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With the possible exceptions of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" and the little-discussed "Star Trek: The Animated Series," none of the extant "Star Trek" shows began at their strongest. Ask any Trekkie, and they will tell you that "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," and "Star Trek: Voyagers" didn't really "get good" until their respective third seasons. By then, their showrunners had each zeroed in on the true nature of their characters, and knew what kind of stories could be explored. 

With "Next Generation," you can sense the shift almost immediately. The third season of that series not only changed the Enterprise officers' uniforms, but it also brought back Dr. Beverly Crusher after actress Gates McFadden had been inexplicably removed for the second season. Even more noticeably, "Next Generation" moved from wide stories about the whole...

One of the most prominent animation studios in American television, Nickelodeon has been delighting children since the early 1990s. Multiple generations of kids have had their senses of humor and ideas about what makes good fiction storytelling molded by the animated series on Nickelodeon, and many of the biggest shows on the network have stood the test of time.

Over the years, some Nickelodeon cartoons have risen above the rest to be seen as the most classic series in the history of the network. The Nickelodeon cartoons that are flawless from beginning to end are the ones that did not talk down to their child audiences, presenting comedy and characters that continue to resonate with kids to this day.

The Legend of Korra Is a Sequel Worthy of the Original (2012-2014)

One of the most successful franchises to spawn out of the huge slate of Nickelodeon cartoons, the magical world...

If you're a hardcore fan of a long-established science fiction series, you likely fall into one of two camps: you're either a purist who stays within the parameters of what's considered canon, or you're so ravenous to explore every nook and cranny of your favorite fictional universes that you happily step outside of canon and read spinoff novels and comic books that serve as what-if riffs on the established narrative. If you're the latter type of fan, you've got to have a high tolerance for go-nowhere yarns that add little of value to the franchise. But sometimes, in tearing through these non-canonical works, you hit upon a gem.

In 1985, Pocket Books published a slender "Star Trek" novel titled "Ishmael." This book fell between "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (which killed a Khan spinoff) and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," and anticipated the narrative of the latter with...

To paraphrase the famous comedian, Rodney Dangerfield, some people just get no respect. When it comes to Star Trek, there are a few shows and films at the bottom of the pile that deserve to be there. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Short Treks, Star Trek: The Animated Series, and of course, Star Trek: Section 31.

Yet, anyone who claims Star Trek: Enterprise is bad is simply not telling you the truth. Enterprise is fantastic. It's a constantly engaging and consistent series that should've been the perfect swansong to the Brannon Braga era of Star Trek on the Upn (later CW) network. It was the prequel series of the franchise. The story that should've started it all. A series that was anchored by a sci-fi legend and, at the time, the biggest name Star Trek had ever pulled to lead a brand-new franchise.

After all,...

Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek became a pop cultural phenomenon upon release back in the ‘60s. Despite only lasting three seasons, the story of space exploration in the future and diplomatic missions became extremely engaging to fans and the core cast like William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy became legends.

The original series had always been a story of three: Shatner’s Kirk, Nimoy’s Spock, and DeForest Kelley’s McCoy. The latter reportedly faced the brunt of the stardom as he only got typecast in McCoy-esque roles after his tenure in Star Trek. The actor mentioned that he was taken by surprise as he felt he had the most human character in the series.

Actor DeForest Kelley regretted one thing about being a Star Trek actor A still from Star Trek | Credits: Paramount

William Shatner has been in multiple shows such as T.J. Hooker, The Practice, and its spinoff show Boston Legal.

The holodeck is one of the more fantastical pieces of technology on "Star Trek." The holodeck, for neophytes, is a specialized room on the U.S.S. Enterprise that uses a grid of holographic cameras to simulate an artificial, fully immersive environment. Force field technology allows the simulations to take on tactile properties, and a special force field "treadmill" allows users to go on long walks while staying in place. There is also a matter replicator worked into the holodeck, so people can eat real food on the holodeck, or even replicate souvenirs to take home. 

If such a technology existed in real life, of course, everyone would own one, and no one would ever leave. All the free food and fantasy environments my twisted imagination can conjure? Yeah, I'll be in the holodeck if you need me. 

A holodeck-like technology first appeared on Trek in the "Star Trek: The Animated Series...

I'm always perplexed when this conversation comes up. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is underrated!" "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine has some of the best scenes and you wouldn't expect it!" At this point, all I can do is shake my head because, of course, it has great scenes. Of course, it's fantastic. It's arguably the best show Star Trek ever made.

It's not the black sheep, underrated, or any of these other kitsch buzzwords. Saying anything about Deep Space Nine being a surprise in any way is like saying Tom Brady was one of the better quarterbacks that no one ever talked about.

No, we talk about Deep Space Nine all the time, because it's in contention for 'Goat' (greatest of all time) status. Not just in Star Trek, but in science fiction history. I could probably make a case for it being in the top 100 shows of all time.

Time to boldly stream, what no man has streamed before. “Star Trek” is set to have a banner year in 2025, with almost every iteration of the hit franchise available to stream on Paramount+.

For any longtime or new Trekkie, Paramount+ is going to be an almost one-stop shop for an upcoming “Star Trek” binge. Buckle up for a content overload if you’re waiting for “Star Trek: Section 31,” “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” or the new season of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” because essentially every piece of “Star Trek” story is available watch online.

Here’s where to stream all the movies and TV shows in the “Star Trek” franchise. Live long and prosper!

Where can you stream all the “Star Trek” TV shows?

When it comes to streaming “Star Trek” TV in 2025, then Paramount+ is essentially a one-stop shop. Here’s where every “Star Trek” show to date is available.

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From low-budget romps to high-energy blockbuster films, Star Trek has become one of the most influential sci-fi franchises of all time. While Trek has decades worth of TV, film, and animated iterations that might rival Star Wars, it also has its own unique legacy and long-time, passionate cult following (and merch).

In the past few years, the Trek television universe has become one of the highlights of original programming on Paramount+.

Hollywood icon and Severance director Ben Stiller reveals the Star Trek connection behind his most treasured possession.

Stiller recently opened up about his love of Star Trek while answering the Proust Questionnaire for Vanity Fair. Among the questions asked by the iconic Proust Questionnaire is "What is your most prized possession," to which Stiller responded, "The Spock ears that Leonard Nimoy gave to me." When asked what his greatest extravagance was, Stiller pointed to the rest of his expansive (and expensive) collection of Star Trek memorabilia.

Related Peyton List's Supernatural Teen Drama With 90% Audience Score Gets Season 2 Trailer

The latest hit supernatural teen drama from Paramount+ gets a surprisingly ominous new trailer ahead of the premiere of its second season.

Several Actors Have Played Spock Over The Years

Nimoy portrayed the role of Spock in 1966's original Star Trek, and went on to reprise it throughout the course of his career.

A series finale offers a show one last chance to make a grand statement about its core themes while offering a send-off to its main characters. However, just like a pilot episode, not all series finales are created equal, with some managing to stick the landing while others are dead on arrival. This certainly applies to the Star Trek franchise, which has steadily released several television series since its start in 1966. While Star Trek has provided fans with some of the best finales in TV history, other shows in the franchise have stumbled across the finish line.

In some cases, Star Trek shows have ended without their finale being planned to conclude a series run, with the cancelation decision made either during or after production. These finales are noticeably less satisfactory than the other series that have a planned coda, paying off on years of storytelling. But when Star Trek pulls off a solid finale,...

Although Star Trek: The Animated Series very quickly became popular, there have long been questions surrounding the issue of whether it belongs in the franchise's main canon, but there is a definitive answer. The Star Trek timeline has become far more expansive since The Animated Series ended, but the space opera's debut spinoff laid the groundwork for the sci-fi saga's future in several ways. Although the announcement of new Star Trek shows doesn't feel quite so much like a landmark event anymore, Star Trek: The Animated Series' debut was incredibly exciting for early Trekkies.

Star Trek: The Animated Series aired for two seasons between 1973 and 1975, totaling 22 episodes. Of all the animated Star Trek shows, it's arguably the most instrumental in the franchise's larger future. Not only did it renew interest in Gene Roddenberry's creation, but it also opened the door for alternative mediums in which Star Trek stories could be told.

When Star Trek: The Original Series was brought back as Star Trek: The Animated Series, there were a lot of changes. Walter Koenig was left out of the series, there was a different alien on the bridge besides just Mr. Spock, and the animation was mediocre at best, to name a few. Those changes didn't stop the series from delivering some pretty stand-out episodes like "Yesteryear" when Spock has to go back in time to save his younger self.

The Animated Series aired for twenty-two episodes between September 8, 1973 to October 12, 1974, with those counting as two seasons. And though the ratings were high, the show didn't reach its targeted demographic.

Gene Roddenberry's son, Rod Roddenberry, wasn't too impressed at the idea of the series initially and, according to a quote recorded in The Fifty Year Mission The First 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, he "dismissed it as nonsense without ever seeing it.

The Star Trek franchise is known for several hallmarks, but its top five shows on Rotten Tomatoes reveal a surprising fact about the legendary space opera. The Star Trek timeline is far from linear when release dates are concerned, as various prequel and sequel shows continue to be greenlit. Viewers have come to expect certain things from Star Trek TV shows, but the franchise hasn't always abided by the same formula through the decades. Although some eras are more revered than others, Rotten Tomatoes' ranking proves a certain type of Star Trek show has proven more successful than others.

Since the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series kickstarted Gene Roddenberry's sci-fi universe, the franchise has continued to go from strength to strength. That being said, there have been certain fallow periods in Star Trek's onscreen history. However, with Star Trek arguably in its second golden age, it's...

Late star Leonard Nimoy was best known for his role as first officer Spock in Star Trek: The Original Series. The half-Vulcan and half-human hybrid was known for his profound explorations into philosophy and what makes one human. He perfectly embodied the hopeful future creator Gene Roddenberry aspired to create in the series.

The Spock actor’s ideology reportedly also translated off-screen as he constantly received fanmail from individuals from various backgrounds. One such fanmail reportedly included a biracial woman looking for reassurance from Spock as she was being bullied. Nimoy reportedly answered back as Spock.

Leonard Nimoy reassured a biracial woman by responding to her letter as Spock Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek | Credits: Paramount

Actor Leonard Nimoy became an irreplaceable part of pop culture when he played Spock in Star Trek: The Original Series. Though there have been other actors who have played the legendary Vulcan, Leonard Nimoy...

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks #1!Star Trek finally explained why the Enterprise would not have survived without Mister Spock. The Enterprise’s Science Officer, Spock, was crucial to many of the ship’s victories. Spock’s formidable intellect was front and center in many of these triumphs, to the point it gave the Enterprise a serious advantage over its Starfleet brethren, and this gets a callout in Star Trek: Lower Decks #1.

Star Trek: Lower Decks #1 is written by Ryan North and drawn by Derek Charm. The Cerritos finds an older, derelict Starfleet vessel: the Bonaventure. The crew learns the truth: the Enterprise, under the command of Captain Kirk, found the Bonaventure trapped in the “Delta Triangle.” The Enterprise subsequently escaped, thanks to a formula Spock designed and implemented. The Bonaventure’s crew tried to duplicate the Enterprise’s trick, but without a “Spock of their own” to...

Jerry O'Connell thinks Star Trek: Lower Decks saved the best Jack Ransom moment for last.

"My favorite Ransom scene comes in the finale. It's good, and people are going to be satisfied with it," O'Connell told Bleeding Cool ahead of Lower Decks' penultimate episode's release, with the animated Trek show concluding its five-season run on December 19. While he didn't reveal too much about its plot, O'Connell described the series finale as "a bridge episode that takes place on the bridge... getting out of the musty, moldy lower decks and coming up to the bridge where all the action is, finally! [We're] giving the people what they want, no more hanging out in those…I got to tell you, I've been on the lower decks. Everybody smells like feet down there. You don't want to be hanging out down there. Come up to the bridge! It smells great! We have candles lit.

Star Trek: The Next Generation's coolest invention mostly disappeared from Star Trek movies after Star Trek: First Contact. Set about 100 years after Star Trek: The Original Series, Tng introduced an entirely new cast of characters and also brought several new futuristic technologies to Star Trek canon. The USS Enterprise-d of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) was much larger than its predecessors and had numerous features earlier versions of the Starship Eneterprise lacked.

The most versatile and impressive new technology introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation was the holodeck. With a combination of replicator, transporter, and holographic technology, the holodeck could create a virtual world that felt realistic in almost every way. Starfleet's Galaxy-class ships like the Enterprise-d were equipped with holodecks that could be used for training exercises, combat practice, and recreation. The holodeck also allowed Tng to explore different genres of storytelling, as the crew could visit...

In the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Cause and Effect", the U.S.S. Enterprise-d enters a recurring time loop, forcing the people on board to relive the same day over and over again. At the start of the day, several members of the senior staff gather for a game of poker. At the end of the day, the Enterprise collides with a mysterious other ship and explodes, killing everyone on board. When time resets, the Enterprise crew has no memory of what happened. 

Of course, thanks to some elaborate clues, the crew does eventually find out what's happening, and even develop a means to sent additional clues backward into the next time loop. In the next repetition, the crew finally deciphers their own hints and escapes the loop by dodging the mysterious ship. Once freed, the Enterprise-d contacts that ship, and finds it is the U.S.S.

Majel Barrett Roddenberry made a lasting impact on Star Trek. One of the most visible ways she did so was through her numerous roles across various iterations of the franchise. Although Barrett's personal contributions ended after the posthumous release of 2009's Star Trek film, the legacies of many of her roles have been carried on in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

So far, Strange New Worlds has brought back three of Barrett's roles: Number One (Rebecca Romijn), Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) and the voice of the Enterprise computer (Alex Kapp). Although it may seem odd to include the voice of the computer on that list, that is actually the "character" Barrett portrayed the most, and Alex Kapp manages to keep the same general "sound."

Given that Strange New Worlds is a prequel to the original Star Trek from 1966, it is no surprise that the Majel Barrett characters featured are her roles from Tos.

Star Trek is one of the most popular science fiction franchises in entertainment history. Starting in 1966, when Star Trek: The Original Series (Tos) premiered, this show earned the attention of everyone who saw space as the final frontier. Since Tos, five additional series have been created, starting with Star Trek: The Animated Series in 1973 and ending with Star Trek: Enterprise, which aired the final episode in 2005. There was a long gap of 12 years with no Star Trek series until production company Paramount brought about a new golden age of Star Trek TV franchises with Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. On Paramount+, Trekkies have so far been treated to six different series. The excitement continues with a new seventh series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (Sa), beginning production and is due to premiere in 2026.

Starfleet Academy occurs in the 32nd century, when Discovery left off. This series will depict the first class of cadets in over a century.

When it comes to Star Wars authors, it makes sense to start at the very beginning. Alan Dean Foster has been contributing to the Star Wars universe since the 1970s, helping to expand the universe in its earliest days.

Here are 5 facts about Star Wars author Alan Dean Foster that you may not know. 

1. He wrote the very first Star Wars book

Alan Dean Foster is known as the first person to ever contribute to the Star Wars expanded universe, writing the Star Wars novel Splinter of the Mind's Eye. The book was published just a year after the original Star Wars was released. This is the first book to expand the story of Star Wars beyond the movies, but it technically isn't the first book. The official novelization of Star Wars had already been released, making Splinter of the Mind's Eye the second Star Wars book ever published. The...

Star Trek Explorer finds the best talent to create the most entertaining stories for readers, and now that the magazine is winding down, we don't have many more to look forward to. But Titan Comics has put together a book of short stories that will certainly help ease some of the disappointment. And they were kind enough to send over a small excerpt of one of the stories so you can see the quality they are so good at bringing to light.

This story is in the latest collection of short stories, "Star Trek Explorer Presents Star Trek—A Year to the Day that I Saw Myself Die—and Other Stories." This collection includes original short fiction by Walter Koenig, known for portraying Ensign Pavel Chekov on Star Trek: The Original Series and the continuing movies as well as stories by David Mack, Michael Collins, and more. And these tales cover six series: Star Trek,...

Despite the tendency to dismiss animation as a "kiddie genre," animation is, in fact, a full, vibrant art form of its own. While it shares many things in common with live-action filmmaking, animation also offers unique opportunities to depict stories and worlds that may be difficult to render in live-action. This makes animation excellent for the kind of sci-fi adventure that is Star Trek's bread and butter.

Fortunately, these opportunities have not been entirely ignored by the producers of Star Trek over the years. With three animated Star Trek shows, dating as far back as 1973, we can see how the strengths (and limitations) of animation have helped to shape the universe.

Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974)

The second-ever Star Trek series shares a lot in common with its predecessor. With effectively the same cast and writers, it is arguably just more of the original series. Even so, animation...

Five Captains of the USS Enterprise became Admirals in Star Trek. As the flagship of the United Federation of Planets, the Starship Enterprise is perhaps the most coveted assignment for a Starfleet Captain. To command the Enterprise means being part of a storied legacy that began in the 22nd century of Star Trek: Enterprise and continues into the 32nd century of Star Trek: Discovery. Unsurprisingly, distinguished and exemplary performance in the Enterprise's center seat can lead to career advancement to the rank of Starfleet Admiral.

Becoming an Admiral isn't necessarily the goal of the Captains of the USS Enterprise. Giving up the excitement of exploring strange new worlds and the chance to make history to become a deskbound decision-maker at Starfleet headquarters doesn't always sit well with Enterprise Captains-turned-Admirals. While certain Captains proved amendable to becoming a flag officer, other Enterprise head honchos became restless and yearned to get back to the Captain's chair.

Netflix's Star Trek project is something of an outlier as the majority of the franchise has a home on Paramount+, and if the show isn't renewed for a third season, it would look even more like an outsider than it already does. The movies and TV shows that make up the Star Trek timeline have varied in the level of their respective success. While most franchise installments have been well-received, some have been forced to end much sooner than others, and Netflix's Star Trek show could be next in the firing line.

Despite the iconic sci-fi franchise boasting several movies, the Star Trek TV shows remain the heart of the saga. The various eras have been extensively explored since the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series helped to kickstart the franchise back in 1966. Netflix's Star Trek show, although it follows an original storyline, is also something of a...

The following reveals spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Episode 1, "Dos Cerritos," now streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek has an informal tradition of exploring various alien species in its universe via one of its main characters. The trend goes all the way back to Mr. Spock in The Original Series, presented as the only alien in a crew of humans and serving as an audience gateway to Vulcan culture. Lt. Worf did much the same for Klingons on Star Trek: The Next Generation, as did Ferengi like Quark and Rom on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and ex-Borg Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Voyager. The trend has served an integral role in the franchise's success, while allowing it to elegantly flesh out its lexicon through often-beloved characters.

Star Trek: Lower Decks takes its connection to the franchise seriously, even if the show itself is an open parody. Indeed,...

We finally know why Beckett Mariner doesn't have the last name of Freeman like her parents do: "Mariner" is actually Beckett's middle name, and she uses it to distance herself from her mother. There's that lore question finally answered. Now, on to discuss the rest of the episode discussion!

Episode summary

"Dos Cerritos" is the first episode of the final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks and intercuts between two concurrent storylines. One focuses on D'Vana Tendi performing one last mission for her family's pirate business, and the other depicts the USS Cerritos working to get home from an alternate universe.

The Orion pirate storyline is mostly about Tendi being uncomfortable with piracy and wanting to complete her missions without killing or maiming anyone. She eventually learns that the three women serving under her are similarly disenchanted with the pirate life, and the four of them work together to acquire an ancient,...

Warning: Spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Episode 1 - "Dos Cerritos" and Episode 2 - "Shades of Green"

Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 brought back the blue Orions from Star Trek: The Original Series, but why do the blues pronounce "Orion" differently? Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 is the animated comedy's final season on Paramount+, and it kicks off with former Starfleet Lieutenant D'Vana Tendi (Nol Wells) back home pirating with the Orion Syndicate. While recovering a crashed starship for House Tendi, D'Vana and her crew run afoul of blue Orions, sparking a war between the blues, who pronounce their name "Or-ree-on", and the green Orions, who say it properly as "oh-rye-on".

Orions are among the first aliens ever seen in Star Trek. "The Cage," Star Trek's original pilot that was rejected by NBC, saw Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) shown an illusion of a dancing Orion slave girl...

The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Lower Decks, Season 5, Episode 1, "Dos Cerritos," now streaming on Paramount+.

Among its other virtues, Star Trek: Lower Decks has served as a massive reclamation project for one of the franchise's most misunderstood species. The green-skinned Orions have been a part of Star Trek since the original pilot, but the series has rarely known what to do with them. The sexism of their origins was compounded by the franchise's subsequent direction, leaving them a curiously important species about which little is known. Lower Decks has changed all of that with one of its main protagonists D'Vana Tendi who was forced to leave Starfleet and rejoin her family of notorious pirate raiders at the end of Season 4.

Season 5 picks up right where its predecessor left off, and once again, the series pulls back the curtain on Tendi's people to reveal fascinating new details. Of course,...

In the first episode of the fifth and final season of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," called "Dos Cerritos," D'Vana Tendi (Noël Wells) is still living among her fellow Orion pirates, commanding her own vessel and regularly going on plundering excursions. Although Tendi is a capable fighter, she is mild-mannered at heart, trying to rein in the ultra-violent, murder-forward ethos of her crew. Not-so-secretly, Tendi longs to return to the U.S.S. Cerritos, where she can happily be a junior office; medical science, her friends, and gentle service interest her more than looting and violence. Luckily, Tendi's sister D'Erica has offered a deal; salvage a crashed 300-year-old Orion vessel from a distant planet, and Tendi will be allowed to leave Orion again to pursue her Starfleet dreams. 

A snag: when Tendi arrives at the location of the downed Orion vessel, there are others eager to salvage it for themselves. Tendi...

Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 is the beloved animated comedy's final season on Paramount+. Created by Mike McMahan, Star Trek: Lower Decks premiered in 2020 as the third Star Trek on Paramount+ series, following Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard. Lower Decks is also the first animated Star Trek since Star Trek: The Animated Series in the 1970s, and it's the first-ever half-hour Star Trek comedy.

For five seasons, Star Trek: Lower Decks has charted the hilarious voyages of the USS Cerritos, spotlighting the junior officers of "one of Starfleet's least important ships." Lower Decks takes place in the early 2280s, and brought back the popular aesthetic and iconography of Star Trek: The Next Generation's 24th century. Ensigns Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), D'Vana Tendi (Noel Wells), and Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) gained a fifth Lower Decker, T'Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz), and the Warp Core Five were all promoted to Lieutenant,...

Star Trek: Voyager season 5 inadvertently revealed a major thing about holodeck history in one specific episode. Although an early version of a holodeck was seen as far back as Star Trek: The Animated Series in the 1970s, the first official holodeck wasn't introduced until Star Trek: The Next Generation's pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint." Once the holodeck was created, however, it quickly became a staple piece of technology in the Star Trek timeline, with similar holographic technology even being retconned into shows set before Star Trek: The Original Series in the franchise's modern era.

Holodeck-centric episodes were common during Star Trek's 1990s-era series, including Star Trek: Voyager. One such episode in Voyager season 5 was the episode "Once Upon a Time," which featured a children's holodeck program called "The Adventures of Flotter." Voyager's resident kid character, Naomi Wildman (Scarlett Pomers) was shown playing the program throughout the episode, but...

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Nicholas Meyer's 1991 film "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" was a good sendoff for the original cast of "Star Trek." It had been 25 years since "Star Trek" debuted, and the franchise had already found new footing with "Star Trek: The Next Generation," a series that was in its fourth season when "The Undiscovered Country" came out. The film was about the collapse of the Klingon Empire and the beginning of a new era of peace. Naturally, there were secret bad actors afoot who wanted to keep the Cold War between the Federation and the Klingons raging, and the sixth flick in the franchise follows the fallout after an assassination attempt. It's just as much Tom Clancy as it is a space adventure.

The film ended with the U.S.S. Enterprise saving the day, and the crew — Walter Koenig,...

When "Star Trek" debuted in 1966, no one could possibly know the impact that it would have on not only the world of television, but on pop culture as a whole. Since that time, the series has spawned numerous spin-offs, more than a dozen feature films, and more fanfiction than any one human could ever read. Captain James Tiberius Kirk (William Shatner) and the rest of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are recognizable to just about everyone, even if they've never seen the series. The show's impact is immense, and in 1985, series creator Gene Roddenberry earned a very special honor for his part in it all. 

Plenty of movie stars and directors have been immortalized on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, with their names on plaques inside of giant stars on the sidewalk, but Roddenberry was the first television writer and/or producer to given a spot. Let's take a look at Roddenberry's legacy,...

Star Trek: Lower Decks has revealed its final season 5 trailer, and here are 10 Easter eggs you might have missed. The final season of Star Trek: Lower Decks on Paramount+ premieres on Thursday, October 24, with the first two episodes dropping that same day. Lower Decks season 5 promises major events happening to the crew of the USS Cerritos, with huge callbacks and odes to the legacy of Star Trek.

After Lieutenant Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) and the USS Cerritos saved the galaxy from disgraced ex-Starfleet cadet Nicholas Locarno at the end of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, life aboard the Cerritos seems to have calmed down. But, as Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) narrates Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5's trailer, excitement and chaos follow the Cerritos and its Lower Deckers around. From Orions, Klingons, the Borg, and the return of a Star Trek: Voyager icon, Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 has Easter eggs galore.

Quick Links Star Trek: Lower Decks Is Rated TV-14 Is Star Trek: Lower Decks Just for Adult Viewers?

The animated series on Paramount+ Star Trek: Lower Decks returns for its fifth and final season in October, and it's a significant part of the third wave of Gene Roddenberry's universe. While it's not the first cartoon to explore the final frontier, it is the first one to do so on a streaming service with less stringent content rules. Like most other Star Trek series, Lower Decks is a series that appeals to both adults and younger viewers.

When Star Trek: The Animated Series debuted more than 50 years ago, it aired on Saturday mornings as part of a block of programming for young children. Because of this, the most ardent Star Trek fans tried to kill the show, protesting NBC in fear that it would "dumb down" the thought-provoking sci-fi stories found in The Original Series.

The world of Star Trek is pretty varied. A wide array of shows, films, books, comics, and more tell a remarkable and compelling narrative. Not all of it is canon, but it offers something for everyone. So because of its depth and versatility, there are going to be Star Trek properties that are more for someone and less for someone else.

There are also going to be shows and films of better quality as well. No longer are ships being flung around an empty studio on a wire. Production values have gone up significantly. So much so that some of the past Star Trek properties seem downright trite in comparison, after all, watch an episode of The Original Serie and compare it to it's timeline-contemporary, Strange New Worlds.

While they're both state-of-the-art, of their time, they're nowhere near comparable. Despite that, the original series thrives still, 60 years later, because of the stories told.

Coming in at only 22 episodes, there's a largely forgotten Star Trek show that Rotten Tomatoes ranks as the franchise's 3rd best. Throughout its nearly 60 years as a sci-fi franchise, 11 Star Trek shows have defined and expanded series creator Gene Roddenberry's vision of a hopeful future. While every fan will understandably have their own personal favorites, Star Trek fandom tends to agree that certain Star Trek shows should be ranked higher than others. Star Trek: The Next Generation, for example, is generally agreed upon as one of the best of the franchise.

Rotten Tomatoes scores media out of 100%, granting ratings according to both professional critics' reviews and the site's own audience scores. Rotten Tomatoes' critical scores use good ("certified fresh") and bad ("rotten") reviews to calculate an average score drawn from a range of sources. Curiously, Rotten Tomatoes' Star Trek rankings place both franchise-defining Star Trek: The Next Generation and...

The Star Trek franchise is pushing 60 years old. It was a show that came out in 1966, and most of the kids of that era are now all in their 70s and 80s. They sustained the franchise for decades and were among the key demographics for the revival franchise in the 1980s; Star Trek: The Next Generation. They hung through 20-plus years of uncertainty, only to be rewarded.

The youth of the franchise kept it going, even if they were never the targeted audience. Sure, Star Trek: The Animated Series helped, but that was among the worst television of its era and as far as kid's shows go, hardly qualifies as such anymore.

Now, we have shows like Star Trek: Prodigy, a show directly made for and targeting the younger fans among us. A show whose future is in limbo. A show that the fandom can't afford to lose at this point in time.

As of this writing, Trekkies haven't been given too many details about the upcoming TV movie "Star Trek: Section 31." A recent teaser trailer revealed a lot, however. As was known, Section 31 is the shady, black ops division of Starfleet, tasked with infiltrating dangerous crime lairs or manipulating local politics to their own ends. They're the morally compromised arm of "Star Trek." In the upcoming film, the division is led by Empress Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh), who was previously a recurring character on "Star Trek: Discovery." Georgiou, to recap, was rescued from the evil "mirror" universe where she was a vicious tyrant who murdered millions. Now, after a slight redemption arc, she's been put in charge of a cadre of spies.

Said characters are a ragtag group of freelance badasses. The "Section 31" cast includes Omari Hardwick, Kacey Rohl, Sven Ruygrok, Robert Kazinsky, Humberly Gonzalez, and James Hiroyuki Liao.Sam Richardson...

Susan Bay Nimoy, the widow of Leonard Nimoy, will soon guest star on Zachary Quintos new medical drama, Brilliant Minds. The actress will play quite an unconventional character. Nimoy, 81, will portray an 80-year-old nymphomaniac, on the series premiering Sept. 23 on NBC and Peacock, Quinto told Variety.

Quinto played the iconic Spock in the Kelvin Timeline movies starting in 2009. The character was made famous by Leonard Nimoy in the 1966 original Star Trek series as well as Star Trek: The Animated Series and the Star Trek movies. Nimoy also played Spock in the Kelvin movies. Quinto became close to the Nimoys during the time he was playing Spock and working with Nimoy on the J.J. Abrams films. He said playing Spock was one of the most significant experiences of my career.

Related Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Star Addresses Possible Retcon of Captain Pike's Fate

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Anson...

It's widely accepted among Trekkies that no "Star Trek" series starts with its best foot forward. Almost every single series, from the 1960s all the way up to the Paramount+ era, has a rocky first season, presenting clumsy storytelling and strange character conceits that many Trekkies look back on with a wince. Generally speaking, a Trek series doesn't hit its stride until about season three. 

I will hasten to note that even when Trek shows are struggling through their "bad" seasons, they usually still feature strong characters and a dynamic setting, so a curious viewer will not have to endure years of bad TV before it gets good. They'll just have to endure some awkward writing until it gets excellent. If one wants to watch "Star Trek: The Next Generation," one could simply start with season 3, and then ask a Trekkie friend to recommend vital episodes from seasons one and two.

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Defiant #18!

I cannot believe that Star Trek just brought back an underused species from the Animated Series. Star Trek: The Animated Series aired for two seasons in the 1970s and helped keep the franchise alive before its return later that decade. The show now occupies a nebulous spot in Trek canon, but in Star Trek: Defiant #18, one species introduced to the mythos makes a shocking return.

Star Trek: Defiant #18 is written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Angel Unzueta. Chief OBrien has left Earth to find Worf and his crew, who have become embroiled in a Romulan coup. OBrien tracks the Defiant to the Delta Triangle. The ship is seemingly deserted, but OBrien learns that six Kzinti are on board. The cat-like aliens are attempting to plunder the derelict ship, but cannot access the computer core, which is encrypted.

OBrien tries to stealthily observe them,...

In honor of “Star Trek Day,” the premiere episodes of several Star Trek series and Short Treks will be available to watch for free in a special sampling Sept. 7-13. The episodes can be accessed on Paramount+ partner platforms Amazon, Apple and Roku, its official YouTube page, Pluto TV and on the Paramount+ free content hub (U.S.)

They include:

Star Trek: The Original Series, “The Cage” Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Encounter at Farpoint Part I and II”* Star Trek: Voyager, “Caretaker Part I & II”* Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, “The Emissary Part I & II”* Star Trek: Enterprise, “Broken Bow Part I & II”* Star Trek: The Animated Series, “Beyond the Farthest Star”* Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, “Strange New Worlds”* Star Trek: Lower Decks, “Second Contact”* Star Trek: Discovery, “The Vulcan Hello”* Star Trek: Picard, “Remembrance”* Star Trek – Short Treks – “The Girl Who Made the Stars,” “The Trouble with Edward,...

Going back to 1966, "Star Trek" co-stars William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy had what was called a "favored nations clause" in their contracts. The clause ensured that whenever one actor got a raise, or perhaps input into a script, the other one would get the same. This was done to comfort two actors who were constantly butting heads as to who the real "star" of "Star Trek" was. The favored nations clause made sure that neither actor could "pull ahead" of the other.

The clauses were still in place by the 1980s, so when Nimoy was hired to direct "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (1984) and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (1986), Shatner was able to pull rank. Thanks to a pay dispute on "Star Trek IV," Shatner could contractually elbow his way into the director's chair for 1989's "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier." Not only that, but Shatner...

Leonard Nimoy became known to the world as Spock when he played the role in the original Star Trek. The actor became a household name as the popularity of the show and the character gradually increased. He was one of the three actors to get top billing in the show’s opening credits.

While Nimoy and co-star William Shatner were known for hogging the spotlight, Nimoy was reportedly more receptive to his co-stars’ grievances. The star reportedly made sure actors like Nichelle Nichols and George Takei were hired back for Star Trek: The Animated Series.

Leonard Nimoy Championed The Hiring Of Two Minority Star Trek Actors Leonard Nimoy in Star Trek | Credits: Paramount

Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek has always had a positive outlook towards the future. According to the creator, the future would have humans who were dedicated to their work and would be more accommodating of people of other cultures,...

Some Trekkies might be able to tell you that filming "Star Trek: The Original Series" wasn't always a pleasant experience for the cast. Indeed, stars William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy were both notorious spotlight hogs and Shatner was known to reassign other actors' dialogue to himself, usually badgering directors until they agreed. Nimoy, meanwhile, knew that his character, Spock, was the most recognizable element of the show, and was happy to promote himself as the star of the series. The clash of egos reportedly got so bad that show creator Gene Roddenberry had to write an angry letter to the two lead actors (also DeForest Kelley) admonishing them for their bratty behavior. "You've pretty well divided up the market on selfishness and egocentricity," Roddenberry wrote.

Trekkies will hasten to point out that, while Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley were the only three cast members listed in the show's opening credits, "Star Trek...

Gene Roddenberry's seminal sci-fi space opera "Star Trek" infamously struggled when it first ran from 1966 to 1969. The show caught a certain amount of attention in the pop mainstream -- the image of the pointy-eared Spock, as played by Leonard Nimoy, regularly graced magazines and TV Guides -- but the ratings were never terribly high. Indeed, at the end of its second season, NBC was preparing to cancel the series entirely. It was only after a pointed and drive letter-writing campaign that the show was allowed to come back for a third season.

NBC, however, still didn't have much faith in the series, and played an unhelpful scheduling game with "Star Trek." It was going to be slotted in on Monday nights, an amenable time for its youthful audience, but at the last minute, was shunted into a Friday 10 p.m. time slot, one of the least desirable TV times imaginable.

Quick Links How Star Trek: The Original Series Made The Next Generation Happen Paramount's Search for Its Own Broadcast Network Was Tied to Star Trek Syndication Saved Star Trek Twice by Giving The Next Generation a Home Roddenberry Brought in Star Trek: Tos Legends to Create Tng

Looking back, the success of Star Trek: The Next Generation might almost seem inevitable. A cast of characters on a gorgeous starship in a storytelling universe as wide and expansive as the one Gene Roddenberry created seems like a no-brainer. However, Star Trek: The Next Generation was expected to fail, at least according to conventional wisdom. After the cancellation of Star Trek: The Original Series, bringing The Next Generation to television was a risky and troubled effort.

Announced at a press conference celebrating the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series' debut, Paramount was cashing in on massive fan interest. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home...