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

Embark on a Comprehensive Journey Through the Star Trek Universe: A Viewing Guide

Since its debut in 1966, Star Trek has captivated audiences worldwide, expanding into a vast multimedia franchise. This guide simplifies navigating the extensive Star Trek catalog, offering chronological and release-order viewing options. Paramount+ provides easy access to most Star Trek content.

This guide presents a largely spoiler-free chronological timeline, allowing you to enjoy the journey without ruining major plot points. A release-order list is also provided.

Chronological Viewing Order:

1. Star Trek: Enterprise (2151-2155): Set a century before The Original Series, this series follows Captain Jonathan Archer and the Enterprise NX-01, Earth's first warp 5 capable starship. It explores early encounters with familiar alien species and showcases less advanced technology.

2. Star Trek: Discovery: Seasons 1 and 2 (2256-2258): Set a decade before The Original Series, this series follows Commander Michael Burnham's journey after inadvertently triggering a war. Note: Seasons 3-5 jump significantly forward in time.

3. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2259-TBD): A prequel to The Original Series, this series features Captain Christopher Pike and the Enterprise NCC-1701, introducing familiar faces and new characters.

4. Star Trek: The Original Series (2265-2269): The foundational series, featuring Captain Kirk, Spock, and the iconic five-year mission to explore the galaxy.

Bonus: The Kelvin Timeline (2009's Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek Beyond): This alternate timeline reboot can be viewed at any point, offering familiar characters with different actors and unique storylines.

5. Star Trek: The Animated Series (2269-2270): A continuation of The Original Series in animated form, featuring the original crew.

6. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (2270s): The first Star Trek film, bringing back the original crew to face a mysterious energy entity.

7. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (2285): A critically acclaimed sequel pitting Kirk and the Enterprise against Khan Noonien Singh.

8. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (2285): The aftermath of Spock's death leads to a daring mission to recover his katra.

9. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (2286 and 1986): A time-travel adventure to save Earth from an unexpected threat.

10. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (2287): The Enterprise crew confronts a Vulcan seeking God.

11. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (2293): The final film featuring the original TOS cast, focusing on Klingon-Federation relations.

12. Star Trek: Section 31 (2326): (Consider skipping this one based on critical reception.)

13. Star Trek: The Next Generation (2364-2370): The highly acclaimed series featuring Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D.

14. Star Trek: Generations (2293 and 2371): A crossover film uniting Picard and Kirk.

15. Star Trek: First Contact (2373): The Enterprise confronts the Borg in a time-travel adventure.

16. Star Trek: Insurrection (2375): Picard and the crew defend a peaceful alien civilization.

17. Star Trek: Nemesis (2379): The final TNG film, featuring a clone of Picard.

18. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2369-2375): Set on a space station near a wormhole, this series explores Bajoran-Cardassian relations and the Dominion War.

19. Star Trek: Voyager (2371-2378): Captain Janeway and her crew are stranded in the Delta Quadrant, striving to return home.

20. Star Trek: Lower Decks (2380-2382): An animated comedy focusing on the lower-deck crew.

21. Star Trek: Prodigy (2383-2385): A 3D-animated series aimed at younger audiences, featuring a group of young aliens discovering a Starfleet ship.

22. Star Trek: Picard (2399-2402): A continuation of Picard's story, featuring returning TNG characters.

23. Star Trek: Discovery: Seasons 3, 4, and 5 (3188-3191): The later seasons of Discovery jump far into the future.

Release Order Viewing List: (List omitted for brevity, but easily compiled from the chronological descriptions above.)

Upcoming Star Trek Projects: Several new projects are in development, including new series and films.

This guide provides a structured approach to experiencing the expansive Star Trek universe. Enjoy the journey!