Star Trek has evolved significantly over the decades, and for the sake of this listicle, it's practical to categorize its output by era. We start with The Original Series from the late '60s, followed by the movies featuring the classic crew, then the Rick Berman era, which kicked off with Star Trek: The Next Generation and concluded with Enterprise. Now, we're in the modern era, ushered in by Paramount+'s shows, beginning with Discovery in 2017.
Today's discussion focuses on this modern era, highlighted by the launch of the first straight-to-streaming TV movie, Star Trek: Section 31, originally conceived as a series. In just under eight years, the creative minds behind modern Trek have introduced five new series, including two animated shows, and a collection of shorts called Short Treks.
The diverse approaches of these projects—from traditional sci-fi drama to comedy, animation, shorts, and feature-length content—make direct comparisons challenging. It's also important to consider that a series can have varying quality across its seasons. Our rankings take into account the entirety of each series, rather than focusing solely on standout episodes.
So, without further ado, let's dive in with our favorite Starfleet commands—whether it's "make it so," "engage," "fly," "blast off," "punch it," or any other phrase you might use while donning your captain's uniform!
The Best Star Trek Series of the Modern Era (and the Worst)
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