The Star Trek Franchise Tracker covers more than 50 years of television and film: 980 entries across 14 films and 18 television series, plus 15 shorts — over 736 hours of content. The franchise spans from the original 1966 series through current Paramount+ productions including Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks.
The most common question from new and returning viewers: what order should I watch Star Trek? The answer depends on what kind of viewer you are — completist, casual fan, or someone looking for the most accessible modern entry point.
Star Trek Watch Order: Where to Start
Star Trek's 18 series span very different eras of television and tone. There are several viable approaches:
- Release order: Start with The Original Series (1966–1969) and follow production chronology. This is how the franchise built its universe — each series was designed knowing what came before it, even when set in a different century.
- Chronological in-universe: Start with Enterprise (22nd century), then Discovery Seasons 1–2, then Strange New Worlds, then The Original Series, and forward through the 24th century. This gives the full history in narrative sequence but doesn't match how the franchise was constructed.
- TNG-first: Many long-time fans recommend starting with The Next Generation (1987–1994). It has strong standalone episodes, excellent production values for its era, and is the direct parent of Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Picard.
- Modern entry point: Start with Strange New Worlds (2022) or Lower Decks (2020) for an accessible, well-produced on-ramp. Both are designed to work without prior franchise knowledge.
This tracker organises Star Trek by series in production order by default. The timeline view maps each series to its in-universe century, which is useful for planning a watch that mixes production eras.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the best order to watch Star Trek?
- There's no single right answer, but the most common starting points are: The Original Series (for the full historical arc), The Next Generation (for a more approachable 1980s–90s entry), or Strange New Worlds (for a current, well-produced modern on-ramp). If you want to watch chronologically in-universe, start with Enterprise. The tracker's timeline view maps out the full in-universe sequence.
- How many Star Trek series are there?
- The Star Trek Franchise Tracker covers 18 series — from The Original Series (1966) through Strange New Worlds, Discovery, Lower Decks, and Prodigy. These span the 22nd through 32nd century in-universe. Each series card shows which era it's set in and how it connects to adjacent series.
- How long would it take to watch all of Star Trek?
- Over 736 hours — roughly 30 days of continuous viewing. The Next Generation alone runs 176 episodes (approximately 130 hours). Deep Space Nine also runs 176 episodes. The original series and animated series combined account for around 40 hours. The 14 theatrical films add approximately 27 hours. Current Paramount+ series continue to add to the total.
- Do I need to watch the original series before the newer shows?
- No — the newer series are designed to be accessible without prior knowledge of The Original Series. Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks in particular work as standalone entries. That said, the franchise rewards prior knowledge: the more you've seen, the more callbacks and connections you'll recognise. The tracker's What's Next feature is calibrated to whichever series you're currently watching.
- What's the difference between the Kelvin timeline and the Prime timeline?
- The Prime timeline is the original Star Trek universe — everything from The Original Series through current Paramount+ productions. The Kelvin timeline is the alternate universe introduced in J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek reboot film, continued in Into Darkness and Beyond. The Kelvin films share character names but exist in a separate branch of the timeline. Both are included in this tracker, with the Kelvin series clearly labelled.