’s get out of here before one of those things kills Guy!” “Does the rolling help?” “I see you managed to get your shirt off,” “Whoever wrote this episode should die!” and of course, “That’s not right!” And I know I just spoiled several of the funniest lines, but go and watch it anyway, I promise it’s worth it.

Juliette Harrisson | @ClassicalJG

Juliette Harrisson is a writer and historian, and a lifelong Trekkie whose childhood heroes were JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. She runs a YouTube channel called…

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What To Watch If You Love 'Star Trek: Picard'

Looking for more shows like Star Trek: Picard ? We’ve compiled this list of movies and TV shows similar to Star Trek: Picard , the 2020 sci-fi drama starring Patrick Stewart as the titular USS Enterprise captain post-retirement. 

With lots of options, including Star Trek: The Next Generation , a show with Patrick Stewart playing Jean-Luc Picard, and even movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens , a film that finds a veteran pilot returning to his starship, deciding what to watch after Star Trek: Picard will really just depend on your mood.

Vote up the best movies and shows like Star Trek: Picard , so other fans know what to watch next. Thanks to streaming services, like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney Plus, and Prime Video, you can start streaming these movies and shows right now.

With more than 40 million people visiting Ranker every month, we are able to offer you data-driven recommendations based on voting across thousands of film & TV polls.

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The Expanse

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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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12 Best Shows Like Star Trek: Lower Decks That Fans Should Check Out

"Star Trek: Lower Decks" isn't the first animated "Star Trek" series, but it is the first straight-up comedy in the franchise's history. That's not to say there weren't funny episodes of the various shows or that the movies didn't have a sense of humor ("Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" is practically a comedy), but there has never been an entire series strictly devoted to making the audience laugh.

Even the premise is pretty hilarious. Instead of focusing on a respected Starfleet vessel, the series is set aboard the USS Cerritos, a second-rate ship that typically handles second contact missions, as opposed to first contact. And while most "Star Trek" shows choose to tell stories from the bridge crew's perspective, "Lower Decks" details the adventures of low-ranking officers who don't get the attention or respect they deserve. This means characters can comment on typical "Star Trek" tropes and make fun of them.

In other words, there's nothing else in the franchise like it. So what's a fan to do when they're all caught up on "Lower Decks" and need something else to scratch that specific itch? Well, if you enjoy big sci-fi adventures with irreverent jokes, then look below to find our recommendations for other shows that fit the bill.

Co-created by Matt Groening, "Futurama" has all the offbeat and wild humor of "The Simpsons" (also co-created by Groening), but the science fiction setting allows the creative minds behind the show to go even bigger with their ideas. 

Set in the 30th century, the show is about a pizza delivery guy named Philip J. Fry who falls into a cryogenic chamber in 1999 and wakes up on New Year's Eve in 2999. Living in a future with robots and all manner of strange technology, he forms a new life for himself as an employee of his descendant's delivery company, Planet Express Inc. He's best friends with a hard-drinking, smoking, and gambling robot named Bender. His love interest (who isn't interested in him most of the time) is a cyclops named Leela, with the rest of the employees — including a humanoid crustacean named Zoidberg – rounding out his oddball family.

The similarities between this show and "Lower Decks" are obvious. It's difficult not to compare any animated comedy aimed at adults to Groening's shows. Stylistically, there's a clear line from "The Simpsons" to "Futurama" to "Lower Decks." If you like any of those shows, you'll like the others as well.

Rick and Morty

Before creating "Star Trek: Lower Decks," Mike McMahan was a writer on Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland's animated show "Rick and Morty." Of all the series listed here, this is perhaps the most similar to "Lower Decks." The show tells the many twisted, horrific, and hysterical adventures of mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his grandson/unwilling assistant Morty Smith. While Morty's main concern is living the life of a normal teenager, his grandfather's unusual exploits keep him from achieving that goal.

It's an absolutely wild show with trips around the multiverse and all kinds of disturbing creatures being slaughtered in Rick's quest to satisfy any and every urge he has. At the same time, many of the episodes also feature subplots about shockingly mundane domestic issues that typically evolve into some kind of out-of-control crisis. This show explores the horrors of the human condition in a way that makes you laugh and feel deeply depressed at the same time.

Of course, while most older kids could probably handle the subject matter in "Lower Decks," you might want to wait until they're a bit older before showing them "Rick and Morty" — not only because it's significantly more violent, profane, and perverse, but some of the headier concepts might be a bit much for them to handle.

The Venture Bros.

Although "Star Trek: Lower Decks" takes place within the greater "Star Trek" canon, there is a parody element to the show. It isn't constantly making fun of its parent franchise, but it  does  good-naturedly poke fun at the tropes and cliches inherent in the "Star Trek" universe. Therefore, it serves as both a spoof and a legitimate piece of science fiction — kind of like the 2003 Adult Swim series from creator Christopher McCulloch, "The Venture Bros."

In the early days, this show was about a family of (mostly) incompetent adventurers. Scientist Dr. Thaddeus Venture and his boys, Hank and Dean, served primarily as a sendup of classic adventure cartoons. As everything progressed, however, it grew into its own piece of sci-fi adventure, with characters the audience could invest in and storylines that could make them laugh and tug on their heartstrings.

Like a few other titles listed here, it's a hair more adult than "Lower Decks," but that shouldn't be a problem for most viewers. As a work of imaginative storytelling, this is one of those shows that gets its hooks in you and never lets go — even if there are shockingly few seasons over a long period of time. Chances are, once you give it a watch, you'll want to keep going until the "Venture Bros." movie maybe comes out.

Harley Quinn

The DC superheroes have a long history of fantastic animation projects. Going back to the 1940s Max Fleischer "Superman" shorts to the incredible '90s shows like "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Superman: The Animated Series" and the fantastic DC Animated Universe movies they spawned, animation has been very kind to the DC heroes. What about the villains though? Not just the big ones like Doomsday or the Joker but the side characters mainstream audiences tend to forget?

That's where the hysterical series "Harley Quinn" comes in. Just like "Lower Decks," this isn't a show about the big hitters. Instead, the show focuses on less popular characters determined to prove they can go toe-to-toe with the heavies. After suffering an intense breakup with the Joker, Harley Quinn sets off to show the world she's more than just the Clown Prince of Crime's girlfriend by setting up her own crew (consisting of shape-shifting actor Clayface, friendly yet dangerous King Shark, little misogynist Dr. Psycho, and wheelchair-bound landlord Sy Borgman) with the reluctant help of Poison Ivy.

Aside from the carnival of violence, innuendoes, and onslaught of cursing, "Harley Quinn" is a very sweet show about found family and self-acceptance. The humor can get darker than anything on "Lower Decks", but it has the same underdog spirit.

Solar Opposites

Around the same time he was creating "Star Trek: Lower Decks," Mike McMahan was co-creating "Solar Opposites" with Justin Roiland. Similar in animation style and tone to "Rick and Morty" (thought not as nihilistic), it's not all that different from the "SNL" skit/movie "Coneheads." The premise involves a family of aliens from the planet Shlorp who plan on colonizing other planets. Unfortunately for them, they crash on Earth, and since their homeworld has been destroyed, they're now forced to make the best of it, which means finding strange ways of adapting to human culture. While the leader of the group hates his new home, the others seem okay with it, providing the main conflict of the series. Along the way, things go in much weirder directions with multiple storylines (one of which involves a shrunken human society) and extreme observations about Earth life that the aforementioned "Coneheads" couldn't have done.

Final Space

"Star Trek: Lower Decks" is about more than just taking a raucous journey across the galaxy. At its core, the show is about individuals working as a team to improve themselves. Yes, their lives are often in danger, and they have to save themselves and others from horrific sci-fi entities, but the idea of underappreciated characters excelling beyond everyone's expectations is what makes the series so relatable.

The same can be said of "Final Space," the 2018 animated series from TBS and Adult Swim. Created by Olan Rogers and featuring a great voice cast consisting of Tom Kenny ("Spongebob Squarepants"), Fred Armisen ("Saturday Night Live"), and David Tennant ("Doctor Who") , the show tells the story of an astronaut named Gary Goodspeed and his recently assembled crew trying to save the galaxy from a dangerous alien named Lord Commander. 

It's a show that, on the surface, appears to be just like any other animated series for adults. However, the characters and the world they inhabit become much richer and deeper over time, resulting in a sci-fi series that delivers on both the laughs and the well-developed characters.

Comedian, actor, and writer Patton Oswalt stunned the internet by letting his geek flag truly fly in a staggering improvised filibuster from the show " Parks and Recreation ." It's a pitch for "Star Wars Episode VII" that blends the galaxy far, far away with Marvel's mightiest heroes in what would've been a glorious disaster for fans everywhere. He then got the chance to indulge in his nerdy obsession with the 2021 stop-motion animation comedy series "M.O.D.O.K."

Co-created by Oswalt and based on a ridiculous Marvel Comics character whose name is an acronym of Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing, "M.O.D.O.K." is about what happens when a brilliant mind is too megalomaniacal for its own good. Picked on for his large head as a child, the title character (voiced by Oswalt) evolves into a massive floating being with tiny limbs — and who's hellbent on conquering the world. 

M.O.D.O.K. is so full of himself that he can't help but announce impending evil schemes and celebrate the tiniest of victories. He spends way too much money with very little return and ignores his family. He's a mess. Like "Star Trek: Lower Decks," this is definitely a spoof of the material while still having its own internal logic and worldbuilding, allowing it to stand on its own tiny legs.

Alien News Desk

The title "Alien News Desk" almost tells you everything you need to know about the series. It really is two aliens sitting at a desk reading the news. What perhaps doesn't come across in the title is the fact that these aliens are explaining Earth topics to their alien viewers. This means there's plenty of room for interesting, funny satire, in addition to fun little goofs on human obsessions.

"Saturday Night Live" cast members Heidi Gardner and Will Forte voice the two lead anchors, Tuva Van Void and Drexx Drudlarr. In a world where the news has become increasingly strange and confusing, we've seen a lot of late-night shows like "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" make it all digestible by skewering topics of the day. "Alien News Desk" takes this a step further by discussing some topics we take for granted and pointing out just how silly some of them are.

Other than the fact that this is clearly a funny sci-fi series, it also feels like something you would see on "Star Trek: Lower Decks." There's no reason why there can't be an episode where our cast is watching a news broadcast from an alien civilization trying to make sense of Earth.

If you're a fan of "Lower Decks"  and  a fan of "Rick and Morty," then "Doomlands" is definitely the show for you. This series feels like a reality that exists within the "Ricky and Morty" multiverse. In other words, it's dingy, violent, perverted, and just plain bonkers. The show takes place in a post-apocalyptic landscape where pretty much everyone is trying to kill each other, and the only refuge (kind of) is a bar called the Oasis that moves through this hellish place.

It doesn't have the same heart or charm as "Lower Decks," but the tone and some of the concepts belong in a few of the more extreme corners of that galaxy. It was created by Josh O'Keefe, who's a relative newcomer to the television business ( going by his IMDb , anyway), and there aren't any major stars doing voices to pull in a massive audience either. The show is simply a no-holds-barred adult-oriented comedy that goes off the rails in the very first episode and never looks back.

Robot Chicken

"Star Trek: Lower Decks" is a show for fans made by fans. Creator Mike McMahan absolutely loves the franchise , as proven by all the references to "Trek" minutiae that most of us wouldn't remember right away. Even the characters in the show are fans of other characters from previous "Trek" series.

This is the entire ethos behind "Robot Chicken." After several seasons, the show manages to maintain a sense of pure and spontaneous creativity with a passion for all things pop culture. It's essentially an animated sketch show lampooning everything you can imagine. Yes, it's become well known for its excellent "Star Wars" parodies , but it goes far beyond that. Centering around a cyborg fowl watching bizarre shows, the series treats its fans to everything from a Barbie fight club to the Joker showing up in "The Shawshank Redemption."

Created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, the show has come a long way with its animation over the years, but it still has a delightfully homemade touch. This feels like friends sitting around with their augmented action figures creating their own hilarious scenes, only concerned with making themselves laugh. Again, it's fans making TV for fans.

Gravity Falls

Just because "Gravity Falls" is the only show on this list intended for a younger audience, that doesn't mean its standards for comedy, characterization, and worldbuilding are any less than the others. On the contrary, one could argue that this quirky mystery series from Disney has enough lore and depth of character to rival even the longest-running series included here.

The show is about brother and sister Dipper and Mabel Pines (voiced by Jason Ritter and Kristen Schaal) spending time in the fictitious town of Gravity Falls with their Grunkle Stan (Alex Hirsch). Immediately upon their arrival, they notice something isn't right about this place — we're talking psychics and sea monsters and haunted convenience stores. As a result, the two become detectives investigating strange phenomena, although their adventures never really go where you think they will.

What begins as an adorable show about unusual things becomes something even more special as the show grows denser and the tone gets a little darker (without becoming miserable). Even though it only aired for two seasons, it developed a very dedicated fanbase. The fans were so committed to their love for the show that creator Alex Hirsch launched an alternate reality game called "Cipher Hunt" in 2016 for those who still cared about the series.

Beavis and Butt-Head

At first, comparing "Beavis and Butt-Head" to "Star Trek: Lower Decks" doesn't make a whole lot of sense. While the crew of the USS Cerritos can be a bit absent-minded at times, they never reach the level of stupidity achieved by the titular Beavis and his buddy, Butt-Head. These are two goofs who spend most of their time watching music videos and getting into trouble, snickering the entire time.

The humor is pretty different too. A lot of the comedy in "Beavis and Butt-Head" comes from seeing two completely oblivious teenagers interact with the world around them and failing to grasp social norms. That being said, these two morons — whose only ambition in life is to lose their virginity at some point — have been on some impressive adventures.

You have to take the "Beavis and Butt-Head" franchise as a whole to see the similarities. In the film "Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe," they travel to space, get caught in a wormhole, and come out in the 21st century. This, for them, is the future. That holds up side by side with any adventure had by the Cerritos. Plus, these two characters are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to being underdogs. They're such underachievers that the "Lower Decks" characters would feel sorry for them. They'd be wasting their time though. As far as Beavis and Butt-Head are concerned, they're the coolest guys around.

25 Best Shows Like Star Trek ...

If you liked this one , you will for sure love these too! In this selection we highlight some of the best films that share a very similar mood to '', and are worth checking out.

1. The Orville (2017)

42m Drama Comedy Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Follows the crew of the not-so-functional exploratory ship in the Earth's interstellar fleet, 400 years in the future.

Popular Movies

2. star trek: voyager (1995).

45m Sci-Fi & Fantasy Drama Action & Adventure

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.

3. Stargate: Atlantis (2004)

45m Sci-Fi & Fantasy Action & Adventure Drama

With the Ancients' city of Atlantis discovered in the Pegasus Galaxy by Stargate Command, Dr. Elizabeth Weir and Major Sheppard lead a scientific expedition to the ancient abandoned city. Once there, the team not only find themselves unable to contact Earth, but their explorations unexpectedly reawaken the Ancients' deadly enemies, The Wraith, who hunger for this new prey. Now with the help of newfound local allies like Teyla Emmagan, the Atlantis Team sets about to uncover their new home's secrets even as their war of survival against the Wraith begins.

4. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

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.

5. Farscape (1999)

1h Action & Adventure Sci-Fi & Fantasy

A freak accident during an experimental space mission catapults Astronaut John Crichton across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield.

6. Star Trek (2009)

2h 7m Science Fiction Action Adventure

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.

7. Andromeda (2000)

45m Action & Adventure Drama Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Captain Dylan Hunt and his crew quest to restore a government that once presided over an extended peace and prosperity.

8. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

2h 12m Science Fiction Adventure Mystery

When a destructive space entity is spotted approaching Earth, Admiral Kirk resumes command of the Starship Enterprise in order to intercept, examine, and hopefully stop it.

9. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

2h 12m Action Adventure Science Fiction

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.

10. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

1h 47m Science Fiction Action Adventure Thriller

The crew of the Federation starship Enterprise is called to Nimbus III, the Planet of Intergalactic Peace. They are to negotiate in a case of kidnapping only to find out that the kidnapper is a relative of Spock. This man is possessed by his life long search for the planet Shaka-Ri which is supposed to be the source of all life. Together they begin to search for this mysterious planet.

11. Stargate SG-1 (1997)

42m Sci-Fi & Fantasy Action & Adventure Mystery

The story of Stargate SG-1 begins about a year after the events of the feature film, when the United States government learns that an ancient alien device called the Stargate can access a network of such devices on a multitude of planets. SG-1 is an elite Air Force special operations team, one of more than two dozen teams from Earth who explore the galaxy and defend against alien threats such as the Goa'uld, Replicators, and the Ori.

12. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

1h 53m Science Fiction Action Adventure Thriller

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 dealiest encounter.

13. Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973)

24m Animation Drama Sci-Fi & Fantasy

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

14. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

1h 59m Science Fiction Adventure

It's the 23rd century, and a mysterious alien power is threatening Earth by evaporating the oceans and destroying the atmosphere. In a frantic attempt to save mankind, Kirk and his crew must time travel back to 1986 San Francisco where they find a world of punk, pizza and exact-change buses that are as alien as anything they've ever encountered in the far reaches of the galaxy. A thrilling, action-packed Star Trek adventure!

15. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

1h 51m Science Fiction Action Adventure Thriller

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.

16. Firefly (2002)

45m Drama Action & Adventure Sci-Fi & Fantasy

In the year 2517, after the arrival of humans in a new star system, follow the adventures of the renegade crew of Serenity, a "Firefly-class" spaceship. The ensemble cast portrays the nine characters who live on Serenity.

17. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

1h 57m Science Fiction Action Adventure Thriller

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.

18. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

1h 53m Action Adventure Science Fiction Thriller

It is the 23rd century. The Federation Starship U.S.S. Enterprise™ is on routine training maneuvers and Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) seems resigned to the fact that this inspection may well be the last space mission of his career. But Khan is back. Aided by his exiled band of genetic supermen, Khan (Ricardo Montalban) - brilliant renegade of 20th century Earth - has raided Space Station Regula One, stolen a top secret device called Project Genesis, wrested control of another Federation Starship and sets out in pursuit of the Enterprise, determined to let nothing stand in the way of his mission: kill Admiral Kirk... even if it means universal Armageddon.

19. Star Trek: Generations (1994)

1h 58m Science Fiction Action Adventure Thriller

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.

20. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

1h 45m Science Fiction Action Adventure Thriller

Admiral Kirk and his bridge crew risk their careers stealing the decommissioned Enterprise to return to the restricted Genesis planet to recover Spock's body.

21. Space Battleship Yamato (2010)

2h 11m Science Fiction

In 2199, five years after the Gamilons began an invasion of Earth, the planet has been ravaged by the aliens' bombs. The remnants of humanity have fled underground to escape the irradiated surface. One day, former pilot Susumu Kodai discovers a capsule sent from the planet Iscandar that tells of a device that can remove the radiation from the Earth's surface. The Earth Defense Force rebuilds the battleship Yamato with a new type of propulsion system to make the 148,000 light year trip to Iscandar in hopes of saving the Earth. Within one year, the radiation will drive the rest of humanity to extinction.

22. The Black Hole (1979)

1h 38m Adventure Family Science Fiction Action

The explorer craft USS Palomino is returning to Earth after a fruitless 18-month search for extra-terrestrial life when the crew comes upon a supposedly lost ship, the USS Cygnus, hovering near a black hole. The ship is controlled by Dr. Hans Reinhardt and his monstrous robot companion, but the initial wonderment and awe the Palomino crew feel for the ship and its resistance to the power of the black hole turn to horror as they uncover Reinhardt's plans.

23. Blakes 7 (1978)

A group of convicts and outcasts fight a guerrilla war against the totalitarian Terran Federation from a highly advanced alien spaceship.

24. Babylon 5 (1993)

1h 29m Science Fiction Action Adventure

The first installment of this Emmy award-winning series. A movie based at Babylon 5: a new space station built by Humans. The Vorlon ambassador, Kosh, has been poisoned. It is the new commanding officer's, Jeffrey Sinclair, responsibility to find the culprit. Otherwise the space station will fail in its role to bring all the races together.

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7 Shows Like Star Trek: Picard You Must See

When we talk about the most popular film or television franchises in the world, one name which is bound to come up is ‘Star Trek’. With its massive range of 13 movies, eight TV shows, three animated shows, merchandise, games, action figures and so on, ‘Star Trek’ has influenced popular culture unlike anything else.

Therefore, when this franchise comes out with a new TV series, it is bound to send fans into a frenzy. ‘ Star Trek: Picard ‘, the eighth series of the franchise, centers around one of the most popular characters of the ‘Star Trek’ universe, Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart ), the former captain of the starship USS Enterprise.

However, when this series begins, we see him leading a happy and peaceful retired life. This peace proves to be short-lived as we soon see a woman called Dahj coming to Picard and telling him about how a group of Romulan assassins is out to get her. The series is a fine blend of drama and science fiction and treads a territory hardly witnessed earlier in this franchise.

If you have enjoyed watching ‘Star Trek: Picard’, here are some other shows you might want to check out. Many of them are available on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.

7. Star Trek: The Original Series (1965-1969)

This is the series with which the entire franchise kicked off. ‘ Star Trek: The Original Series ‘ first started airing on NBC in 1965, but was discontinued after three seasons due to low ratings. However, the series later garnered a huge cult following when it was shown on syndication.

Most of the iconic characters of the ‘Star Trek’ universe like Captain James T. Kirk, Spock, Bones, Scotty, and others appear in this series for the first time. Here we see Captain Kirk out with his crew in the 2260s, exploring the entire Milky Way, looking for newer civilizations mankind has never contacted before. This series’ cultural significance trumps any critical evaluation.

6. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

While talking about shows to watch if you like ‘Star Trek: Picard’, it would be criminal to not mention the series where we see the legendary Picard for the first time. Picard and his crew, consisting of people like Commander William Riker, Geordi La Forge, and others are all a part of the second generation of space explorers who have been sent out into the world with newer equipment and faster spacecraft.

This is the series that launched the franchise in a massive way and made it the talk of the town. The excellent writing of the series goes a long way in bringing the characters pretty close to our hearts.

5. The Orville (2017-)

Created by and starring Seth MacFarlane , ‘ The Orville ‘ can easily be called a satirical take on shows like ‘Star Trek’, ‘Battlestar Galactica’, and others. The premise of the series is almost the same as the aforementioned shows. MacFarlane plays the character of Captain Ed Mercer who is commanding the eponymous ship.

However, problems in his personal life constantly prevent Mercer from carrying out his duties in a way he wants to. The comical situations these characters on the Orville constantly face are the primary concerns of this series. ‘The Orville’ fails to clearly make a statement in Season 1 but does make it up with a brilliant follow-up in Season 2.

Read More: Shows Like Lost in Space

4. Origin (2018)

A unique science fiction drama series, ‘Origin’ centers around a group of space explorers who are heading towards an unknown planet on a spacecraft. As they struggle to survive, the crew begins to realize that one among them is a cause of concern for all the others.

As tension and suspicion begin taking a toll on the members of the crew, everyone’s basic instinct of survival comes through. The series falls back on tropes a lot, but the performances by the actors are simply spellbinding.

3. Avenue 5 (2020-)

An HBO original series, ‘ Avenue 5 ‘ is the story of the eponymous interplanetary cruise ship which is under the command of Ryan Clark (Hugh Laurie). While on its way, the ship suddenly goes off its intended track due to a technical glitch and ends up far away from its preset course.

While there are provisions for eight weeks for the people on board, the cruise ship will take years to return back to its course. How Clark leads the crew during these perilous times is essentially what the show is all about. The comedic elements of the series give it a nice twist. Each character is also written with great insight, and thus they get etched into the hearts of audiences quite seamlessly.

2. The Expanse (2015-)

 This brilliant Syfy series is set far in the future when Mars has also been colonized by humans and there is a constant tension between the governments of the two planets. In this war-like scenario, we follow a detective and the captain of a spacecraft, who are both looking for one woman.

The quest is not only limited among these three characters but can have a huge effect on humanity as a whole. The writing, the brilliant production designs, and amalgamation of various genres make ‘ The Expanse ‘ an unmissable series.

1. Lost In Space (2018-)

This series is set during a time when the earth is rendered inhabitable and many families are being sent on another planet so that they can colonize the place and make it ready for others. ‘ Lost In Space ‘ follows one such family, the Robinsons, who have been sent to space on a large mothership.

However, a technical error forces the Robinsons, along with many others, to land on a different planet altogether. Besides being a brilliant science fiction story, the series also has interesting characters, an emotional core, and certain subtle but effective comedic moments.

Read More: Shows Like Avenue 5

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Shows Like Star Trek – Enter The World Of Science Fiction

by Steven May 11, 2022, 7:17 am 1.6k Views

Star Trek is a cult show. The Original Series was created by Gene Roddenberry beginning with the 1960s series. It became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. Since the original series, Star Trek has expanded into films, other television series, video games, novels, comic books, and more. Many of the shows like Star Trek are actually sequels and other Star Trek series.

Star Trek: The Original Series, debuted in the US on September 8, 1966 . It aired for only three seasons on NBC, following the voyage of the starship USS Enterprise. The space exploration vessel built by the United Federation of Planets in the 23rd century was on a mission to explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, and boldly go where no man has gone before.

Roddenberry was inspired by C.S Forester’s Horatio Hornblower series of novels for creating Star Trek , but also Jonathan Swift a nd his 1726 novel Gulliver’s Travels.

In the past few years, we have seen many new shows like Star Trek. For starters, the franchise has its own new series, Star Trek Discovery, now in the fourth season.

To this day, Star Trek remains a cult phenomenon for decades. Fans are called Trekkies or Trekkers. Actors like Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner remain legends because of Star Trek. Shatner was the first Captain Kirk. Let’s take a look at some other science fiction best shows like Star Trek.

Table of Contents

The show is about an astronaut from Earth who finds himself aboard the living spaceship Moya. The ship and its crew fight to escape a fascist military operation known as the Peacekeepers.

The show tried to capture audiences who were losing interest in Star Trek . But there is one huge difference. The central crew isn’t always upstanding citizens.

The dynamic between John Crichton , played by Ben Browder, and Aeryn Sun , played by Claudia Black is a big appeal of the show.

If you love sci-fi shows, you have to watch Babylon 5 . The TV show is set aboard the titular space station . Some say it is a space opera show , focusing on what happens when humans and aliens have to work together to bring peace to the galaxy.

There is no hold back on the horrors of war. But at the same time, the show touches on humanity’s darker aspects with plotlines like Xenophobic groups. The impact of political and religious influence is mentioned as well.

Parts of the show are quite similar to Star Trek Deep Space Nine , which is why Trek fans love it.

This show is now a sprawling franchise based on the Roland Emmerich film. It begins with Stargate SG-1 , debuting in the late 1990s. It has become a favorite among science fiction genre fans.

The main premise continues to revolve around Earth’s discovery of a Stargate. It is a cosmic portal that can ferry humans across vast distances.

But as in most cases with humans, they try to exploit the discovery for potential resources. It results in humanity battling aliens.

Star Trek Enterprise

Sometimes the TV show is titled just Enterprise. The series aired from September 2001 to May 2005 . It is the sixth series in the Star Trek franchise, serving as a prequel to the original series.

Enterprise is set in the 22nd century , hundred years before the events of The Original Series . The show follows the adventures of Enterprise, the first flagship capable of traveling at warp five as it explores the galaxy.

Rick Berman and Brannon Braga made the show, and they decided to set it in an earlier period. It broke the Star Trek convention in many aspects, mainly by dropping the Star Trek prefix and using a different song as its theme.

Enterprise was filmed on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles California . The first two seasons explored topics like humanity’s relationship with the Vulcan population , the Klingon population , and the Andorian population.

Star Trek Picard

The first season of Picard was released in 2020 as part of the plan by Alex Kurtzman to expand the Star Trek Universe . It is the eighth Star Trek series in the Star Trek franchise .

The show focuses on Jean Luc Picard . The former commander has been deeply affected by the death of Data in the movie Star Trek Nemesis and the destruction of the planet Romulus.

Patrick Stewart returns to portray Picard and also serves as executive producer on the show. Many other former Star Trek actors return, including Jeri Ryan, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Michelle Hurd, and more.

Star Trek Discovery

The American television series by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman for CBS All Access was released in 2017. It was the seventh Star Trek series in the franchise and the first since Star Trek Enterprise concluded in 2005. Star Trek fans waited for more than 10 years for a new TV show about space and exploration.

The show is set a decade before Star Trek: The Original Series. But at the end of the second season, Discovery travels centuries into its future, which sets the show for subsequent seasons.

Sonequa Martin-Green portrays the main character, Michael Burnham , who eventually becomes captain.

The Orville

If you want a comedic and funny take on Star Trek, watch The Orville. The show has such a nice fan following. And decent rating.

The Orville is a science fiction comedy-drama series starring Seth MacFarlane as the protagonist Ed Mercer. He is an officer in the Planetary Union’s line of exploratory space vessels in the 25th century.

It was inspired by The Original Series and Star Trek Next Generation . The Orville heavily parodies the shows and pays homage to them at the same time.

Mission: Impossible

No, this is not the Mission Impossible movie franchise with Tom Cruise . It is an American television series created and initially produced by Bruce Geller.

The show chronicles the exploits of a small team of secret government agents known as the Impossible Mission Force . They are used for covert missions against hostile governments, evil organizations, crime lords, and third-world dictators.

If you are looking for the best shows like Star Trek, this one has to be on your list. After all, the space opera television series was based on unused material by Gene Roddenberry . His widow, Majel Barrett produced the show.

Kevin Sorbo stars as High Guard Captain Dylan Hunt. The show lasted for five seasons from 2000 to 2005.

It is one of two shows based on concepts Roddenberry created in the early 1960s and 1970s . He died in 1991 , nine years before the premiere of Andromeda.

Firefly is quite similar to Star Trek, but also different. It is a space Western drama, created by Joss Whedon . Set in the year 2517, following the arrival of humans in a new star system, the show follows the adventures of the renegade crew of Serenity.

It is a Firefly-class spaceship . When he pitched the show, Whedon did it as “nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine different things”.

Firefly explores the lives of the group of people who fought on the losing side of a civil war. The show has won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2003 for Outstanding Special Visual Effects.

The Mandalorian

The show is more like Star Wars than Star Trek, but there is one element that connects the two franchises. The world exploring of The Mandalorian. During the first two seasons of the TV show, we saw quite a few new worlds we haven’t seen before or explored deeply in Star Wars movies.

The Mandalorian has everything that Star Trek fans love: aliens, betrayal, new and unconventional bonds, scheming villains , and perfect acting on top of it.

The visual style is unique, and will definitely make you crave for more.

Battlestar Galactica

If you are a Trekkie, you have this show on your watchlist for sure. It is a reboot of the 1970s show , set aboard the titular spaceship.

The fleet carrying the last remaining humans in the universe is guided by Admiral Adama , who oversees a crew consisting of many fan-favorite characters.

He has a destination in mind, but his fleet has to battle old enemies to get there.

Let’s finish off the list of shows like Star Trek with an animated series . The science fiction sitcom, created by Matt Groening , aired on Fox from 1999 to 2003 and then on Comedy Central from 2008 to 2013.

The series follows the adventures of Philip J. Fry, as he finds work at an interplanetary delivery company. He works alongside Leela, the Robot Bender, and more characters.

Groening came up with the idea while working on The Simpsons. Over its run, Futurama has received 12 Emmy Award nominations, winning six of them.

Written by Steven

Steven is a young student from San Francisco who is obsessed with computers.

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Tv Shows Like Star Trek: The Original Series

TV Shows Like Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series is a classic science fiction television series that first aired in 1966. The show follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise and its crew as they explore new worlds and encounter strange alien species. The show was groundbreaking for its time, with its diverse cast and its optimistic vision of the future. If you’re a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series and are looking for similar TV shows to watch, look no further! Here are 13 TV shows like Star Trek: The Original Series, along with 13 song examples to set the mood for each show.

1. Star Trek: The Next Generation

– Song: “Star Trek: The Next Generation Theme” by Jerry Goldsmith

Star Trek: The Next Generation is a sequel to the original series and follows the crew of the USS Enterprise-D as they explore the galaxy and encounter new alien species. The show is known for its strong characters and thought-provoking storylines.

2. Babylon 5

– Song: “Babylon 5 Theme” by Christopher Franke

Babylon 5 is a space opera that follows the crew of the space station Babylon 5 as they navigate political intrigue and interstellar conflict. The show is known for its complex plotlines and rich world-building.

3. Battlestar Galactica (2004)

– Song: “Battlestar Galactica Theme” by Bear McCreary

Battlestar Galactica is a reimagining of the classic 1978 series and follows the last remnants of humanity as they flee from the robotic Cylons and search for a new home. The show is known for its dark tone and moral ambiguity.

– Song: “Firefly Theme” by Sonny Rhodes

Firefly follows the crew of the spaceship Serenity as they eke out a living on the fringes of society. The show is known for its blend of western and science fiction elements, as well as its witty dialogue.

5. Stargate SG-1

– Song: “Stargate SG-1 Theme” by Joel Goldsmith

Stargate SG-1 follows a team of military personnel and scientists as they travel through a network of ancient alien portals known as Stargates. The show is known for its mix of science fiction and mythology.

6. Doctor Who

– Song: “Doctor Who Theme” by Ron Grainer

Doctor Who follows the adventures of the Doctor, a time-traveling alien who travels through time and space in a ship known as the TARDIS. The show is known for its imaginative storytelling and iconic villains.

7. The Expanse

– Song: “The Expanse Theme” by Clinton Shorter

The Expanse is a space opera that follows the crew of the spaceship Rocinante as they navigate political intrigue and interstellar conflict in a future where humanity has colonized the solar system. The show is known for its realistic depiction of space travel and its diverse cast.

8. Farscape

– Song: “Farscape Theme” by SubVision

Farscape follows astronaut John Crichton as he is pulled through a wormhole and finds himself aboard a living spaceship populated by strange alien creatures. The show is known for its surreal visuals and complex character dynamics.

9. The Orville

– Song: “The Orville Theme” by Bruce Broughton

The Orville follows the crew of the starship Orville as they explore the galaxy and encounter new alien species. The show is known for its blend of humor and drama, as well as its homage to classic Star Trek.

10. Dark Matter

– Song: “Dark Matter Theme” by Benjamin Pinkerton

Dark Matter follows a group of amnesiacs who wake up on a spaceship with no memory of who they are or how they got there. The show is known for its mystery and suspense, as well as its diverse cast of characters.

11. Lost in Space (2018)

– Song: “Lost in Space Theme” by Christopher Lennertz

Lost in Space follows the Robinson family as they crash-land on a mysterious alien planet and must work together to survive and find a way home. The show is known for its family-friendly adventure and impressive special effects.

12. Star Trek: Discovery

– Song: “Star Trek: Discovery Theme” by Jeff Russo

Star Trek: Discovery is a prequel to the original series and follows the crew of the USS Discovery as they uncover a conspiracy that threatens the Federation. The show is known for its diverse cast and modern take on the Star Trek universe.

13. The Twilight Zone

– Song: “The Twilight Zone Theme” by Marius Constant

The Twilight Zone is a classic anthology series that explores themes of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Each episode tells a standalone story with a twist ending, making it a must-watch for fans of speculative fiction.

Common Questions:

1. What makes Star Trek: The Original Series so iconic?

– Star Trek: The Original Series is iconic for its diverse cast, optimistic vision of the future, and exploration of social issues through science fiction allegory.

2. Which TV show is considered a spiritual successor to Star Trek: The Original Series?

– Star Trek: The Next Generation is considered a spiritual successor to the original series, as it continues the legacy of exploration and discovery set forth by its predecessor.

3. What is the most famous episode of Star Trek: The Original Series?

– “The City on the Edge of Forever” is considered the most famous episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, as it explores themes of time travel and sacrifice.

4. How does Star Trek: The Original Series compare to modern science fiction shows?

– Star Trek: The Original Series paved the way for modern science fiction shows by setting a high standard for storytelling, character development, and social commentary.

5. Which TV show is known for its portrayal of strong female characters?

– Battlestar Galactica (2004) is known for its portrayal of strong female characters, including President Laura Roslin and fighter pilot Kara “Starbuck” Thrace.

6. What is the significance of the Doctor Who theme song?

– The Doctor Who theme song is iconic for its otherworldly sound and its association with the long-running series, which has become a cultural phenomenon.

7. How does The Expanse differ from other space operas?

– The Expanse differs from other space operas by its focus on political intrigue, realistic science, and diverse representation of humanity’s future in space.

8. What makes Farscape stand out from other science fiction shows?

– Farscape stands out from other science fiction shows for its surreal visuals, complex character dynamics, and unique blend of humor and drama.

9. Why is The Orville often compared to Star Trek?

– The Orville is often compared to Star Trek for its exploration of moral and ethical dilemmas, its ensemble cast, and its optimistic view of humanity’s future in space.

10. What sets Dark Matter apart from other mystery shows?

– Dark Matter sets itself apart from other mystery shows by its premise of amnesiacs waking up on a spaceship, its diverse cast of characters, and its blend of science fiction and suspense.

11. How does Lost in Space (2018) compare to the original series?

– Lost in Space (2018) updates the classic premise of the original series with modern special effects, character development, and family dynamics, while still paying homage to its roots.

12. What makes Star Trek: Discovery different from previous Star Trek series?

– Star Trek: Discovery is different from previous Star Trek series by its serialized storytelling, darker tone, and focus on character-driven drama.

13. Why is The Twilight Zone considered a timeless classic?

– The Twilight Zone is considered a timeless classic for its innovative storytelling, thought-provoking themes, and twist endings that continue to captivate audiences to this day.

In conclusion, there are many TV shows like Star Trek: The Original Series that explore the vast expanse of science fiction and push the boundaries of imagination. Whether you’re a fan of space exploration, political intrigue, time travel, or mystery, there’s a TV show out there for you. From the optimism of Star Trek to the dark morality of Battlestar Galactica, there’s a show for every taste and genre. So sit back, relax, and let these shows take you on a journey to the stars and beyond.

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Alex Kurtzman explains why the Star Trek shows are so different now

T here's no doubt about it. Star Trek has changed a lot since The Original Series aired in 1966, even since The Next Generation hit our screens in 1987. The five Trek shows that came before Alex Kurtzman took over the franchise all had a lot in common. Except for Deep Space Nine, they were all set aboard a starship. The crew explored space, and each episode, for the most part, was a morality play.

The series that premiered beginning in 2017 with Star Trek: Discovery all have similiar aspects. So, to that end, Trek hasn't changed. However, ask any fan now, and they will tell you that there is a difference in the franchise. There is darkness, more conflict between the characters, more romance, more exploration, and topics and situations that probably would not have been covered in the earlier era are now being covered. That makes Trek different. Not all people like that, but Alex Kurtzman has every intention of keeping things this way, according to an interview with Comic Book .

"It's not about turning out lots of shows, it's about turning out shows that mean something. So for me, I think I'm looking for every show to be different than the one that came before it. That's really the only thing that matters. I'm not looking at this as, 'Okay I'm planning out the next 20 years, what are we going to do?' I'm really thinking more, 'What's a story we haven't told, a crew we haven't met yet, and an adventure we haven't gone on?' That is really the qualification."Alex Kurtzman

Kurtzman wants each show to be different. He doesn't want fans to feel like they don't need to watch a show because it's so similar to others. So he's always looking for the story that hasn't been told yet and what adventures have yet to be undertaken. He wants each show to be able to stand on their own, and that's what the newer shows have done.

"What I don't want is for you to feel like, 'Well, I don't really need to watch this show because I've already watched that show, so I've gotten my fill of Star Trek.' I want each show to feel individualized and specific. And a lot of that has to do with trusting different voices and different showrunners to come in and give their read on Star Trek, and tell their version of a story that's interesting to them. And that's the way you keep it fresh."Alex Kurtzman

Yes, it's those differences that have annoyed some fans. A lot of us don't want change. We want to tune in each week to see a new chapter unfolding on the Enterprise or Voyager. But then there are those of us who are embracing the newer versions of Star Trek, who are looking forward to seeing what comes next. Whatever our position, newer Star Trek shows aren't going to resemble the series of old or even the series that are currently airing now. We either have to embrace the difference or not watch. And I don't know about you, but the thought of not watching Star Trek is unpalatable.

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as Alex Kurtzman explains why the Star Trek shows are so different now .

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Invincible season 2 finale, Netflix’s Ripley, and more new TV this week

Plus: American Horror Story: Delicate, Star Trek: Discovery, and Elsbeth return

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Share All sharing options for: Invincible season 2 finale, Netflix’s Ripley, and more new TV this week

It’s April Fools’ Day, but this post is no joke: There is a lot of new TV to watch this week. In a lot of ways it’s a showdown of tense situations — “tense,” here, being used to cover things like Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott, in the new adaptation) trying to con his way into high society, American Horror Story: Delicate ’s Anna (Emma Roberts) attempting to figure what’s a real haunting and what’s in her head, Mark (Steven Yeun) trying to live up to the title of Invincible while he protects his family, or Larry David (Larry David) just trying to make it through the end of Curb Your Enthusiasm alive.

Lots to unpack in those stories, and beyond. Here’s the best new TV premieres and finales this week.

New shows on Netflix

Genre: Con-artist class warfare Release date: April 4, with all episodes Showrunner/creator: Steven Zaillian Cast: Andrew Scott, Johnny Flynn, Dakota Fanning, and more

Tom Ripley is always slippery, whether you’re encountering him in the original Patricia Highsmith novels or adapted to the screen. While he was last portrayed by Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley , here it’s Andrew Scott, rendered in stark black and white, as Ripley undertakes the same story as the film, and the tragicomic story of Ripley and Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn).

New shows on Hulu

American horror story: delicate part 2.

Genre: Rosemary’s Baby Release date: April 3 on FX at 10 p.m. EDT, next day on Hulu Showrunner/creator: Ryan Murphy and Halley Feiffer Cast: Emma Roberts, Kim Kardashian, Matt Czuchry, and more

Anna (Emma Roberts) should be enjoying having it all, in the running for the Oscar and with child. Unfortunately, things keep going mysteriously wrong, and she’s quickly losing time and sanity. Season 12b will pick up with where we left her last year before the season break — as the mystery mounts and the pregnancy progresses.

New shows on Max

Curb your enthusiasm season 12 finale.

Genre: Cringe comedy Release date: April 7 Showrunner/creator: Larry David Cast: Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, and more

Larry David is going out on top — or his version of it, anyway. This is the guy who co-created Seinfeld , as he is oft reminded, and left in the final season, but did come back for the final episode, as he is also often reminded about. Probably nothing to read into for this finale.

Genre: Drama Release date: April 7 Showrunner/creator: Will Tracy Cast: Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, and more

The Chancellor is losing it — and now it’s time to see how everything really shakes out for her.

New shows on Prime Video

Invincible season 2.

Genre: Coming of age (as a superhero) Release date: April 4 Showrunner/creator: Robert Kirkman Cast: Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, Sterling K. Brown, and more

Mark (Steven Yeun) is still trying to figure his shit out, especially as he comes to terms with a breakup and a complete confusion of his sense of purpose. And now Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown) is back and threatening his family. Fuck, dude.

New shows on Paramount Plus

Genre: (Still a) Columbo-esque procedural Release date: April 4 Showrunner/creator: Robert and Michelle King Cast: Carrie Preston, Wendell Pierce, and more

That’s right, we’re doing it again! Elsbeth , the Good Wife spinoff centered around the best Good Wife side character, Elsbeth Tascioni (Carrie Preston), is back with the rest of the season. While it technically appeared in these very pages announcing its premiere earlier in February, the season now starts in earnest. Join us!

Star Trek: Discovery season 5

Genre: Science fiction Release date: April 4, with one episode Showrunner/creator: Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise Cast: Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, David Ajala, and more

Star Trek: Discovery is returning for its fifth and final season. It’s the show that’s been driving the Star Trek TV renaissance (or, at least, the show all the other shows are building off of). And, as Susana Polo put it in her preview , “ Discovery has reached the final final frontier for a Star Trek show,” with the opportunity not seen in a quarter of a century.

New shows on Apple TV Plus

Loot season 2.

Genre: Comedy Release date: April 3, with two episodes Showrunner/creator: Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard Cast: Maya Rudolph, Joel Kim Booster, Nat Faxon, and more

Molly Novak (Maya Rudolph) is still trying to reconnect to the real world through her philanthropic efforts. In the process, she’s learning to be a little more human herself — often to, well, humorous effect. With Rudolph and Loot coming back for season 2, we can trust Molly is going to really, finally figure it out this time.

Genre: Contemporary noir Release date: April 5, with two episodes Showrunner/creator: Mark Protosevich Cast: Colin Farrell, Kirby, James Cromwell, and more

Sugar (Colin Farrell) is a world-weary private eye who needs a break, but is now booked for one more case. This modern noir — told vibrantly, both in palette and tone — follows that case, which, as these things do, turns out to be more complicated than meets the eye. (That is his real name, though.)

New shows on Crunchyroll

Wind breaker.

Genre: Shonen anime Release date: April 4 Based on the manga by: Satoru Nii

Haruka Sakura is lonely in his first year of Furin High School, recognized in town as the school with a bad academic rep that’s basically just for delinquents. Or at least he was bored, until he meets the members of Bofurin, a school organization comprised of said delinquents, who he learns are actually the sole protectors of the town.

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How to Watch Star Trek in Order: The Complete Series Timeline

The full star trek timeline, explained..

Ever since 1966’s premiere of the first episode of Star Trek: The Original Series, the entertainment world has never been the same. This franchise that has boldly gone where no property has gone before has captured the hearts and minds of millions around the world and has grown into a space-faring empire of sorts filled with multiple shows, feature length films, comics, merchandise, and so much more. That being said, the amount of Star Trek out in the world can make it tough to know exactly how to watch everything it offers in either chronological or release order so you don’t miss a thing. To help make things easier for you, we’ve created this guide to break down everything you need to know about engaging with this Star Trek journey.

It used to be a bit trickier to track down all the Star Trek shows and movies you’d need to watch to catch up, but Paramount+ has made it a whole lot easier as it has become the home of nearly all the past, present and future Star Trek entries.

So, without further ado, come with us into the final frontier and learn how you can become all caught up with the adventures of Kirk, Picard, Janeway, Sisko, Spock, Pike, Archer, Burnham, and all the others that have made Star Trek so special over the past 56 years.

And, in case you're worried, everything below is a mostly spoiler-free chronological timeline that will not ruin any of any major plot points of anything further on in the timeline. So, you can use this guide as a handy way to catch up without ruining much of the surprise of what’s to come on your adventure! If you’d prefer to watch everything Star Trek as it was released, you’ll find that list below as well!

How to Watch Star Trek in Chronological Order

• How to Watch Star Trek by Release Order

1. Star Trek: Enterprise (2151-2155)

Star Trek: Enterprise is the earliest entry on our list as it takes place a hundred years before the adventures of Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew of Star Trek: The Original Series. The show aired from 2001 to 2005 and starred Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer, the captain of the Enterprise NX-01. This version of the Enterprise was actually Earth’s first starship that was able to reach warp five.

While the show had its ups and downs, it included a fascinating look at a crew without some of the advanced tech we see in other Star Trek shows, the first contact with various alien species we know and love from the Star Trek universe, and more.

2. Star Trek: Discovery: Seasons 1 and 2 (2256-2258)

This is where things get a little bit tricky, as the first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery take place before Star Trek: The Original Series but Seasons 3 and 4 take us boldly to a place we’ve not gone before. We won’t spoil why that’s the case here, but it’s important to note if you want to watch Star Trek in order, you’ll have to do a bit of jumping around from series to movie to series.

As for what Star Trek: Discovery is, it's set the decade before the original and stars Sonequa Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham, a Starfleet Commander who accidentally helps start a war between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. She gets court-martialed and stripped of her rank following these events and is reassigned to the U.S.S Discovery.

3. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2259-TBD)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds also begins before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series and is set up by Star Trek: Discovery as its captain, Anson Mount’s Christopher Pike, makes an appearance in its second season. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Pike first appeared in the original failed pilot episode “The Cage” of Star Trek: The Original Series and would later become James T. Kirk’s predecessor after the original actor, Jefferey Hunter, backed out of the show.

Fast forward all these years later and now we get to learn more about the story of Christopher Pike and many other familiar faces from The Original Series alongside new characters. It’s made even more special as the ship the crew uses is the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, the very same that would soon call Kirk its captain.

4. Star Trek: The Original Series (2265-2269)

The fourth Star Trek series or movie you should watch in the order is the one that started it all - Star Trek: The Original Series . Created by Gene Roddenberry, this first Star Trek entry would kick off a chain reaction that would end up creating one of the most beloved IPs of all time. However, it almost never made it to that legendary status as its low ratings led to a cancellation order after just three seasons that aired from 1966 to 1969. Luckily, it found great popularity after that and built the foundation for all the Star Trek stories we have today.

Star Trek: The Original Series starred William Shatner as James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Spock, but the rest of the crew would go on to become nearly as iconic as they were. As for what the show was about? Well, we think Kirk said it best during each episode’s opening credits;

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise . Its 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.”

5. Star Trek: The Animated Series (2269-2270)

While Star Trek: The Original Series may have been canceled after just three seasons, its popularity only grew, especially with the help of syndication. Following this welcome development, Gene Roddenberry decided he wanted to continue the adventures of the crew of the Enterprise NCC-1701 in animated form, and he brought back many of the original characters and the actors behind them for another go.

Star Trek: The Animated Series lasted for two seasons from 1973 to 1974 and told even more stories of the Enterprise and its adventures throughout the Milky Way galaxy.

6. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (2270s)

The first Star Trek film was a very big deal as it brought back the crew of Star Trek: The Original Series after the show was canceled in 1969 after just three seasons. However, even it had a rough road to theaters as Roddenberry initially failed to convince Paramount Pictures it was worth it in 1975. Luckily, the success of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and other factors helped finally convince those in power to make the movie and abandon the plans for a new television series called Star Trek: Phase II, which also would have continued the original story.

In Star Trek: The Motion Picture, James T. Kirk was now an Admiral in Starfleet, and certain events involving a mysterious alien cloud of energy called V’Ger cause him to retake control of a refitted version of the U.S.S. Enterprise with many familiar faces in tow.

7. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (2285)

Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry had a sequel to Star Trek: The Motion Picture written, but Paramount turned it down after the reception to that first film was not what the studio had hoped for. In turn, Paramount removed him from the production and brought in Harve Bennett and Jack B. Sowards to write the script and Nicholas Meyer to direct the film.

The studio’s decision proved to be a successful one as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is considered by many, including IGN, to be the best Star Trek film. As for the story, it followed the battle between Admiral James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise vs. Ricardo Montalban’ Khan Noonien Singh. Khan is a genetically engineered superhuman and he and his people were exiled by Kirk on a remote planet in the episode ‘Space Seed’ from the original series. In this second film, after being stranded for 15 years, Khan wants revenge.

8. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (2285)

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock continues the story that began in Wrath of Khan and deals with the aftermath of Spock’s death. While many on the U.S.S. Enterprise thought that was the end for their science officer, Kirk learns that Spock’s spirit/katra is actually living inside the mind of DeForest Kelley’s Dr. McCoy, who has been acting strange ever since the death of his friend. What follows is an adventure that includes a stolen U.S.S. Enterprise, a visit from Spock’s father Sarek, a run-in with Klingons, and so much more.

9. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (2286 and 1986)

While it is undoubtedly great that Kirk and his crew saved Spock, it apparently wasn’t great enough to avoid the consequences that follow stealing and then losing the Enterprise. On their way to answer for their charges, the former crew of the Enterprise discover a threat to Earth that, without spoiling anything, causes them to go back in time to save everything they love. The Voyage Home is a big departure from the previous films as, instead of space, we spend most of our time in 1986’s San Francisco.

10. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (2287)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier once again brings back our favorite heroes from Star Trek: The Original Series, but it’s often regarded as one of the weakest films starring Kirk, Spock, McCoy, etc. In this adventure, our crew’s shore leave gets interrupted as they are tasked with going up against the Vulcan Sybok, who himself is on the hunt for God in the middle of the galaxy.

11. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (2293)

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is the final movie starring the entire cast of Star Trek: The Original Series, and it puts the Klingons front and center. After a mining catastrophe destroys the Klingon moon of Praxis and threatens the Klingon’s homeworld, Klingon Chancellor Gorkon is forced to abandon his species' love of war in an effort to seek peace with the Federation. What follows is an adventure that calls back to the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall and serves as a wonderful send-off to characters we’ve come to know and love since 1966, even though some will thankfully appear in future installments.

12. Star Trek: The Next Generation (2364-2370)

After you make it through all six of the Star Trek: The Original Series movies, it’s time to start what many consider the best Star Trek series of all time - Star Trek: The Next Generation . The series, which starred Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, ran from 1987 through 1994 with 178 episodes over seven seasons.

There are so many iconic characters and moments in The Next Generation, including William Riker, Data, Worf, Geordi La Forge, Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher, and many of these beloved faces would return for Star Trek: Picard, which served as a continuation of this story.

While we are once again on the U.S.S. Enterprise in Star Trek: The Next Generation, this story takes place a century after the events of Star Trek: The Original Series. However, there may just be a few familiar faces that pop up from time to time.

13. Star Trek Generations (2293)

While Star Trek Generations is the first film featuring the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew, it also features a team-up that many had dreamed of for years and years between Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Captain James T. Kirk.

Our heroes are facing off against an El-Aurian named Dr. Tolian Soran, who will do whatever is necessary to return to an extra-dimensional realm known as the Nexus. Without spoiling anything, these events lead to a meeting with these two legendary captains and a heartfelt-at-times send-off to The Original Series, even though not every character returned that we wished could have.

14. Star Trek: First Contact (2373)

Star Trek: First Contact was not only the second film featuring the crew from Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it also served as the motion picture directorial debut for William Riker actor Jonathan Frakes. In this film, the terrifying Borg take center stage and force our heroes to travel back in time to stop them from conquering Earth and assimilating the entire human race.

This movie picks up on the continuing trauma caused by Jean-Luc Picard getting assimilated in the series and becoming Locutus of Borg, and we are also treated to the first warp flight in Star Trek’s history, a shout-out to Deep Space Nine, and more.

15. Star Trek: Insurrection (2375)

Star Trek: Insurrection, which unfortunately ranked last on our list of the best Star Trek movies, is the third film starring the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew and followed a story involving an alien race that lives on a planet with more-or-less makes them invincible due to its rejuvenating properties. This alien race, known as the Ba’Ku, are being threatened by not only another alien race called the Son’a, but also the Federation. Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew disobey Federation orders in hopes to save the peaceful Ba’Ku, and while it sounds like an interesting premise, many said it felt too much like an extended episode of the series instead of a big blockbuster film.

16. Star Trek: Nemesis (2379)

The final Star Trek: The Next Generation movie is Star Trek: Nemesis , and it also isn’t looked at as one of the best. There are bright parts in the film, including Tom Hardy’s Shinzon who is first thought to be a Romulan praetor before it’s revealed he is a clone of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, but it also features a lot of retreaded ground. There are some great moments between our favorite TNG characters, but it’s not quite the goodbye many had hoped for. Luckily, this won’t be the last we’ll see of them.

17. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2369-2375)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is the fourth Star Trek series and it ran from 1993 to 1999 with 176 episodes over seven seasons. Deep Space Nine was also the first Star Trek series to be created without the direct involvement of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, but instead with Rick Berman and Michael Piller. Furthermore, it was the first series to begin when another Star Trek Series - The Next Generation - was still on the air.

The connections between The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine don’t end there, as there were a ton of callbacks to TNG in Deep Space Nine, and characters like Worf and Miles O’Brien played a big part in the series. Other TNG characters popped up from time to time, including Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and certain Deep Space Nine characters also showed their faces in TNG.

Deep Space Nine was a big departure from the Star Trek series that came before, as it not only took place mostly on a space station - the titular Deep Space Nine - but it was the first to star an African American as its central character in Avery Brooks’ Captain Benjamin Sisko.

Deep Space Nine was located in a very interesting part of the Milky Way Galaxy as it was right next to a wormhole, and the series was also filled with conflict between the Cardassians and Bajorans, the war between the Federation and the Dominion, and much more.

18. Star Trek: Voyager (2371-2378)

Star Trek: Voyager is the fifth Star Trek series and it ran from 1995 to 2001 with 172 episodes over seven seasons. Star Trek: Voyager begins its journey at Deep Space Nine, and then it follows the tale of Kate Mulgrew’s Captain Kathryn Janeway (the first female leading character in Star Trek history!) and her crew getting lost and stranded in the faraway Delta Quadrant.

The episodes and adventures that follow all see the team fighting for one goal: getting home. Being so far away from the Alpha Quadrant we were so used to letting Star Trek be very creative in its storytelling and give us situations and alien races we’d never encountered before.

That doesn’t mean it was all unfamiliar, however, as the Borg became a huge threat in the later seasons. It’s a good thing too, as that led to the introduction of Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine, a character who would continue on to appear in Star Trek: Picard and become a fan favorite.

19. Star Trek: Lower Decks (2380-TBD)

Star Trek: Lower Decks debuted in 2020 and was the first animated series to make it to air since 1973’s Star Trek: The Animated Series. Alongside having that feather in its cap, it also sets itself apart by choosing to focus more on the lower lever crew instead of the captain and senior staff.

This leads to many fun adventures that may not be as high stakes as the other stories, but are no less entertaining. There have already been three seasons of Star Trek: Lower Decks, and the fourth season is set to arrive later this summer.

The series is also worth a watch as it is having a crossover with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that will mix the worlds of live-action and animation.

20. Star Trek: Prodigy (2383-TBD)

Star Trek: Prodigy was the first fully 3D animated Star Trek series ever and told a story that began five years after the U.S.S. Voyager found its way back home to Earth. In this series, which was aimed for kids, a group of young aliens find an abandoned Starfleet ship called the U.S.S. Protostar and attempt to make it to Starfleet and the Alpha Quadrant from the Delta Quadrant.

Voyager fans will be delighted to know that Kate Mulgrew returns as Kathryn Janeway in this animated series, but not only as herself. She is also an Emergency Training Holographic Advisor that was based on the likeness of the former captain of the U.S.S. Voyager.

The second season of Star Trek: Prodigy was set to arrive later this year, but it was not only canceled in June, but also removed from Paramount+. There is still hope this show may find a second life on another streaming service or network.

21. Star Trek: Picard (2399-2402)

Star Trek: Picard is the… well… next generation of Star Trek: The Next Generation as it brings back not only Partick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard, but also many of his former crew members from the beloved series. The story is set 20 years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis and we find Picard retired from Starfleet and living at his family’s vineyard in France.

Without spoiling anything, certain events get one of our favorite captains back to work and take him on an adventure through space and time over three seasons and 30 episodes.

The show had its ups and downs, but the third season, in our opinion, stuck the landing and gave us an “emotional, exciting, and ultimately fun journey for Jean-Luc and his family - both old and new - that gives the character the send-off that he has long deserved.”

22. Star Trek: Discovery: Seasons 3 and 4 (3188-TBD)

While Star Trek: Discovery begins around 10 years before Star Trek: The Original Series, the show jumps more than 900 years into the future into the 32nd Century following the events of the second season. The Federation is not in great shape and Captain Michael Burnham and her crew work to bring it back to what it once was.

Star Trek: Discovery is set to end after the upcoming fifth season, which will debut on Paramount+ in 2024.

How to Watch Star Trek by Order of Release

• Star Trek: The Original Series (1966 - 1969)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973 - 1974)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1984)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 - 1994)
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 - 1999)
• Star Trek: Generations (1994)
• Star Trek: Voyager (1995 - 2001)
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
• Star Trek: Enterprise (2001 - 2005)
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
• Star Trek (2009)
• Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
• Star Trek Beyond (2016)
• Star Trek: Discovery (2017 - Present)
• Star Trek: Picard (2020 - 2023)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020 - Present)
• Star Trek: Prodigy (2021 - TBA)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022 - Present)

For more, check out our look at the hidden meaning behind Star Trek’s great captains, why Star Trek doesn’t get credit as the first shared universe, if this may be the end of Star Trek’s golden age of streaming, and our favorite classic Star Trek episodes and movies.

In This Article

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• The Inventory

Star Trek: Discovery Would Really Like You to Know What It's About

Discovery 's final quest continues in "jinaal," giving it an opportunity to yell loudly what the show has always been about, for those in the back.

Star Trek: Discovery has always been about one thing: at the end of it all, the only thing that matters, the only thing that will bring light in dark times, and save the day, is a connection and understanding forged between people, regardless of who they are or what they’ve done. Sometimes, it’s more subtle about reminding us of this than others. This week was definitely one of the others.

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“Jinaal” is quick to get going after last week’s explosive two-episode premiere gave Michael and the crew a TNG -throwback mission to stop the mysterious Moll and L’ok getting their hands on Progenitor tech—and use their leg up on the duo wisely to get on to the Trill homeworld as soon as they can, in the search of the next clue to the Progenitor puzzle. It turns out, they’re actually looking for a person, so much as they are the clue—the titular Jinaal, a host of the Bix symbiont, who worked with the Romulan science team that discovered the technology’s existence eight centuries prior, at the height of the Dominion War .

Bad news: Trill don’t live for 800 years, and Jinaal is very, very dead. Good news: symbionts are much more lasting, and it turns out the Bix symbiont is still around with its host, Kalzara. Better(?) news: after answering a very simple riddle, Kalzara agrees to undergo a Trill ritual known as the Zhian’tara—a process seen in DS9 and Discovery that allows the consciousness of a past joined Trill to be put in another body for a period of time. After Dr. Culber eagerly accepts to be Jinaal’s organic AirBnB, the transfer is done, and Michael and Book are off on Culber-Jinaal’s tail to go find the clue.

If all this sounds like it’s going at an alarming pace, it is and it isn’t. While “Jinaal” certainly gets going very quickly, there is both not much else to the episode and also a big breath and pause, because Discovery gets ready to lay its forever thesis on thick . All of this—all of it, not just the main thrust of the episode but its parallel stories aboard the Discovery with new first officer Commander Rayner, and back at Federation HQ with now-Ambassador Saru—is in service of people facing something, momentarily struggling, and then realizing “oh, this is much more solvable when everyone talks to each other and connects. Hooray!” And like we said, not only does the episode slow itself down to make this point clear, it makes this point plainly and repeatedly for the rest of the episode.

Look, this is not necessarily a bad thing—it’s actually been for the most part very beneficial for Discovery for it to embrace that this idea, an intrinsic aspect of Star Trek ’s hope for the future, is the core of its identity. Star Trek ’s ideal is people from across different species, backgrounds, gender identities, linguistic barriers, adversarial pasts, even across lines of understanding of radically different forms of sentient life, coming together in the face of evil and standing against it as one. Coalescing itself around that idea has given Discovery both a certainty and a confidence in recent seasons that at its most frustrating points, it deeply lacked. But god, sometimes you just gotta chill on it having every character in every storyline of an episode saying that idea to each other back and forth.

We see it on Trill, when it turns out Jinaal is leading Michael and Book into a nest of invisible, barb-shooting giant creatures—a test to see if, when faced with unintentional aggression, they reply in turn or seek to find a peaceful solution so every party gets what they want (hazard a wild guess which one Michael does, and therefore proves herself worthy of inheriting the next clue to the Progenitor tech). We see it back on Discovery , when the irascible Rayner, ordered by Michael to do one-on-one social introductions with the senior crew, treats everyone so brusquely that even Tilly has to snap at him and tell him to stop being a jerk trying to prove himself and actually get to know the people he’s now working with (Rayner’s “this meeting will last with you saying 20 words about yourself, max” attitude does at least let us give some of Discovery ’s awkwardly barely known crewmembers pockets of personality though, that’s nice). And we even see it back at Federation HQ, when Saru’s first day as an ambassador sees him forced to reckon with the political worries of whether or not his engagement to T’Rina will upset her career, after he learns of potential pushback to her husband-to-be from Vulcan purists.

In the end, all of these storylines end the same way: our heroes embrace understanding and seeking connection over aggression and division, and realize their problems are best solved when everyone talks to each other. Michael and Book get the clue (although we learn at the every end of the episode that Trill’s famously tight security of guys in red robes going “I dunno man, I’m just here to ask you a riddle” is in fact not so tight, after Mol sneaks in Guardian disguise to plant some kind of tracking device on Adira), having convinced the creatures and Jinaal alike that their intentions are peaceful. Rayner eventually realizes, after a drink and Tilly’s further prodding, that the only way he’ll get the respect of the Discovery crew that he had with his former one on the Antares will come when he offers himself openly in respect to them. And of course, Saru and T’Rina’s brief disagreement over their protectiveness of each other is quickly resolved when they actually talk to each other and make their feelings clear, instead of making assumptions and debating over it internally.

“Jinaal” then is not a bad episode. It’s breezy, it’s got some fun moments, Wilson Cruz gets to loosen up a little playing host to Jinaal’s consciousness for a while, and while the action here isn’t quite as on the scale of the premiere’s shootouts and chases, it’s still really fun (one of the best things about Discovery ’s jump to the 32nd century has been about how it plays with near-instantaneous, localized beaming, and it’s used greatly here). It just happens to be a distinctly unsubtle one in ways the show has only rarely dipped into being in the past. Nothing particularly advances here beyond the team getting the next bit of the Progenitor puzzle and moving on, there’s no real character work beyond little kernels setting things up to come, nor are Discovery ’s oft-hammered-home themes particularly challenged here: they are just repeated, very, very clearly, across multiple fronts.

Hopefully now that it’s sure everyone’s paying attention, it can hammer home those themes a little more gracefully as the adventure continues.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .

Discovery Season 5 is Taking a Huge Swing With Star Trek Canon

Get out your space history books.

Why do so many Star Trek aliens look like humans? The real-world explanation is that way back in 1964, Gene Roddenberry said the format of Star Trek would focus on stories that took place on “parallel worlds.” This didn’t mean Trek was an alternate universe-hopping show, but that allegorically, the people encountered by the Enterprise were humanoid, thus making the stories easier to write and understand (and, from a budget perspective, easier to make). But there’s an in-universe explanation for this, too.

In 1993, Star Trek: The Next Generation devoted an episode to answering this big question. And now, 31 years later, Star Trek: Discovery is doubling down with a Season 5 storyline that serves as a direct sequel to that story. Here’s what this means and why it matters. Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episodes 1 and 2.

The return of Star Trek’s Progenitors

The Progenitor’s message in the Next Generation episode “The Chase.”

At the end of Discovery Season 5, Episode 1, “Red Directive,” we learn that the data the crew has been assigned to protect is connected to discoveries made by a Romulan scientist in the year 2369. Season 5 happens roughly 820 years after that date, but as Kovich (David Cronenberg) tells Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), this information has been kept hidden for centuries. Why?

Well, in “The Chase,” Picard, Crusher, and the Enterprise-D crew — along with representatives from the Cardassians, Klingons, and Romulans — discovered an ancient message coded within DNA that revealed everyone descended from the same ancient aliens. The Progenitors, as their message explains, “...seeded the primordial oceans of many worlds, where life was in its infancy. The seed codes directed your evolution toward a physical form resembling ours.”

Captain Burnham is floored by this information, which makes sense since she’s originally from the 23rd century, and her pre-time travel adventures in Starfleet predate Picard’s by about 100 years. But Burnham’s ignorance of the Progenitors isn’t because she and the Discovery crew are time travelers. There’s another reason why this has all been classified.

Discovery’s new God-mode tech

Captain Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) is racing to find the most powerful Trek tech of all time.

The fact that most humanoid-looking life in Star Trek descended from an ancient alien species isn’t a new revelation to longtime Trek fans. Even Original Series episodes “Return to Tomorrow” and “The Paradise Syndrom” hinted that several species originated thanks to some kind of organized panspermia . What is new is that the technology the Progenitors used to create life on thousands of worlds has been found.

In Discovery’s “Red Directive,” the journal left by the Romulan scientist is just the first piece of the puzzle. The larger mission is to find the technology the Progenitors developed millions of years ago, and so Discovery has revealed the most powerful technology in all of Trek canon to date. In The Wrath of Khan , we got the Genesis Device , a tech capable of instantly terraforming planets. In Voyager’s “Year of Hell,” the Kremin weapon ship pushed entire planets out of the spacetime continuum, altering history in the blink of an eye.

But those examples of super-tech were unstable. What’s interesting about the ancient Progenitor tech is that it obviously works . Discovery’s imperative to find the tech is classic Trek: if the ability to seed life on a planetary scale falls into the wrong hands, the galaxy could be changed forever. In the grand tradition of Star Trek, the biggest superweapons aren’t planet-destroying superweapons, but something that could redefine and rewrite life itself.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 airs on Paramount+.

Ryan Britt's new book on the history of Star Trek's biggest changes. From the '60s show to the movies to 'TNG,' to 'Discovery,' 'Picard,' Strange New Worlds,' and beyond!

• Science Fiction

Screen Rant

Saru’s star trek: discovery promotion makes him even more like spock.

Saru has always been the Spock to Burnham's Kirk, and his promotion in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 makes him even more like TOS' beloved Vulcan.

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episodes 1 & 2.

• Saru's promotion in Star Trek: Discovery mirrors Spock's career change in Star Trek VI, setting the tone for an evolution in his character.
• Saru's decision to become a Federation Ambassador reflects Spock's diplomatic endeavors, injecting new challenges and dynamics into the storyline.
• As a Federation Ambassador, Saru must navigate complex political landscapes, drawing parallels to Spock's diplomatic career during the rise of the Cardassian Union.

A promotion for Captain Saru (Doug Jones) in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 makes him even more like Star Trek: The Original Series ' Spock (Leonard Nimoy). Saru has always been Discovery 's version of Spock, the more measured alien counterpoint to the bolder Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). Saru actor Doug Jones was told he was Discovery 's Spock when he was first offered the role, setting the tone of his relationship with Burnham from Disco 's very beginning. Spock and Saru's character trajectories have been quite similar, particularly in the past two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery .

Star Trek: Discovery season 4 saw Saru return to the USS Discovery after a leave of absence to help Burnham investigate a mysterious anomaly that was destroying everything in its wake. That's basically the plot of Star Trek: The Motion Picture , in which Spock returns to the USS Enterprise to help Admiral James T Kirk (William Shatner) investigate the V'Ger crisis. Now Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 1 , "Red Directive" borrows from Spock's career change in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country to give Saru a similar new role .

Which Star Trek Shows & Movies Does Spock Appear In?

Saru’s star trek: discovery promotion follows in spock’s footsteps.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5's two-episode premiere, Saru resigns his Starfleet commission to become a Federation Ambassador . There are multiple reasons for Saru's decision, including his romance with N'Var's President T'Rina (Tara Rosling). Saru's promotion follows in the footsteps of Star Trek: The Original Series ' Spock, who made the same decision in the years after Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . Spock's diplomatic career began while he was still a serving Starfleet officer , when he began conversations with Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) about a potential alliance between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.

Saru's diplomatic career could not have started at a more important time for Star Trek 's 32nd century. Both the Tholian Republic and Breen Imperium are on the rise again, creating two potentially major threats to the Federation . Spock's diplomatic career coincided with the rise of the Cardassian Union during the mid 24th century, leading to a political disagreement with his father and fellow diplomat, Ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard). Hopefully, Saru's own diplomatic career won't similarly jeopardize his and President T'Rina's upcoming Star Trek wedding .

What A Federation Ambassador Does Compared To A Starfleet Captain

A Federation ambassador's duties are to the United Federation of Planets and not to Starfleet , which is why Saru had to resign his commission at the start of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 . To this end, there are special circumstances in which Federation Ambassadors can issue orders to Starfleet officers to protect Federation interests. For example, a Changeling masquerading as Ambassador Krajensky (Lawrence Pressman) orders the USS Defiant to take him to Tzenketh in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 26, "The Adversary".

Generally, ambassadors represent the Federation to non-member worlds, with many holding specific responsibilities on particular planets. For example, Worf (Michael Dorn) became Federation Ambassador to Qo'noS at the end of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . This makes them different from Starfleet captains, who aren't tied to any particular worlds. Ambassador Saru will be responsible for ensuring that the needs of " a coalition of smaller worlds " are met by the Federation during its continued expansion across the universe. It will be interesting to see how USS Discovery's hunt for the Progenitors' treasure will impact Saru's new diplomatic responsibilities as Star Trek: Discovery season 5 continues.

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

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Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series follows the exploits of the crew of the USS Enterprise. On a five-year mission to explore uncharted space, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) must trust his crew - Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Forest DeKelley), Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Sulu (George Takei) - with his life. Facing previously undiscovered life forms and civilizations and representing humanity among the stars on behalf of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, the Enterprise regularly comes up against impossible odds and diplomatic dilemmas.