a beginner's guide to the star trek franchise

What's the best way to start watching Star Trek?

There's an easy, low-commitment way to find out: Watch the Original Series episode Space Seed (S1, E22), then watch the 1982 movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. They're connected; the first gives you the flavor of the whole, er, enterprise while introducing a fantastic villain.

How many Star Trek movies are there?

Now, the Star Trek franchise includes 5 TV shows ( The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise) and 12 movies (the newest one, Star Trek Into Darkness, comes out next week). What's it about? Star Trek is about a group of people exploring space, meeting aliens, and "boldly going where no one has gone before."

What is Star Trek?

What's Star Trek? Star Trek is a science fiction TV show that was created in 1966 by Gene Roddenberry. While it only lasted three years, the show became super popular in reruns. After the success of Star Wars, Paramount Pictures wanted to create its own big budget space adventure and brought back Star Trek as a movie.

Why is Star Trek so popular?

Star Trek is a science fiction TV show that was created in 1966 by Gene Roddenberry. While it only lasted three years, the show became super popular in reruns. After the success of Star Wars, Paramount Pictures wanted to create its own big budget space adventure and brought back Star Trek as a movie.

Do I need to watch the original Star Trek before The Next Generation?

Although TNG eventually eclipsed the classic show in mainstream popularity, it's hard to see how that was possible in the fairly uneven first two seasons. But the nice thing about TNG, both then and now, is that it doesn't require you to know anything about Star Trek to watch it.

How many spin offs of Star Trek are there?

nine spin-offThe Star Trek canon includes the Original Series, nine spin-off television series, and a film franchise; further adaptations also exist in several media.

What's the order of Star Trek?

Star Trek movies: Chronological orderStar Trek: The Motion Picture.Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.Star Trek: Generations.Star Trek: First Contact.More items...•

What is the best Star Trek episode ever?

The 10 Best Classic Star Trek EpisodesThe Naked Time (Season 1) ... The Enemy Within (Season 1) ... Where No Man Has Gone Before (Season 1) ... The Trouble With Tribbles (Season 2) ... Space Seed (Season 1) ... Mirror, Mirror (Season 2) ... Balance of Terror (Season 1) ... The City on the Edge of Forever (Season 1)More items...•

What is the longest running Star Trek series?

Star Trek: The Next Generation created the blueprint and became the most successful series of all.

What is the best Star Trek series to start with?

The beginner's guide to the Star Trek: What to watch firstStar Trek: The Original Series (TOS) The series that began it all. ... Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) The story forward 100 years. ... Star Trek: The Animated Series (TAS) Worthwhile animation with TOS voices. ... Star Trek: Deep Space 9 (DS9) ... Star Trek: Voyager (VOY)

How old do Vulcans live?

Vulcans are typically depicted as stronger, faster, and longer-lived than humans, however Vulcans are less cold-tolerant than humans. There are instances of them living over 220 years. Having evolved on a desert world, Vulcans can survive without water for longer periods than humans.

Will there be a Star Trek 4 with Chris Pine?

It's not 100% confirmed, but Star Trek 4 will likely bring back Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldaña (Uhura), Karl Urban (Bones), John Cho (Sulu) and Simon Pegg (Scotty). Urban certainly seems keen for a return, although he also revealed in March 2022 that, like Pine, he hadn't read a script yet.

What is the newest Star Trek?

Star Trek: Strange New WorldsStar Trek: Strange New Worlds is an American television series created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet for the streaming service Paramount+. It is the 11th Star Trek series and was launched in 2022 as part of Kurtzman's expanded Star Trek Universe.

What is the most popular Star Trek series?

1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993)

Who is the most famous Star Trek captain?

Whether played by William Shatner or Chris Pine, Jim Kirk remains the quintessential captain. His history as a brash hotshot lets him plunge into the unknown without a hint of fear.

Which Star Trek character appeared in the most series?

Of all these characters, however, who appeared the most across the franchise? The answer is none other than William T. Riker, who appeared in a tantalizingly strange 5.5 different Star Trek shows.

How many versions of Star Trek are there?

Twelve television series make up the bulk of the Star Trek franchise: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, Discovery, Short Treks, Picard, Lower Decks, Prodigy and Strange New Worlds.

How many Star Trek films are there?

The Star Trek canon includes the original series, seven spin-off television series, three animated series, and thirteen films.

Why did Star Trek get Cancelled?

Star Trek aired on NBC from September 8, 1966, to June 3, 1969. It was first broadcast on September 6, 1966, on Canada's CTV network. Star Trek's Nielsen ratings while on NBC were low, and the network cancelled it after three seasons and 79 episodes.

How many Star Trek books are there?

More than 850 original novels, short story collections, episode and film novelizations, and omnibus editions have been published.

What did the crew of Star Trek wear?

Practical filming shortcuts soon became part of the Star Trek legacy. To avoid building extra models to depict ships landing on foreign worlds, Roddenberry thought up a transporter that would allow the crew to be instantly “beamed” anywhere. Bright costumes added color to the bridge, but also gave order to Starfleet. Commanders wore gold, medical and science officers wore blue, and everyone else (including most of the extras) wore red. Fans have since adopted the term “redshirt” to reference the dispensable actor sure to be killed on an away mission. Villains of the week sometimes wore elaborate prosthetics, but the show’s central aliens—logical Vulcans, cunning Romulans, and violent Klingons—required very little makeup (though the latter would get a major reboot in the subsequent films). Part of being a Star Trek fan is accepting a universe full of aliens who look curiously human.

What year did Roddenberry make Star Trek?

In 1973 Roddenberry helped create an animated TV show—known as Star Trek: The Animated Series— that told more stories of The Original Series crew. Some of the actors returned to voice their characters, but shoddy animation and limited voice acting skills prevented the show from reaching the heights of the live-action version. There have been various debates about whether or not the show is technically canon (as of 2007 it is), but either way it has never become essential viewing.

What is Deep Space Nine?

Deep Space Nine (or DS9) is the first Star Trek series Roddenberry didn’t have a hand in producing. Created by Berman and Piller, it was showrunner Ira Steven Behr who enriched the show with darker storytelling and heavier serialization. The show never achieved the popularity of The Next Generation and for a long time it was considered the “red-haired stepchild” of Star Trek. However, that reputation has evolved over time. What looked dark in the mid-’90s pales in comparison to the current violent antihero craze. The show nicely balances its exploration of moral ambiguity with the sense of fun and family so crucial to any version of Star Trek.

What is the best next generation movie?

The best of the Next Gen films is First Contact, a time travel story about the origins of warp travel. Insurrection is largely forgettable, while 2002’s Nemesis is rightly considered the worst Trek film and should be avoided at all costs.

What is the story of Enterprise season 3?

Hoping to comment on the war on terror as The Original Series had done for Vietnam, Enterprise ’s third season tells one serialized story about a massive terrorist attack against Earth ( seen in the excellent season two finale “The Expanse”). Still struggling to tell compelling stories after wrapping up that arc, the show brought in Trek fan Manny Coto to run its fourth season. Coto finally succeeded in making Enterprise what it always should have been: A true prequel exploring the origins of Starfleet. He told serialized stories across two to four episode chunks. “Borderland”/“Cold Station 12”/“The Augments” feature Brent Spiner playing a distant ancestor of Data’s creator; “Affliction”/“Divergence” turn the Klingon makeup change into a compelling plotline; and “Babel One”/“United”/“The Aenar” explore the origins of the Federation.

How many seasons of The Next Generation?

The Next Generation ran seven seasons before ending in 1994 with one of the most satisfying series finales in TV history (“ All Good Things ”). The Original Series and The Next Generation remain the most popular series in the franchise and the most “essential” viewing for Star Trek fans. Yet TNG’s finale wasn’t the end of Trek on TV. By 1994 another series was about to start its third season.

Who played Odo in Deep Space Nine?

Both aggressive and spiritual, she’s arguably the best female character in Trek history. Odo (Rene Auberjonois) is a shape-shifting orphan who knows nothing of his background but fulfills his duties as station constable with ornery dignity. He slots into the “outsider” role previously held by Spock and Data. Science Officer Dax (Terry Farrell) is a member of a symbiotic species that changes humanoid bodies with some regularity. The Next Generation Transporter Chief Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) becomes the station operations engineer on DS9 and later develops a friendship with upstart Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig, originally credited as Siddig El Fadil, a British actor of North African descent whose character isn’t defined by a single Arab stereotype). While TNG depicted profit-hungry, big-eared Ferengi as comic villains, DS9 tried (and only sometime succeeded) to give them depth through bartender Quark (Armin Shimerman). In the show’s fourth season premiere, “ The Way Of The Warrior ,” Worf joined the show where his character found the dignity he sometimes lacked on the Enterprise. While none of the individual Deep Space Nine actors rise to Patrick Stewart’s level, on the whole the show offers the strongest ensemble of any Trek franchise, highlighted in episodes like “ Civil Defense .”

How many years has Star Trek been around?

Star Trek is a behemoth of a franchise. Running over 50 years , it has had five live-action series, one animated series, several films, comics, novelizations, and an extremely obsessive fandom I’ve counted myself a part of since childhood. I understand how Star Trek can seem labyrinthine, too dense for new fans to find their way in. But it’s very well worth it. This guide is a window into the Star Trek franchise, meant to introduce it those who have scant knowledge of its intricacies. At its best, Star Trek is a potently political, unabashedly philosophical, powerfully diverse, empathetic, and supremely well-crafted series that uses its hard science-fiction trappings to speak to our times. With Star Trek: Discovery bringing the franchise back to television after a 12-year absence, now is the best time to see why Star Trek has endured since The Original Series first aired in 1966.

What is the original Star Trek series about?

Beginning in the 23rd Century, Star Trek: The Original Series adeptly blends sci-fi, adventure, philosophy, and a fierce dedication to diversity in order to tell the stories of the legendary crew of the USS Enterprise. I can’t say it better than Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) does in the opening credits: “Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

Why is Voyager so popular?

Voyager has become a beloved series thanks to its legion of female characters. But it demonstrates what happens when Star Trek skews a bit too conservative (narratively speaking), afraid to take the risks necessary to challenge our conception of its characters. Its uneven handling of tone, character, and narrative undercuts what could have been a truly bold series.

What episode does the Borg come out in?

The Borg, introduced in TNG, become one of the definitive villains of Star Trek and they are at their best here, when their hive-mind nature and ability to assimilate other species takes on terrifying new dimensions. Season 4, Episode 21, “The Drumhead”.

Why is Enterprise exploring the mirror universe important?

Exploring the mirror universe allows the writers and actors to have a lot of fun playing with the credits and canon. Enterprise twists humanity’s history in the mirror universe, revealing that we lean into our baser, more selfish instincts than create the utopian world that Star Trek represents in its main universe.

What is the best gateway episode of Voyager?

The best gateway into the series is its pilot, “The Caretaker,” which, despite a few nagging issues, otherwise wonderfully sets up what I believe to be one of the most fascinating beginnings in Star Trek history.

Was DS9 a stand alone?

But DS9 proves how potent Star Trek can be today with its assured handling of grand arcs and stand-alone episodes, great acting and moving themes. It was a series unafraid to ask tough questions and provide tougher answers.

What is the Star Trek story about?

Star Trek is an optimistic view of our future. It's about humans overcoming our differences, working to solving our global problems, and uniting in a mission of peaceful exploration. That's rare in science fiction - most stories take place in distant galaxies ...

Where do I start?

With over 500 hours of TV and movies, the Star Trek universe can feel overwhelming to newbies. Below, I've picked the best episodes and movies from the whole franchise, grouped by topic. You can stream episodes on Netflix, Amazon, or purchase them through iTunes. Each one works as standalone viewing and doesn't require knowledge of what came before.

What is the rule of the United Federation of Planets?

The Federation has an important rule called the Prime Directive , which prevents its officers from interfering with the development of alien civilizations.

What episode does Captain Picard go into another man?

The Inner Light (The Next Generation, Season 5 Episode 25): Captain Picard’s consciousness is transported into another man. Considered by many to be one of Star Trek's best episodes.