How to watch everything Star Trek in order

If you think the MCU, Star Wars, or Fast and Furious were complex franchises with their timelines, wait til you explore Star Trek.

Star Trek has been on our screens for more than 50 years, with 12 TV series, including live action and animation, and thirteen movies, so you surely have a lot of content to watch.

However, if you’re a rookie to the Star Trek lore, you probably won’t know where to start. Believe me, it’s daunting!

Luckily, I’m here to help you to join the Enterprise crew to explore this vast universe and watch everything in chronological order.

What is Star Trek about?

Star Trek is an American sci-fi media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry in 1965.

Everything started with the Star Trek TV series from that year, and quickly, it became a pop culture phenomenon. Currently, the franchise has grown into a multimedia franchise, including films, TV series, video games, novels and comics.

Star Trek stories heavily deal with politics and cultural differences in a setting of outer space with different planets and alien races.

Both the series and movies depict the adventures of humans and aliens serving in Starfleet, the space-borne humanitarian and peacekeeping armada of the United Federation of Planets.

Each series has addressed political and social issues from their time.

Roddenberry’s ideas were ahead of his time, and his objective was for the series to have a progressive political agenda, something that was and still is the backbone of the whole franchise.

How to watch everything Star Trek in order?

As I said before, the Star Trek universe comprises TV series and films, and they’re intertwined, conforming to what is considered the canonical universe.

Although you can enjoy the Star Trek films without watching the series, you probably will miss a lot of background and vital information to fully grasp the stories.

So, first, let’s focus on the TV shows since they’re the backbone of the franchise, and secondly, we’ll see the films, and lastly, I’ll show how to blend everything into a single timeline.

Star Trek TV Series

In the following list, I’ll show you all of Star Trek in the order they were released, later we’ll talk about the chronological order.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966 – 1969)

Action, Adventure, Science fiction

3 seasons – 80 episodes – 50 min. each episode

Star Trek: The Original Series was the first step in what later will be a gigantic multimedia franchise.

Created by Gene Roddenberry, the series follows the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) crew led by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), First Officer and Science Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Chief Medical Officer Leonard H. “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley) as they explore the galaxy in the XXIII century.

For nowadays viewers, this series could look old regarding visuals. But for the 60s, it was an avant garde series exploring mature topics in sci-fi settings.

Although it wasn’t a massive hit when it was first aired on NBC, it gained popularity and a solid fan base when it was in broadcast syndication.

Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973- 1974)

Animation, Action, Adventure

2 seasons – 22 episodes – 30 min. each episode

Also created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek: The Animated Series broadcasted on Saturday mornings NBC.

Reprising the same cast of characters from the TOS, who were voiced by the original cast, this animated series it’s a direct sequel to Star Trek.

Due to the cancellation of the original series, Roddenberry decides to continue the adventures of the USS Enterprise and its crew in animation. According to the show writers David Gerrold and D. C. Fontana, this series is the fourth season of Star Trek.

The series proved to be a success and won two Emmy Awards during its running. Although it was aimed at children, the main audience was adults and teenagers.

The animation was in the hands of Filmation with Lou Scheimer, a name that became popular in the 80s thanks to He-Man and She-Ra animated series.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1994)

Action, Adventure, Science-fiction

7 seasons – 176 episodes – 44 min. each episode

The third series in the Star Trek franchise, also created by Gene Roddenberry, is set a century after the events of The Original Series, following the crew of the Starfleet starship, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), in its exploration of the Alpha quadrant in the Milky Way galaxy.

The new cast is led by Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, followed by Jonathan Frakes as William Riker, Brent Spiner as Data, Michael Dorn as Worf, LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge, Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi, Denise Crosby as Tasha Yar, Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher, Gates McFadden as Dr Beverly Crusher.

The Next Generation has been the most successful entry in the franchise, spawning films, other TV series, novels, comic books, and video games.

Also, it received several accolades, including 19 Emmy Awards, two Hugo Awards, five Saturn Awards, and a Peabody Award.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999)

Action, Adventure, Drama

7 seasons – 176 episodes – 45 min. each episode

Created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, this fourth instalment in the Star Trek franchise marked a couple of milestones.

It was the first series to be created without the direct involvement of Gene Roddenberry, and the first one set on a space station rather than a travelling starship.

It was also the first to have a person of colour as its central character: Starfleet Commander, and then Captain, Benjamin Sisko (played by Avery Brooks).

Deep Space Nine is set in a space station near the planet Bajor, which was built by the imperialistic Cardassians during their occupation of Bajor.

After freeing themselves, the Bajorans invite the United Federation of Planets to administer the station. The station is renamed Deep Space Nine with a Starfleet crew assigned to manage it, led by Commander Benjamin Sisko.

The cast is led by Avery Brooks as Sisko, and he’s followed by Rene Auberjonois as Odo, Alexander Siddig as Doctor Bashir, Colm Meaney as Chief Miles O’Brien, and Nana Visitor as Major Kira.

Star Trek: Voyager (1995 – 2001)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

7 seasons – 168 episodes – 44 min. each episode

Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor, Voyager was originally aired in the UPN network that was recently launched in 1995.

Paramount Pictures commissioned the series to help the launching of the network.

From the point of view of plot, the series follows the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager as they try to return home to the Alpha Quadrant after they got stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Voyager overlaps chronologically to Deep Space Nine.

Voyager also took place in another part of the galaxy, which gave the writers the chance to create new alien races and conflicts.

The cast is led by Kate Mulgrew as Capt. Kathryn Janeway, she’s followed by Robert Beltran as Cmdr. Chakotay, Roxann Dawson as Lt. B’Elanna Torres, and Robert Duncan McNeill as Lt. Tom Paris.

Star Trek: Enterprise (2001 – 2005)

Action, Adventure, Drama

4 seasons – 98 episodes – 60 min. each episode

Created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga for the UPN, Enterprise is a prequel to The Original Series, set a hundred years before.

The story follows the titular starship, which is the Earth’s first one capable of travelling at warp five.

The first two seasons are composed of stand-alone episodes exploring humankind’s early relationship with the Vulcans, and first encounters with the Klingons and Andorians.

The cast is led by Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer, John Billingsley as Dr Phlox, Jolene Blalock as Sub-Cmdr. T’Pol, and Dominic Keating as Lt. Malcolm Reed.

Star Trek: Discovery (2017)

Action, Adventure, Drama

5 seasons – 56 episodes – 60 min. each episode

Created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, Discovery was made for the streaming service CBS All Access, which was later rebranded as Paramount+.

The series is the seventh one in the franchise and debuted after 12 years of hiatus of a Star Trek series. Enterprise finished in 2005.

This new installment in the Star Trek universe follows the crew of the starship Discovery, set a decade before Star Trek: The Original Series in the 23rd century.

When the second season ends, Discovery travels to the 32nd century, and the following seasons are set in that time.

The story begins with Commander Michael Burnham’s actions leading to a war between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire.

After she’s court-martialed, and demoted, she’s reassigned to the USS Discovery, a starfleet with a unique means of propulsion called the “Spore Drive”.

The cast is led by Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham, Doug Jones as Cmdr. Saru, Anthony Rapp as Lt. Cmdr. Paul Stamets, Emily Coutts as Lt. Keyla Detmer, and Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly.

Star Trek: Short Treks (2018 – 2020)

Shorts, Action, Adventure

2 seasons – 10 episodes – 10 min. each episode

This is an anthology series created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman as a companion series to Discovery.

These shorts are set in the Discovery timeline and other Star Trek series. Each episode presents a stand-alone story that explores characters and situations deeply.

Some of the shorts are live-action while others are animated.

Star Trek: Picard (2020 – 2023)

Action, Adventure, Drama

3 seasons – 30 episodes – 46 min. each episode

Picard was created by Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Kirsten Beyer, and Alex Kurtzman, all big names from movies, TV series, and novels spheres.

This is the eighth Star Trek series being part of Kurtzman’s expanded Star Trek Universe.

The series focused on the titular character, Jean-Luc Picard in his retired years, with each season exploring different aspects of Picard in his old age.

Patrick Stewart reprises his role from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The cast is completed by Alison Pill, Isa Briones, Harry Treadaway, Michelle Hurd, Santiago Cabrera, and Evan Evagora.

Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020)

Animation, Action, Adventure

4 seasons – 40 episodes – 25 min. each episode

Lower Decks is an adult animated television series created by Mike McMahan for the streaming service Paramount+.

This is the first animated series in the franchise since the 1970s series Star Trek: The Animated Series. Also, it’s the first series in the whole franchise to be a comedy.

The series focuses on the low-ranking support crew of the starship Cerritos in the year 2380.

This marks a big difference from the rest of the Star Trek series since they’re all starred by the senior crew members of a Starfleet. Here, the high-rank crew are supporting characters.

The voice cast is composed of Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, and Eugene Cordero voicing junior “lower decks” crew members of the Cerritos.

While Dawnn Lewis, Jerry O’Connell, Fred Tatasciore, and Gillian Vigman provide voices for the ship’s senior officers.

Star Trek: Prodigy (2021)

Animation, Action, Adventure

1 season – 21 episodes – 24 min. each episode

Aimed at a younger audience, Prodigy was created by Kevin and Dan Hageman for the streaming service Paramount+ and the cable channel Nickelodeon.

It’s considered part of Alex Kurtzman’s expanded Star Trek Universe, and it’s the first animated series in the franchise using only 3D animation.

Prodigy is set five years after the USS Voyager returned to Earth at the end of Star Trek: Voyager, and follows the adventures of a varied group of young aliens who find an abandoned Starfleet ship, the USS Protostar, in the Tars Lamora prison colony.

They take control of the ship, and now they must learn to work as a team to make the journey from the Delta Quadrant to the Alpha Quadrant.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

2 seasons – 20 episodes – 52 min. each episode

This series was created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet for Paramount+.

Strange New Worlds is a spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery that follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise in their journey to new worlds throughout the galaxy during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

Anson Mount (Inhumans), Ethan Peck (The Midnight Sky), and Rebecca Romijn (X-MEN), respectively, star as Pike, Spock, and Number One, all characters from The Original Series.

They played these characters in Star Trek Discovery, and since the fans welcomed them, Kurtzman decided to create a spin-off with them.

How to watch all Star Trek TV series in order

Now, let’s explore our first timeline focusing only on the TV series. If you want to follow the Star Trek TV series in chronological order, you must watch them in this order:

• Enterprise
• Discovery (Seasons 1 and 2)
• Strange New Worlds
• The Original Series
• The Animated Series
• The Next Generation
• Deep Space Nine (overlaps with The Next Generation)
• Voyager (overlaps with Deep Space Nine)
• Lower Decks
• Prodigy (overlaps with Lower Decks)
• Picard (overlaps with Lower Decks and Prodigy)
• Discovery (Season 3)

Star Trek movies

Star Trek movies are a continuation of different TV series, and some of them serve as a bridge between seasons or series.

The films can be divided into three categories: The Original Series, The Next Generation, and the Reboot. Except for this last category, the other films share the timeline with the TV series.

Although you can watch Star Trek films without having watched the TV Series, it’s advisable to have previous knowledge of the background. The only movies you can watch as a stand-alone saga are the reboot ones.

The Original Series

These six movies are direct sequels to The Original Series and The Animated Series.

The order to watch them is the release order, however, it is advisable to have a general idea of the Star Trek universe to fully enjoy and understand them.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi – 131 min.

Directed by Robert Wise (West Side Story, The Sound of Music), Star Trek: The Motion Picture is the first instalment in the Star Trek film series starring the original cast from The Original Series.

The film is set in the 2270s when a mysterious and powerful alien cloud known as V’Ger is getting near Earth while destroying everything on its way.

Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) assumes command again of the Starship USS Enterprise to lead a mission to save the planet.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi – 113 min.

Directed by Nicholas Meyer (Medici), this film is a sequel to the episode Space Seed from the original series.

The story focuses on the genetically engineered tyrant Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán), who escapes from a 15-year exile to take revenge on Kirk.

The crew of the Enterprise must stop him from getting a powerful terraforming device called Genesis. The Wrath of Khan is the first part of a trilogy that continues in The Search for Spock and concludes in The Voyage Home.

The movie is still considered one of the best Star Trek films, with Marc Bernardin from Entertainment Weekly calling The Wrath of Khan, “the film that, by most accounts, saved Star Trek as we know it.”

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi – 105 min.

Directed by Leonard Nimoy, who also played Spock, the film picks up right after the conclusion of The Wrath of Khan.

Kirk finds out that Spock, in his last moments, transferred his katra, the living spirit of Vulcans, to McCoy. To save McCoy from insanity, Kirk and his crew steal the Enterprise, violating the quarantine imposed on the Genesis Planet, to get back Spock’s body.

But things aren’t going to be easy for the Enterprise crew because a renegade Klingon (Christopher Lloyd) and his crew interfere with serious consequences.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Action, Adventure, Comedy – 119 min

The Voyage Home is the last chapter in the three-part arc that begins with The Wrath of Khan.

This film was also directed by Leonard Nimoy, and it deviated a little from the conventional formula of the previous Star Trek films and series.

The former Enterprise crew is heading back to Earth to face a court-martial for their actions in rescuing Spock, but when they arrive home they find a threat coming from a probe trying to communicate with the now-extinct humpback whales.

So, the crew must time-travel to the past, the late 20th century, to find a mating pair of these whales, and a marine biologist to care for them.

The film doesn’t have a punctual villain, and the plot combines humour, action, and an environmental message. This formula proved to be a success among critics, fans, and the general audience alike.

The film received positive reviews back in the time and still is regarded as one of the best films in the franchise.

Dany Graydon from the BBC wrote back in 2001, “The end result remains one of the series’ strongest episodes and proof that the franchise could weather the absence of space-bound action and the iconic USS Enterprise, and still be highly enjoyable.”

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Action, Adventure, Fantasy – 107 min.

The Final Frontier is the only film in the franchise directed by William Shatner.

The plot is set short after the events from The Voyage Home, and it follows the crew of the USS Enterprise-A confronting renegade Vulcan Sybok, who assures God is in the center of the galaxy.

Meanwhile, a young Klingon captain looking for glory wants to avenge his people for what happened in Genesis planet and has set his eyes on Kirk.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi – 110 min.

The Undiscovered Country was directed by Nicholas Meyer and it’s the last Star Trek film based on The Original series with the entire original cast starring in the film.

When the Klingon moon, Praxis, is destroyed during a mining explosion, the Klingon’s homeworld becomes inhabitable, and they can’t afford the war against the Federation anymore. So, they decide to make peace.

When the Klingon Chancellor is murdered by Enterprise crewmen on his way to Earth for a peace summit, Kirk and McCoy are held accountable by the Chancellor’s Chief of Staff and sentenced to prison for life.

While Spock tries to prove Kirk’s innocence, he ends up uncovering a conspiracy against the peace process involving parts from both sides.

Christopher Plummer completes the cast by playing Chang, a one-eyed Klingon general who serves as Gorkon’s chief of staff.

The Next Generation

The sixth and seventh films serve as a transition between The Original Series and The Next Generation.

While The Undiscovered Planet is focused on the original cast, Generations put its emphasis on The Next Generation.

Star Trek Generations (1994)

Action, Adventure, Mystery

Generations works both as a sequel to The Next Generation series and also a handoff from the original cast to the new one.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) joins forces with now-retired Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) to stop villain Tolian Soran from destroying a whole planetary system to return to an extra-dimensional realm known as the Nexus.

Patrick Stewart and William Shatner are followed by Malcolm McDowell (Soran), Jonathan Frakes (Riker), Brent Spiner (Data), and Walter Koenig (Chekov).

Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

Action, Adventure, Drama – 111 min.

Directed by Jonathan Frakes, who also plays the role of Riker.

After failing to attack Earth, the Borg tries to prevent the first contact between Humans and Vulcans.

To do so, they interfere with Zefram Cochrane’s (James Cromwell) warp test in the past. So, Picard must lead Enterprise E back in time to ensure the test and the first contact take place effectively.

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi – 103 min.

The second Star Trek film directed by Jonathan Frakes.

Insurrection is the ninth film in the Star Trek franchise and the third one set in The Next Generation timeline.

Picard decides to interfere straightforwardly with a Starfleet admiral’s plot to relocate a small, peaceful, and immortal population from a planet with rejuvenating properties, to take advantage of and control the natural radiation of the planet.

However, Picard will discover that the admiral is just a pawn in his alien partner’s path of revenge.

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi – 116 min.

Directed by Stuart Baird, Nemesis is the last Star Trek film related to one of the TV series before the reboot.

Due to a failed performance at the box office, any other film with the Next Generation cast was cancelled, and instead, Paramount decided to make a reboot film series starting in 2009.

Nemesis follows Enterprise E as they reach Romulan to negotiate a peace treaty. However, Picard and his crew find a threat when they discover Praetor Shizon’s plan to attack Earth.

Shizon is the leader of the Reman people, a slave race of the Romulan empire. Besides the regular The Next Generation cast, Ron Pearlman plays Viceroy, and Tom Hardy plays Shizon.

Reboot (Kelvin Timeline)

The development of a new film began after Nemesis, but due to the poor reception at the box office and the cancellation of Enterprise, Rick Berman, the franchise producer, and screenwriter Erik Jendresen set the new story after Enterprise but before the original series.

J. J. Abrams agreed to direct this new film in 2007. The new script featured the original character with new actors playing younger versions.

Although this revival of the franchise is considered a reboot, it is still part of the continuation of the franchise. Leonard Nimoy reprises his role of Spock in an older version.

However, to distinguish it from the original timeline, this new instalment is officially referred to as the Kelvin timeline because of the USS Kelvin, a starship involved in creating the new reality in Star Trek (2009).

Star Trek (2009)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi – 127 min.

Using the trope of time traveling and creating an alternate timeline, this new film in the franchise works both as a reboot and as part of the continuity of the saga.

J.J. Abrams (Lost, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) sits in the director’s chair to bring this story to life.

Young Spock (Zachary Quinto) is a Starfleet Academy instructor who must join forces with a young arrogant cadet named James Kirk (Chris Pine) to stop Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan, who seeks to destroy Earth and the Federation.

The cast is completed with Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Winona Ryder, Chris Hemsworth, and Jennifer Morrison.

The film was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. Ty Burr from Boston Globe said in his review, “A fresh frontier: In the best prequel ever, ‘Star Trek’ reboots the franchise and reminds us why we love it.”

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi – 132 min.

J.J. Abrams is back as director in this second installment of the Star Trek reboot.

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Zaldana, Simon Pegg, Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and Leonard Nimoy reprise their roles from the previous movie. This film is the last one starring Nimoy before his death in 2015.

The film is set in the 23rd century and follows Captain Kirk and his crew of USS Enterprise as they travel to the Klingon homeworld chasing former Starfleet member John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), who is now a dangerous terrorist.

However, Kirk and his crew find out that there is more about Harrison than they have been told because Harrison is none other than Khan Noonien Singh.

The cast is completed with Peter Weller as Fleet Admiral Marcus and Alice Eve as Carol Marcus.

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi – 122 min.

This time, J. J. Abrams takes the role of producer and gives the director’s chair to Justin Lin (Fast and Furious) with Simon Pegg, one of the cast members, writing the script.

Stranded on an unknown planet after the destruction of the Enterprise, the crew find themselves with no means to escape and face a threat from a new enemy named Krall (Idris Elba), who hates the Federation for good reasons.

Besides the regular cast and Elba, Sofia Boutella completes the cast.

Beyond is the first film from the reboot that’s not directed by Abrams, who was committed to directing Star Wars The Force Awakens.

This is the last film featuring Anton Yelchin as Chekov, as the actor died in a car accident on June 19, 2016.

How to watch all Star Trek films in order

Star Trek films are straightforward in their timeline. The order they were released is the chronological order to watch them.

However, since the Reboot works also as a prequel to The Original Series, an interesting way to watch all Star Trek movies could be this:

• Star Trek (2009)
• Star Trek Into The Darkness(2013)
• Star Trek Beyond (2016)
• 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 (1986)
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
• Star Trek Generations (1994)
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

Do I need to watch the Star Trek series to understand the movies?

Yes and no.

The answer to this question is ambiguous because no one can force you to watch the series if you don’t want to do it.

On the other hand, all the Star Trek TV series are the backbone of the franchise and give you the needed background and character development you need to fully enjoy the films.

So, if you jump directly to the films without having watched the TV series, you may be lost in some points of the plot, and you won’t know the characters to fully understand their actions.

However, the Reboot films are perfect to watch as a standalone saga without having a deep knowledge of the whole franchise.

Since these films are set in an alternate universe and also work as a prequel to The Original Series, you can enjoy them as you start discovering this fascinating universe.

How to watch EVERYTHING Star Trek in chronological order

Now we have reached the most important and interesting part of this article: how to watch EVERYTHING Star Trek in chronological order.

Although Star Trek has eight TV series, three animated series, and thirteen movies, the timeline is kind of clear and easy to follow.

So, if you want to start traveling across this franchise by following the story in chronological order, including TV series and films, you need to pay attention to this list:

• Enterprise (TV series – 2001-2005): The story is set between 2151-2155.
• Star Trek (Film – 2009): First film in the Reboot series, the story is set in 2233 and 2250.
• Discovery (TV series – 2017-Present): Season 1 and 2 takes place between 2256 and 2258.
• Strange New Worlds (TV series – 2022-Present): Set in 2259
• Star Trek Into Darkness (Film – 2013): The story takes place in 2259.
• Star Trek Beyond (Film – 2016): The story is set in 2263.
• Star Trek: The Original Series (TV series – 1966-1969): The story takes place between 2266–2269.
• Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973- 1974): Takes place between 2270 and 2271.
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979): Set in 2272.
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982): Set in 2285.
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984): set in 2285.
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986): set in 2286.
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989): set around 2290.
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country: set in 2293.
• The Next Generation (TV series – 1987–1994): set between 2364-2379.
• Star Trek Generations (1994): works as a bridge between The Original Series and The Next Generation, takes part in 2293 and 2371.
• Deep Space Nine (TV series – 1993–1999): the events in this series are set at the same time as The Next Generation, between 2369 and 2375.
• Voyager (TV series – 1995–2001): this series takes place simultaneously to The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine between 2371 and 2378.
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996): takes place around 2370.
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998): set around 2372.
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002): set around 2380.
• Lower Decks (Animated TV series – 2020-Present): set in 2380.
• Prodigy (Animated TV series – 2021-Present): set in 2383.
• Picard (TV series – 2020-Present): set in 2399.
• Discovery (TV series): 3rd season takes place in 3188.

Who stars in Star Trek?

A large number of actors and actresses have been part of Star Trek through the decades, but a few of them have become the most iconic faces in the franchise.

• William Shatner as Captain James Kirk
• Leonard Nimoy as Spock
• DeForest Kelley as Leonard “Bones” McCoy
• James Doohan as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott
• Nichelle Nichols as Nyota Uhura
• George Takei as Hikaru Sulu
• Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov
• Majel Barrett as Christine Chapel
• Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker
• Avery Brooks as Benjamin Sisko
• René Auberjonois as Constable Odo
• Alexander Siddig as Julian Bashir
• Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway
• Robert Beltran as Chakotay
• Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham
• Doug Jones as Saru
• Anthony Rapp as Paul Stamets
• Chris Pine as James T. Kirk (Reboot films)
• Zachary Quinto as Spock (Reboot films)
• Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura (Reboot films)
• Simon Pegg as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott: (Reboot films)

Did you know that…?

Now, let’s dive into some interesting facts that you probably don’t know unless you’re a hardcore fan.

Star Trek’s episodes are not in chronological order

And here I am trying to help you to watch everything in chronological order… But it seems that Roddenberry had an explanation for this back in the time.

“I came up with the statement that ‘this time system adjusts for shifts in relative time which occur due to the vessel’s speed and space warp capability. It has little relationship to Earth’s time as we know it. One hour aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise at different times may equal as little as three Earth hours.

The star dates specified in the log entry must be computed against the speed of the vessel, the space warp, and its position within our galaxy, in order to give a meaningful reading.”

Star Trek’s Vulcan salute is actually a Hebrew blessing

The popular belief is that Leonard Nimoy created the Vulcan salute at the beginning of season two.

Although it was something he introduced in the series, he learned it when he was child and was attending a service at an Orthodox Jewish synagogue with his family.

In Hebrew, this hand gesture represents the Hebrew letter Shin, meaning the word Shaddai, a name for God.

William Shatner has never watched the series

Or any of the films in the franchise. According to what Shatner said in an interview, he doesn’t watch himself, and when he has to do it when he’s directing, he thinks he sucks at acting.

Eddie Murphy turned down a Star Trek role

The Star Trek franchise is known for looking for Hollywood big names to be part of its films.

However, when Paramount proposed Eddie Murphy to be part of the franchise, he declined it, even when he said several times he wanted to be part of it. Multiple script drafts were sent to him, but he wasn’t impressed.

Spock’s skin was originally going to be red

Gene Roddenberry imagined Spock with red skin in addition to his other physical features.

However, after some screen tests, the red looked like jet black with the black and white television. So, they changed it to yellow so that it looked green on the screen.

Gene Roddenberry initially cast girlfriend Majel Barrett

In the original pilot, Gene Roddenberry’s girlfriend, who later became his wife, Majel Barrett, was Kirk’s first officer. But the audience from the1960s didn’t like her because she was too bossy and acted like a man.

Of course, her character was ahead of her time.

However, this didn’t stop Roddenberry from casting Barrett for the rest of the series in another role. Majel Barrett Roddenberry appeared in many episodes of the original series playing Nurse Christine Chapel, who was in love with Mr Spock, but she wasn’t reciprocated.

Several famous actors and actresses have made guest appearances in Star Trek films and episodes

Just to name a few: Kim Cattrall, Kirstie Alley, Tom Bergeron, Jason Alexander, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Kelsey Grammer, Christopher Plummer and The Rock.

Also featuring Iman, Lee Meriwether, Joan Collins, Mick Fleetwood, Stephen Hawking, Ashley Judd, Famke Janssen, Mae Jemison, and Tom Morello.

Zachary Quinto couldn’t do the Vulcan salute

The latest actor to play Spock, Zachary Quinto, couldn’t perform the iconic Vulcan salute.

He often did it right while he was off-camera. So, when filming, Abrams comes up with the idea of gluing his fingers with skin-protective superglue, like the one used in hospitals.

George Takei can’t stand William Shatner

Although Hikaru Sulu and Captain James Kirk were comrades in The Original Series and films, the actors that impersonated them have shared a feud for more than 50 years.

Now and then, they publicly say bitter words to each other and blame each other for different stuff that took place when they were filming The Original Series.

Where to watch the Star Trek series and films?

If you live in the US, everything Star Trek is available on Paramount+. But outside the US, things got a little bit complicated.

Although Paramount+ is currently available in several countries, Netflix still retains the rights for streaming the Star Trek TV series and some of the films.

When the different contracts expire, the Star Trek content will go to Paramount+ as has happened in the US.

If you already have a Netflix account and live in a country where Star Trek is available, you’re lucky. Otherwise, you’ll need a VPN to access Paramount+ in the US.

For a comprehensive guide to accomplish this, I highly recommend you to check our guide on How to watch Paramount Plus in any country available on our website.

Summary

Star Trek has been around for more than 50 years.

Spawning a total of 12 series live-action and animated ones, and 13 films, Star Trek is, without a doubt, one of the greatest franchises alive. And I’m not even focussing on video games, novels, and comics that expand the universe of the series and films.

So, it’s understandable that if you’re a rookie to this universe you may not know where to start.

Even though the Star Trek franchise is long and full of content, its timeline is not too complicated, but if you’re the ones who prefer to follow stories in chronological order, I hope this article will be of your help.

What’s your favorite Star Trek series or movie? I would love to know so please drop me a comment below.