An updated ranking of the Star Trek TV shows

Greetings, reader!

Last month marked the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001) airing its first episode. I've released my ranking of the TV shows in the Star Trek franchise five years ago, but a lot has changed since then - not only have new seasons been released, but the amount of TV shows in the Trek universe has gone up from eight to a whopping eleven with the shows Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Prodigy and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds beginning their runs. So, to celebrate Voyager's 30th anniversary, here's my updated ranking of all eleven TV shows in the greatest sci-fi franchise of all time!

11. Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974)

Yeah, I mean, something had to be in last place. I love all of Star Trek (yes, even the TOS episode where aliens force the Enterprise crew to re-enact the gunfight at the OK Corral), so no Star Trek series is inherently bad - but when thinking of each one as a whole with all positives and negatives weighed to form an opinion, this beloved cult classic can't help but fall short of the others. Yes, it has its moments, and there is something deeply nostalgic about the show's cruddy animation style and cheesy dialogue. But still - there are less great episodes in any of the other Trek shows, and the storytelling is less deep/imaginative (apart from a few standout episodes like The Magicks of Megas-Tu and The Time Trap) than most of the franchise.

Yes, the show was meant for children, but then again, Prodigy showed us how a family-friendly Star Trek show can still keep adult audiences engaged by having well-written character development, thought-out plots and innovative animation techniques amidst the wholesome fun. So, especially when compared to that, The Animated Series can't help but feel a bit empty. But, like I said, all Trek shows have their upsides, and if nothing else, I'm grateful for the fun-if-not-amazing follow-ups to classic The Original Series episodes that we got in this one, like Once Upon a Planet and Yesteryear - they may not be masterpieces, but quite decent fan service nonetheless.

10. Star Trek: Discovery (2017-2024)

Now, I want to make it very clear that the relatively low placemenet of this series is not for the same reasons that the wrong kind of Star Trek fans dislike it - you see, the loud-and-angry-on-the-internet fans who missed the point of the entire franchise are adamantly against Discovery because of, you guessed it, 'woke'. I for one believe the show's wokeness to be one of its better qualities - Star Trek has always been about equality and inclusivity in a manner that only an idiot could miss, and Discovery continuing these messages with its representation of trans, nonbinary and queer people is a delight. I'd want to rank Discovery higher on my list for its barrier-breaking diversity alone.

However, as a Star Trek series, or a sci-fi series (or even just a TV series) in general - it never quite lives up to its full potential, despite flashes of genius. The first two seasons are somewhat flawed but very decent overall, showing great potential, only for the series to more or less jump the shark in the massively underwhelming third season. Seasons 4 and 5 make some headway back into my heart, being a clear improvement upon the third season but still not quite as good as the first two. Discovery has some great storylines, a lovable cast and important messages on social progress, but in terms of episode-to-episode quality, consistency in storytelling, interest in the premise and overall atmosphere, it doesn't quite hold up when compared to most of the franchise's shows.

9. Star Trek: Prodigy (2021-)

As mentioned earlier, the contrast between the two most child-friendly Star Trek shows is wild (I would've liked to rank Prodigy even higher, but let's be real, a vast majority of the shows in the franchise are awesome so ninth place is already quite the achievement). While being simple-to-follow and innocent enough to undoubtedly work great as a kids' show, Prodigy also keeps its adult audience in mind by providing tons of well-written character development, creative plotlines in the heart of the franchise, profound lessons that will hit hard for viewers of any age, and neat easter eggs and connections to other shows in the franchise.

The show's future is in jeopardy after its two-season run, which is a damn shame: the show would've had the potential for lots of additional seasons, with its imaginative premise and lovable characters being worthy of further exploration. Here's hoping that the series gets magically saved!

8. Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)

I've somewhat warmed up to this series over the years. My initially negative-leaning attitude stems from the fact that I watched Enterprise simultaneously with the shows that had come before it, in a time when Discovery, Picard and the other new-wave Treks didn't exist - and in that company, Enterprise just wasn't nearly as good as the others (unless you count The Animated Series), so tuning in to this instead of The Next Generation or Deep Space Nine always felt like a bit of a drag. But I've come to realize that Enterprise did a lot of things right, and I'd undoubtedly have more of a fondness for it if the shows I were comparing it to were less amazing.

The big positives include these: the prequel format makes for moments of fantastic lore and worldbuilding, the growth of characters like Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer) is a joy to follow, and the series itself grows with each of the four seasons being vastly better than the previous, culminating in an absolutely kick-ass fourth and final season. But, with all of this in consideration, there are still the negatives that weigh it down when looking at the high standards of the franchise: the prequel format is often not used to full potential, the first two seasons have a lot of weak episodes in the mix, and the main character Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula), while having his moments, is easily the worst and least interesting major captain in the franchise. Enterprise is remarkable at its best, but struggles to maintain a consistent quality throughout its run.

7. Star Trek: Picard (2020-2023)

Even though it only ran for three seasons, Picard undoubtedly had the absolutely weirdest f**king trajectory of any TV series ever made. No, really. You have season 1, which is not terrible but quite below-average for the Trek franchise. Then, season 2, which is the franchise at its weakest, and in the running for the worst individual season of any Trek series. And then, in a quality-jump even steeper than that between the first two Star Trek movies, they somehow pulled off season 3 - an absolute masterpiece, and one of the very best individual seasons in all of Star Trek.

This complete 180-degree-turn, and the variance in quality that goes with it, makes Picard extremely hard to rank as a whole. But I've always given more emphasis to any given entertainment/art product's positivies than its negatives when rating and ranking media, which means that no matter how bad Picard got during its ridiculous second season, I'm still very grateful for the series as the third season alone gives the franchise's modern era so much firepower. Kudos to the showrunners for such a miraculous redemption arch.

6. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-)

Aww yiss! I love all of Star Trek (yes, even the Next Generation episode where Beverly bones a space ghost), so I actually like the generally divisive, dramatic and long-plot-oriented 'NuTrek' shows like Discovery and Picard, despite their flaws - so I can only imagine how hard Strange New Worlds hit for those countless fans who didn't. Because even for me, this show's bold return to the fun, adventurous episode-of-the-week format of 'old Trek' felt incredibly fresh, nostalgic and like a warm hug from an old friend. It's amazing how deeply the showrunners committed to the format - the series feels like a love letter to The Original Series, down to details like the sound effects and visual effects 100% feeling like the ones from the 60's, but just in the way that they look better. But the same. But just better. But still somehow the same. That's an impressive balance.

With just the two seasons they've released so far, Strange New Worlds has given us a treasure trove of episodes that are undoubtedly future classics: you've got original sci-fi adventures like Children of the Comet and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, tribute-paying fan service like A Quality of Mercy and Those Old Scientists, and shenanigan-filled gimmick episodes like The Elysian Kingdom and Subspace Rhapsody. And all of this is served with cozy set design, a lovable cast, and just such an enjoyable atmosphere. It is very possible that the series will rise even further up on my ranking, provided that the future seasons keep up the quality (or, if the Prophets will it, get even better).

5. Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020-2024)

And here we have a series that is roughly as much of a fresh new breeze and a love letter to the franchise as Strange New Worlds, but in a very different way - the animated Lower Decks is often described as 'Star Trek meets Rick and Morty', due to the show's nature being equal parts chaotic, meta, clever and imaginative. Many of the storylines are downright parodies of the franchise's tropes, but it's done in such a heartfelt manner that it still feels like a tribute, and I love that the Star Trek parody series isn't an entity outside the franchise making fun of it, but rather a very canon part of the Star Trek universe that is simply self-aware and unserious.

With my love for the franchise and my sense of humor, Lower Decks is one of those things that just feels too good to be true. Watching Lower Decks feels like eating candy (in contrast to the well-rounded meals that most Trek shows could be compared to) - it's fun, enjoyable, and hard to stop at just one at a time. Like Strange New Worlds, it's very possible that this series will rise further in my ranking with time, as I've only seen the first two seasons (the only ones to have arrived on Finnish streaming services). 

4. Star Trek (1966-1969)

Oh man, this is a tough one to rank. The original Star Trek series has such a massive, chaotic array of pluses and minuses that a part of me would like to have it fighting for first place while another would have it at eighth or ninth. For now, it's up there below my three favorites, and just barely above Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks, both of which have a very real chance of usurping its position upon further seasons.

I'll start off with the negatives. While the visuals are impressive for their time, the time was the sixties, so the show's setting can't help but feel clunky and thus less believable than its later counterparts. Also due to the era it was made in, the episode-of-the-week format is so strict that there really isn't much character growth, not to mention the lack of cliffhangers, longer storylines or other plot factors that are a big part of the recipe for my favorite Trek shows. Furthermore, while I understand that it's a product of its time, it does make for a less pure-fun re-watching experience than the more modern Treks when an unfortunate amount of episodes contain blatant misoginy and various sexist tropes. While I've always appreciated old cinema and historic TV, I suppose my sensitivities have become modern enough that this stuff does play a big part when comparing such an old show to fresher ones.

But then for the positives. While not downplaying the poorly-aged material I mentioned above, it has to be said that in most regards, The Original Series was incredibly far ahead of its time, and most definitely as controversially 'woke' for its time as Discovery is today. Gene Roddenberry's vision for the show was almost cancelled, because he insisted on having a diverse cast to signify a more tolerant future for humanity, and the studio really would've preferred white males (and maybe one white female they can all objectify). Thankfully, Roddenberry got his way, and it's pretty amazing that 1960's America tuned in weekly to follow a crew of American, Scottish, Japanese and Russian (remember, this is the height of the Cold War we're talking about) ethnicities working in harmony, not to mention Nichelle Nichols' glass-ceiling-shattering role as Uhura being so socially important that MLK himself chimed in, stating that Star Trek is significant because a Black woman on the bridge is the aim of the Civil Rights movement.

Also, it was groundbreaking television on a storytelling level, and one of the most game-changing pieces of sci-fi history. Each episode brings us an imaginative adventure, often introducing fictional planets and alien races that would go on to become iconic, while telling creative stories with narrative frames like time travel and alternate universes, and often having deep real-life themes and lessons in the script (one week it's criticizing the Vietnam War through a Klingon allegory, the next week it's William Shatner's Kirk living out Moby Dick by being obsessed with a space cloud, et cetera). I will always have massive respect for this series because of what it started, and the fact that later shows would improve upon the concept does not make the first stepping stone any less impressive.

3. Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001)

One day I'm going to re-watch this series with my fiancée (she has repeatedly claimed to want to watch the whole franchise with me, which makes me just about the luckiest nerd alive), and I'm extremely curious to see how it holds up.

It's like I remember two different Voyagers (not unlike the episode Deadlock from the second season, in which a subspace anomaly causes two different USS Voyagers) - one is the deeply flawed show that I ranked below The Original Series in my blog post five years ago, and the other is the deeply nostalgic show that I've grown to appreciate over the years, so much so that my memory of it puts it definitely ahead of The Original Series, and almost rivaling my #2 pick. Has the memory grown sweeter with time in an instance of nostalgia bias? Perhaps, but that can't quite explain it, because I watched it in the same time that I watched The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Enterprise. Something about Voyager was so warm, so authentic, that my love for it grew with time.

Oh, I remember the flaws (consistency was a big one - every season has its share of really subpar episodes). But I've always been more of a 'focus on the good' viewer than a more negatively charged one, and with Voyager, you have SO much to love. The premise alone is wild, epic, and sentimental all at once, and what they do with it exceeds all expectations. The cast, which grows into TV's arguably finest example of the 'found family' trope, is filled with characters that are among the franchise's best - Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) is a kick-ass feminist icon, Seven Of Nine (Jeri Ryan) has one of science fiction's greatest character archs, and The Doctor (Robert Picardo) provided an infinite supply of sarcastic humor and ethical dilemmas. And oh man, the show's best episodes are such masterpieces that it more than makes up for the weaker ones - season 4's Living Witness poses profound questions, season 5's Timeless is a pitch-perfect 100th episode, and season 6's Blink of an Eye is sci-fi royalty.

2. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)

Yeah, most fans would put The Next Generation first, and I gotta admit it - I can see why. The spin-off defied odds to an astronomical degree - fans in the 80's were geared up to hate it due to gatekeeping the original series, and the admittedly cruddy first season seemed to prove them right. But thankfully, the series wasn't cancelled, was given a chance to grow, and as every sci-fi nerd on the planet knows and appreciates, it grew into a series that broke new ground in the genre, had a massive cultural impact, ushered in a new era of creativity in sci-fi storytelling, and somehow did everything that The Original Series did best even better.

There's so much to love and respect. The Borg? One of the coolest villains/storylines in science fiction. The signature atmosphere? A mixture of Shakespearean classiness, familiar warmth, dry humor and a sense of adventure. The innovation of two-parters where Part 1 is the season finale, ending on a massive cliffhanger, and Part 2 is the next season's opener? Revolutionary. John de Lancie as Q? Makes a legacy as one of the most legendary sci-fi characters of all time in only eight episodes. The theme song and title sequence? The greatest in television history. Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard? One of the best acting performances of all time and I'm not exaggerating. I could go on, but you get the idea.

1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)

This gem from the nineties will always have a special place from my heart, and I'm pretty sure I knew from the very first episode that it would be my favorite Trek. Just to make sure that it wasn't a case of first impression bias, Deep Space Nine had the courtesy to make each one of its seven seasons better than the last, which is quite a historic feat for any kind of TV series.

As a Star Trek nerd who loves to make lists, you can bet I've made tens (probably hundreds) of lists and rankings relating to the franchise in my life - and they all seem to have one thing in common. Despite many of the Trek shows having magnificent episodes at their best, the #1 spot on my list of the best episodes in the whole franchise goes to The Visitor from DS9's fourth season. My #1 favorite villain from the franchise, out of many legendary ones, is Gul Dukat (Marc Alaimo) from DS9. The franchise's best love story, best friendship and best adversarial relationship? All three from DS9, and there's no contest.

Out of many, many things to love about my favorite Star Trek series, perhaps the most impressive is its balance of darkness and warmth. The series was definitely the darkest Trek series to date, yet unlike shows like Picard and Discovery (which would sometimes veer into the sort of darkness where it doesn't feel like Star Trek and Gene Roddenberry's utopian vision anymore), it was always dark in the right way. And despite the show going to brutal lengths at times with its moral dilemmas (oh man, just thinking about In the Pale Moonlight makes me shiver), it's somehow also the coziest Star Trek series? No matter how bleak things get, there's always Raktajinos flowing in Quark's, some wacky supporting character exploring the holo suites, and wholesome subplots ranging from silly Ferengi misadventures to heartfelt human coming-of-age stories.

Roddenberry's vision for the fictional universe that has always meant so much to me is very much intact, but in this series, the utopian future is threatened in a multitude of intriguing ways - unforeseen circumstances force the characters into moral dilemmas that test the line of how far one is willing to go to protect something good, inner threats of corruption and fascism try to rise (reminding viewers of the importance of staying vigilant even if things are good for you at the moment), and the Federation's long-standing ways of diplomacy are called into question when faced with situations where neutrality is complicity - man, this show is relevant. I remember how much Israel/Palestine parallels I saw in the geopolitically fascinating and immensely gripping Cardassian/Bajoran storyline already when watching for the first time as a teenager, and I'm guessing that I'll be frustrated with the world and shedding tears every other episode upon my next re-watch.

But, yeah. It'll always be Deep Space Nine. I love all of Star Trek (yes, even the Voyager episode where Janeway and Paris have salamander babies), but for my taste, nothing in that universe will beat the DS9 atmosphere. Quark (Armin Shimerman) pouring drinks while Odo (René Auberjonois) tries to unravel his latest schemes, Dr. Bashir (Alexander Siddig) flirting with Garak (Andrew Robinson), Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) keeping the station's outdated machinery running amidst all the garbage fire chaos while having just the worst time, Sisko (Avery Brooks) being a dorky dad while also being a more badass captain than Kirk and Picard combined, while somehow getting outshined by Major Kira (Nana Visitor) being the biggest badass in the science fiction genre - a recipe for perfection, and an end result that feels like home.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my annual Oscar predictions, ahead of the Academy Awards on next week's Sunday.