Star Trek has been a part of the pop culture landscape for over 50 years. The series has spanned multiple television series, a successful film franchise, and a merchandising empire. Everyone the world over likely knows the concept of Star Trek and possible characters like Kirk, Spock, or Bones, and even quotes like “KAHN!” or “Beam me up Scotty,” even though that last one was never actually spoken. It is part of the shared pop culture language for generations.
Yet just because Star Trek is known, that does not mean it is entirely accessible. After all, a franchise that has gone on for this long and has had so much material made for it can seem daunting to new fans, or anyone born after the series boom in the late 80s and early 90s. Combine that with the long-held pop culture stigma of Star Trek being too ’nerdy’, it is easy to understand why it might be hard to get into Star Trek.
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However, the franchise has seen a new resurgence in popularity thanks to the recent push on Paramount+, where there is a new Star Trek series all year round. The reboot film series featuring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana have been big box office hits and anticipation is high for their return in Star Trek 4 whenever there’s a director.
For anyone looking to start exploring the Star Trek franchise, these are a few suggestions to make it seem less daunting. All the films and series listed here can easily be someone’s first starting point to Star Trek, or combined into any combination to make this massive galaxy-spanning exploration into space not seem so directionless.
2009 Star Trek
Paramount Pictures
J.J. Abrams’s 2009 Star Trek reboot is the perfect way to introduce new audience members to the franchise, as that was one of the main reasons it was created as the franchise had become so massive it was alienating new viewers. The creative team sought to make a Star Trek film that could be enjoyed by anyone, whether they had seen every Star Trek episode or never watched any of it.
Abrams’ Star Trek acts as a great entry point, introducing young versions of the iconic Enterprise Crew and audiences get to know them, see their core character personality, and grow into their iconic positions. It also leaves enough bread crumbs that connect to the legacy of the franchise that can entice viewers to go back and explore, but also that doesn’t take away from the overall singular experience. Star Trek can be enjoyed as just a great 21st-century blockbuster, or as a gateway to the larger franchise.
Star Trek: The Original Series
NBC
It is also never a bad idea to start with the one that started it all, the bright and colorful Star Trek: The Original Series. While the series is clearly a product of its time, from production and costume design to even the style of acting, the storytelling certainly makes up for it, and if one allows themselves to view it through the same open optimism of a child it can seem bigger than the budget actually allows.
Due to it being an episodic series, one isn’t confined to watching from the beginning or in order, there is a lot more experimentation to jump around and view different episodes to get a good taste of the overall series. First-time viewers should certainly check out “The City on the Edge of Forever”, “The Balance of Terror”, “Space Seed”, “Doomsday Device”, “A Piece of the Action”, and “Trouble with Tribbles” to get a great sense of the entire series.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
While someone might be inclined to start with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, that is not the most accessible entry point in the series and is more suited for someone who is deeply in love with the Star Trek franchise. Instead, possibly enter the franchise with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, which despite being a sequel does not really follow up on the first movie but instead the episode “Space Seed” from the original series (it is not required viewing).
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
If one is not into the space battles, alien species, and extreme science fiction of Star Trek, the funnier Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is certainly a good starting place as it sees the crew of the Enterprise travel back to the then-present 1980s to save the whales before the future is destroyed. The movie is a fish-out-of-water comedy and struck a chord with mainstream audiences, as it was until the release of the 2009 Star Trek the most successful film in the franchise grossing $109 million domestically in 1986 which adjusted for inflation is $271 million worldwide meaning it connected with those who didn’t care for the wider franchise.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Paramount Domestic Television
While Star Trek: The Original Series might have launched the franchise, an argument can be made that Star Trek: The Next Generation truly created the largest fanbase of the franchise. Coming in during the series’ newfound popularity from the films, Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced a new cast of characters and starting point for the series with many citing it as their Star Trek.
Star Trek: First Contact
The cast of The Next Generation crew took over the Star Trek film series, and the best one of the four films was the second entry, Star Trek: First Contact. Like The Wrath of Khan, the movie is a follow-up not to the previous film but instead an episode of the series, in this case, the iconic The Next Generation’s third-season finale and fourth-season premiere, “The Best of Both Worlds” which saw Picard assimilated by the Borg.
Star Trek: First Contact is in many ways a mix of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (the main plot about a captain and a villain with a deep personal history with one seeking revenge) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (the movie is also a time travel adventure, this time to the day humans first make contact with aliens). It is a big massive science fiction adventure, and also a deeply inspiring movie about human accomplishment.
Star Trek: Discovery
Paramount+
While there have been plenty of Star Trek series since Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Discovery is designed to be a new entry point for fans. The series features state-of-the-art visual effects and designs that feel akin to modern 21st-century blockbuster movies. The series also moves away from the episodic nature and features a more serialized story in its four seasons, making it more accessible to a modern television audience.
Its status as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series also means it can be accessible to new viewers as no prior knowledge is required. The series introduces a new cast of characters, on a new ship, and the few legacy characters that do appear are either pop icons like Spock or relatively underutilized characters in the franchise like Captain Pike who can exist practically as new characters.
Star Trek: Discovery was designed to be a Star Trek series for a new generation, and rightfully is a great starting point to enter the franchise.
Star Trek: Prodigy
Paramount / Nickelodeon
Star Trek: Prodigy is an animated series aimed at kids to introduce the world of Star Trek and the various rules of the universe. Despite being an animated series for Nickelodeon, the series is also an entertaining watch for adults as it features well-rounded characters, beautiful animation, and serves as a great introduction as the title characters learn about the Federation in the same way the target audience is made to. By the end of season one, the viewer will know core concepts like what Starfleet is about, the prime directive, and various alien threats in the universe.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Of the several modern Star Trek series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds might be the best new starting place for those who want to experience the thrill of Star Trek: The Original Series but have trouble getting past the dated visuals. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds features episodic stand-alone stories that while forming a greater whole can be enjoyed on their own. The episodes stretch a variety of different genres and tones, showcasing the wide breadth of the franchise. It has a great cast of characters that have connections to other series that if an audience is intrigued can be a gateway to check out other entries in the franchise.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds feels like the perfect 21st-century update to Star Trek: The Original Series, as one that can be enjoyed by newcomers and hardcore fans alike, and can be a shared experience among families and friends as a weekly adventure into the stars.
