Strange New Worlds release date, trailer, cast, plot and timeline for the Star Trek spinoff

The classic voyages of the original Enterprise begin anew.

star trek prequel tv series

Boldly go! Of all the new Star Trek projects, Strange New Worlds probably has fans the most excited, if only because it seems poised to be the one series that feels the most like “regular Star Trek.” Just a few short years ago, it would be hard to imagine yet another Star Trek prequel whipping the fandom into a lather. And yet, Strange New Worlds is poised to really, truly, take the Trek franchise back to boldly going basics. Here’s everything we know so far.

As Discovery and Picard continue to chart a course into Trek’s future, one part of the Trek franchise is keeping a nostalgic boot firmly planted in its colorful past. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the next new series in this expanding universe, and it's swimming in nostalgia even though not a single legacy actor is involved with the project. Unlike Star Wars, Star Trek continues to boldly recast legacy characters. Here’s what that looks like for Strange New Worlds .

When is the Strange New Worlds release date?

Strange New Worlds Season 1 will hit Paramount+ May 5, 2022. Season 2 is already in production. It looks like each season will be 10 episodes long.

Is there a Strange New Worlds trailer?

There are several videos that are basically different kinds of Strange New Worlds trailers. The first proper video was released in 2021 and was called “Meet the Characters.” More recently, there’s been a teaser trailer that focused on Captain Pike riding a horse, and boundless outer space optimism, in a decidedly pointed pivot away from darker, grittier, Star Trek.

What is the plot of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a new ongoing TV series set in the 23rd century probably about 5 years before the classic show. It was announced on May 15, 2020, in a video message from Ethan Peck, Anson Mount, and Rebecca Romijn. The cast repeatedly suggested this project came into being because fans wanted it . The show will take place in established Star Trek continuity (Prime Timeline), but during a period that has not been extensively depicted.

star trek prequel tv series

The official poster for Strange New Worlds , featuring Captain Pike on a horse.

Why is it called Strange New Worlds ?

The title "Strange New Worlds," is taken from Captain Kirk's opening narration from the classic Star Trek.

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!

In subsequent versions of Star Trek , this narration was changed: in TNG the "five-year mission" became "continuing mission" and "where no man" became "where no one." It's a good bet that if there's an opening narration from Captain Pike in Strange New Worlds , that he will say "five-year-mission" and "where no one has gone before." In canon, this speech is considered to be the motto of Starfleet, and in the J.J. Abrams movie Star Trek Into Darkness (which featured a different Captain Pike) it was called "the captain's oath."

Where is Strange New Worlds in the Star Trek timeline?

Strange New Worlds is a sequel to Discovery Season 2, a sequel to Star Trek: Enterprise , and a prequel to The Original Series . Presumably, the show will chronicle a five-year mission commanded by Captain Pike from roughly 2258-ish to 2263-ish. For context, this is how it shakes out.

  • 2150s-2160s Star Trek: Enterprise
  • Early 2254: Short Treks episode "Q&A"; Spock's first day on the Enterprise
  • 2254: "The Cage"; first (initially) unaired 1965 Star Trek pilot. Also, the first (filmed) appearance of Spock, Pike, and Number One
  • 2256-2258: Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1 and 2
  • 2258-2263(?) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
  • 2265-2270 Star Trek: The Original Series .
  • 2270s-2290s Star Trek classic movies
  • 2360s-2401: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, TNG movies , Lower Decks, and Picard.
  • 3189-?: Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 and Season 4.

Trek canon has established that Pike commanded two consecutive five-year missions on the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 prior to Kirk taking command in 2265. (Though in some old canon this was 2264.) The events of "The Cage" on Talos IV happen before Discovery and Strange New Worlds , and the Short Treks episode "Q&A" happens before all of that. Pike’s temporary command of the USS Discovery in Discovery Season 2 was seemingly a blip in between back-to-back five-year missions on the Enterprise .

In theory, Strange New Worlds might have taken place between 2254 and 2257, which would then make it a prequel to Discovery and a weird midquel to "The Cage." However, Akiva Goldsman said the showrunners are not "hitting the reset button," on the characters, which confirms the series will take place after Discovery Season 2. So, 2258 or 2259 is a good bet. Goldsman also told the Hollywood Reporter in April 2021 , that various aspects of the Strange New Worlds' aesthetic will be made to look like it matches up closer to The Original Series . This means that yes, the uniforms and the design of the Enterprise have changed again, slightly .

“It's a fine line because obviously we want to keep continuity with the storytelling and the style, but we also want Strange New Worlds to be a different show. It's not Discovery . There are a few more reach-backs (to The Original Series ) and the uniforms have been adjusted slightly, the sets are slightly different. Remember the Enterprise existed as a little piece of [the show Discovery ] but now its its own object. When you close your eyes and think of the key sets and situations that you think of The Original Series , that's what we're looking to do.”

Because Strange New Worlds is literally taking place so close to The Original Series , it will be an interesting dance to see how exactly Pike, Spock, and everybody else is dressed. Will Spock switch back to a gold shirt at some point? (He wears gold in “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” the second TOS pilot episode.)

star trek prequel tv series

Number One (Rebecca Romijn) rocking a classic TOS communicator.

Who is in the cast of Strange New Worlds ?

Here’s the full regular cast of Strange New Worlds, all crew members of on the USS Enterprise NCC-1701:

  • Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike
  • Ethan Peck as Spock
  • Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley AKA “Number One”
  • Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet Nyota Uhura
  • Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel
  • Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga
  • Bruce Horak as Chief Engineer Hemmer (an off-shoot of the Andorian species called an Aenar.)
  • Christina Chong as Security Chief La’an Noonein-Singh
  • Melissa Navia as Flight Controller Lt. Erica Ortegas

As of March 2022, Paramount+ started rolling out 30-second videos that highlight different members of the crew. These videos have included insights into Uhura, La’an, Erica Ortegas, M’Benga, Chapel, and Hemmer. Each video (embedded above) feels like a miniature trailer!

Season 2 of Strange New Worlds will also feature Paul Wesley as James T. Kirk. (But we don’t know if he’s a Captain, yet.)

star trek prequel tv series

Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and Number One (Rebecca Romijn) in 2019’s Season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery.

How does Strange New Worlds connect to Discovery and Short Treks ?

The 2018 Season 1 finale of Discovery ended with the arrival of the USS Enterprise, though we didn't see anyone inside. 2019’s Season 2 re-introduced Pike, Spock, and Number One. Captain Pike was in every single episode of Discovery Season 2, the adult Spock started appearing from episode 7 onward, and Number One appeared in three episodes.

After that, Pike appeared in three Short Treks , "Q&A," "The Trouble With Edward," and "Ask Not." Number One and Spock only appeared in "Q&A" and at the very end of "Ask Not."

These versions of Pike, Spock, and Number One are the in-canon versions of the characters previously portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter (Pike), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), and Majel Barrett (Number One) in the TOS episodes "The Cage" and "The Menagerie." However, from a contemporary point of view, you could view Strange New Worlds as a direct spin-off of Discovery Season 2.

Who are the showrunners of Strange New Worlds ?

Strange New Worlds will be produced by Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman . At least one episode, probably the premiere episode, will be written by Jenny Lumet. As of 2021, Akiva Goldsman is the co-showrunner of Strange New Worlds along with Henry Alonso Myers. Kirsten Beyer also has revealed that she will be part of the writers’ room in Season 2.

We don't know all the directors of Strange New Worlds episodes, but Will Riker himself , Jonathan Frakes, has already said he can't wait to work with the cast:

"I’ve had great experiences with all three of them. Anson and I worked through finding Captain Pike. And Ethan and I worked through finding who Spock was. And the mantle of Spock, in particular, was so complicated and so emotionally taxing and was such huge shoes to fill, and Ethan felt it. Rebecca and I have a long relationship from back on The Librarians , and we have a fabulous working shorthand, so it will be great getting back to the floor with three old friends."

In addition to directing two Trek films in the '90s ( First Contact and Insurrection ) Frakes directed episodes of The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , Voyager, Discovery, and Picard . He has also directed at least two episodes of Discovery Season 3.

Akiva Goldsman also confirmed he has directed the pilot episode of Strange New Worlds . Previously, he directed the season 1 finale of Star Trek: Picard .

How many episodes will be in Strange New Worlds Season 1?

Strange New Worlds Season 1 will run for 10 episodes.

How is Strange New World s different from other new Star Trek shows?

One of the biggest departures for Strange New Worlds will actually be a return of sorts. Since 2017, the various new Trek series have focused on heavily serialized seasons in which each episode must be watched in order to avoid being totally confused. Strange New Worlds is poised to return to stand-alone, episodic stories, a type of sci-fi storytelling that defined The Original Series and The Next Generation .

"We're going to try to harken back to some classical Trek values, to be optimistic, and to be more episodic," Akiva Goldsman told Variety in May 2020. "Our plots will be more closed-ended than you’ve seen in either Discovery or Picard . I imagine it to be closer to the original series than even DS9 . We can really tell closed-ended stories. We can find ourselves in episodes that are tonally of a piece."

Something Goldsman pointed out while on the official Star Trek aftershow, The Ready Room , was that the subgenres of Discovery and Picard were somewhat fixed, while TOS and TNG could hop genres week-to-week. Goldsman labeled Discovery as "science fiction/action-adventure" and Picard as "science fiction/drama." Some episodes of TOS and TNG are outright comedies("Trouble With Tribbles," or "Q-Pid"), while others are murder mysteries with barely any science fiction elements at all ("The Conscience of the King," or "Suspicions").

This is all to say that modern Trek seasons scan more like 10-15 hour long single episodes, whereas Strange New Worlds will focus more on self-contained episodes.

In April 2021, Goldsman doubled down on the episodic, stand-alone aspect of Strange New Worlds telling the Hollywood Reporter : “It's unlike the other [new] shows in that it's really episodic... Strange New Worlds is very much adventure-of-the-week but with serialized character arcs.”

Where can I watch Strange New Worlds ?

Strange New Worlds will stream on Parmount+ in the United States, on Crave in Canada, with a global rollout to be announced.

Phasers on Stun!: How the Making — and Remaking — of Star Trek Changed the World

This article was originally published on June 10, 2020

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds teaser reveals returning characters from The Original Series

Uhura and Dr. M’Benga will be part of the prequel crew

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Paramount Plus’ latest iteration of the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , spins off from the events of Discovery to tell the story of the USS Enterprise before the days of Captain Kirk and Star Trek: The Original Series .

Fans knew Anson Mount would lead the series as Captain Christopher Pike, but on Wednesday, during a Star Trek Day panel, Paramount confirmed a few more additions to the Enterprise's crew, including some familiar names from The Original Series .

Familiar names from Trek lore played by newcomers include Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga, and Celia Rose Gooding, who will play Cadet Nyota Uhura, in the years before she became the communications officer under Captain Kirk. Paramount also announced Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas, and Bruce Horak as Hemmer, who are new characters for this series.

One particularly mysterious cast member is Christina Chong who will play La’an Noonien-Singh. While this doesn’t seem to be a character from the Original Series , she does have a very familiar last name — the same as Khan Noonien Singh, the antagonist from Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan . Whether this is just a neat bit of fan service, or a clue to one of the show’s storylines, we’ll have to wait and see.

All these characters join Mount’s previously announced castmates Rebecca Romijn as Number One — who is now officially named Una Chin-Riley — and Ethan Peck as Spock.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will stream on Paramount Plus, but there’s no announcement yet of just when it will be released.

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  • How to watch 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'
  • Can I watch 'Strange New Worlds' for free?
  • How many episodes are in season one?
  • What time do new episodes come out? 
  • Has 'Strange New Worlds' been renewed for a second season? 
  • What other 'Star Trek' Paramount Plus originals can I watch? 

'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' is a prequel set before the original show — here's how to watch on Paramount Plus

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  • "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" premieres May 5 on Paramount Plus .
  • The new prequel series expands on Captain Pike's time in command of the USS Enterprise.
  • Paramount Plus costs $5/month with ads or $10/month for ad-free streaming.

Insider Today

A new entry in the " Star Trek " universe, "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," premieres May 5. The show will be available to stream exclusively on Paramount Plus . 

"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is a spin-off of "Star Trek: Discovery," which is also a Paramount Plus original series. Both shows serve as prequels to "Star Trek: The Original Series." Anson Mount stars as Captain Christopher Pike and the show explores his time in command of the USS Enterprise before James T. Kirk replaced him. Mount first played Pike on "Discovery."

Check out the trailer for 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'

Rebecca Romijn and Ethan Peck reprise their roles from "Discovery" as well; Romijn plays Number One, Pike's second-in-command, and Peck plays Spock, a half-Vulcan science officer who first appeared in "The Original Series." The new show also features other characters that debuted in the original "Star Trek" show from the 1960s, including M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush), and Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding).  

Early reviews of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" have been positive, and the show currently holds a "100% Fresh" rating on review-aggregator Rotten Tomatoes . 

How to watch 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'

You can watch "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" exclusively on Paramount Plus . The first episode premieres on May 5, and new episodes debut every Thursday through July 7.

Paramount Plus currently has two streaming plans. The Essential plan costs $5/month and is ad-supported. With the Essential plan, you get access to the streamer's entire on-demand library, plus live NFL games on CBS. 

For $10/month, you can upgrade to the Premium plan, which offers commercial-free on-demand streaming and adds live access to your local CBS station. Students can also take 25% off the price of a monthly Essential plan by verifying their student status .  

Paramount Plus is available on most major media devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, streaming, sticks, and streaming boxes. For a full list of supported devices, check out the Paramount Plus website . 

Can I watch 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' for free?

You can watch "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" for free if you sign up for a trial to Paramount Plus . The service offers a free one-week trial for new members who sign up for the Essential or Premium plan.

If you want to watch every "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" episode for free, you should wait to sign up for the service until July 7. By then, all 10 episodes of the first season will be available to stream on-demand.  

How many episodes are in 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season one?

The first season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" has 10 episodes. One new episode will come out every Thursday through July 7. 

What time do new 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' episodes come out? 

New episodes of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" hit Paramount Plus every Thursday at 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET. 

Has 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' been renewed for a second season? 

Ahead of the series premiere, Paramount Plus renewed "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" for a second season. It's been announced that the second season will include the iconic character of James T. Kirk, the future captain of the USS Enterprise. Kirk will be played by Paul Wesley in season two. 

What other 'Star Trek' Paramount Plus originals can I watch? 

Paramount Plus is the streaming home for all things " Star Trek ." In addition to most movies and early TV shows , the streamer has a slate of originals set in the "Star Trek" universe. 

These originals include "Star Trek: Discovery," which is where the story of "Strange New Worlds" begins, and "Star Trek: Picard," which follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) from "The Next Generation." 

There are also two animated series: "Lower Decks," geared toward adults, and "Prodigy," created for children. 

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Captain Pike rides more horses than starships in the first Star Trek: Strange New World trailer

Save a horse (ride a shuttle).

By Chaim Gartenberg

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Paramount has debuted the first trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , the latest Star Trek series that’s centered on the USS Enterprise (the first time that a show has returned full-time to the iconic ship since Star Trek: Enterprise ended in 2005.

Strange New Worlds is technically both a spinoff and a prequel, picking up with the crew of the USS Enterprise after their appearance in Star Trek: Discovery ’s second season, making it also a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series (given that the show is set about a decade before Kirk takes over as captain).

As such, the crew of the Enterprise is a mix of familiar and new names for fans. The ship is helmed by Captain Pike (Anson Mount), with Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley, his first officer. Ethan Peck’s Spock is there, but as science officer, as is a Nyota Uhura, who’s still a cadet at this point (played by Celia Rose Gooding).

A more old-fashioned kind of Star Trek show

The trailer seems more set on establishing the overall vibe of the show, which seems pitched at trying to recapture the more episodic, exploratory style of earlier Trek series (as opposed to the more serialized nature of recent shows like Discovery or Picard ). The nostalgia factor runs strong throughout, too, with a voiceover waxing rhapsodic about the wonder of space travel and the stirring sounds of the original Star Trek theme playing in the background.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is just one of many pieces of Paramount’s resurgent Star Trek franchise on its Paramount Plus streaming service, alongside Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Prodigy .

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will debut on Paramount Plus on May 5th.

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‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Review: Prequel Series Honors the Past While Moving the Franchise Forward

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Oh, joy! A “Star Trek” origin story that captures the humanism, humor and impulse to connect of the original while smoothly “assimilating” into the larger “Star Trek” universe.

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ” finds a perfect balance of breadcrumbs for diehard fans who cannot be fooled, and a cohesive narrative and diverse cast to attract new viewers. The ten-episode prequel unites the terrific team behind “Star Trek: Picard” and “Star Trek: Discovery” – Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet – co-creating the story with Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsmith (“A Beautiful Mind”), who wrote and directed Episode 1.

Rooted in the series’ original pre-Captain Kirk pilot, it stars the charismatic Anson Mount as Christopher Pike, Kirk’s immediate and less libidinous predecessor from both the original series pilot, “The Cage,” and Hugo Award winning two-part episode, “The Menagerie,” steering the U.S.S. Enterprise. “Strange New Worlds” opens with Pike back home in Montana, struggling after an unsettling space mission in which he viewed his own death, and uncertain about taking to the sky again. As he nuzzles his horse, there’s no mistaking that this space hero has Western roots. And, yes, he’ll be pulled back onto the flight deck and set a course for the stars, damaged goods but “boldly going where no man has gone before.”

Pike’s the quarterback, a born leader who works by consensus – and a pillar of nontoxic masculinity. His Number One is Una Chin-Riley, also from “The Cage” and “The Menagerie,” and a pocketful of secrets and contradictions played by Rebecca Romijn, best known as the blue-plated Mystique in the “X-Men” iterations. And what about Mr. Spock, the pointy-eared half-Vulcan originally played by Leonard Nimoy? Ethan Peck returns to his “Star Trek: Discovery” character. His Spock nails the Vulcan-by-way-of-Brooklyn speech patterns, the maddening logic, while being sexy and unflappable in his own unique, boyish way. There’s a little more human irony to his character, while his Vulcan inability to conform to social boundaries also means that he is a marvelous narrative tool in forcing other characters to yield their secrets.

One engaging individual origin story within the larger roots tale is that of Cadet Nyota Uhura. Grammy-winner Celia Rose Gooding radiates intelligence and inexperience embodying the neophyte Uhura, a role originated by the great Nichelle Nichols. The future Communications Officer arrives at Starfleet for her first mission as a talented linguist with lingering doubts about her vocation.

And, while Spock schools Uhura that it’s a privilege and an honor to have made it this far, he also says in no uncertain terms that if she has doubts there are many capable candidates who would sacrifice everything to be in her position. On her first away mission, she faces an alien linguistic challenge that only she can answer, and confronts her own mortality for the first time. Can this young woman commit to a larger and more dangerous mission than self-determination? You can bet your red mini-skirt she can.

The Uhura episode reflects how the series dives into the many characters previously created – and perhaps not explored to their fullest since. While Uhura is a central character throughout the saga alongside Spock, and Captain Pike ultimately yielded to Kirk, this series also fleshes out supporting characters from the early TV episodes. (Spoiler alerts!) There’s a nearly endless source of stories in ensemble players like Nurse Christine Chapel (Tess Bush and originated by Majel Barrett, who married original creator Gene Roddenberry and went on to perform as the voice of the computer in succeeding series). She appeared in all three seasons of the original series working underneath Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), holding a torch for Spock – which flickers here – and dispensing injections.

Early on, we’re also given the wonderfully awkward scene where Spock and T’Pring (Gia Sandhu) became engaged and escalated the thorny relationship that resulted in near fatal consequences for our heroes in a notable episode in the original series. There’s also a new character, a grim, young security chief with a famous name that links to both the original series and succeeding movies, La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong).

From its inception, Roddenberry’s brainchild has always been diverse and inclusive. It’s in its DNA. The stories recognize the conflicts that arise from miscommunication between species, genders and those of different skin color be it brown or fluorescent green. Issues of prejudice and acceptance have been central from the start. True to its roots, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” is the story of a complex universe bound by the hope that mensches can make a positive impact or die trying, and that humanity’s most shining moments come at times of crisis.

The stunning ensemble space-drama remains true to the original while reaching for the stars.

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” debuts on Paramount+ on May 5th.

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Strange new worlds–star trek prequel series delivers franchise’s best first season in years.

star trek prequel tv series

Review by C.J. Bunce

The sign of good storytelling for any retelling or prequel is knowing the ending of the story upfront and still wanting to come back for more.  From bookending the season with appearances by interesting Wynonna Earp star Melanie Scrofano to creating one the franchises best alien characters with Bruce Horak’s chief engineer Hemmer, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds isn’t just good Star Trek, it’s the best first season of any Star Trek series since… well, the first season of the original series back in 1966.  Offering more than one episode that should be a contender for your own Top 10 list of the best of the entire franchise, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds demonstrates if you keep trying, you eventually may stick the landing.

Fans of Captain Pike’s “old is new again”  Enterprise from the second season of Star Trek: Discovery got their wish with the return of Anson Mount’s captain, new Number One actor Rebecca Romijn and new Science Officer Spock actor Ethan Peck.  In a story and character–Captain Pike– drawn from the pilot for the first episode of Star Trek filmed back in 1964 as played by Jeffrey Hunter, a character we’ve known and loved in the movies as played by Bruce Greenwood, we have an actor and character again exactly right for the part.  Like Chris Pine as Kirk, and Zachary Quinto as Spock.  Apparently you can recast beloved genre characters and be successful after all.

star trek prequel tv series

The greatest success is the conceit of this Captain Pike knowing what viewers know: he has a dark fate coming.  Even the cockiness of William Shatner’s Captain Kirk can’t be explained like the swaggering style of this Captain Pike.  Incredibly, it worked.  Jess Bush’s performance as Nurse Chapel will have viewers believing she is also in jeopardy, especially in the final two episodes, despite what we know: that the character once played by Majel Barrett must survive to finally arrive at the first episode of the original Star Trek in a few years.

In the final episode of season one, “A Quality of Mercy,” viewers revisit the Romulans in an episode on par with the Next Generation episode “The Defector” and the Voyager episode “Eye of the Needle.”  The story does a lot, including tying back to the Kelvin timeline movies, the “Unification” and “Birthright” episodes, and especially the episode “Balance of Terror.”  “A Quality of Mercy” also has that A Christmas Carol quality of episodes like the Next Generation episode “Tapestry” and the Voyager episode “Flashback,” but this is executed even better.

star trek prequel tv series

It goes without saying Strange New Worlds is a cut above other 21st century efforts Enterprise, Star Trek Discovery, and Star Trek Picard .  The success seems due to the combination of scripts from Henry Alonso Myers (Chuck, Charmed), Akela Cooper (Luke Cage), Beau DeMayo (Moon Knight), Davy Perez (Supernatural) , Sarah Tarkoff (Arrow) , Bill Wolkoff (Star Wars Rebels, Tron: Uprising), Robin Wasserman, and Onitra Johnson (none of these writers have written for previous Star Trek series) and a host of new-to-the franchise “working directors” who earned their genre cred from series from The Librarians to The Man in the High Castle.  Despite the franchise’s apparent need to colloquialize the franchise with 21st century slang and bits of profanity, it showed improvements with the dialogue in Strange New Worlds over Star Trek Discovery and Star Trek Picard.  Even better, there are no Klingons, and although we get a time traveler in the final episode, there’s no Q or Prophets or other major supernatural elements– Star Trek is better as science fiction than fantasy.

star trek prequel tv series

Mount’s stage presence, gravitas, and humor is believable as a pragmatic captain in his or any timeline.  The cast is so fleshed out that Rebecca Romijn doesn’t get showcased that much, but it looks like there will be opportunity for that next season.  Despite operating in the shadow of Leonard Nimoy, Ethan Peck stepped into the role of Spock and hasn’t looked back, a feat Zachary Quinto wrestled with before him in the Kelvin timeline movies.  Carefully and deftly re-created from the ground up, Celia Rose Gooding is now unquestionably the Uhura of Nichelle Nichols’ Enterprise.   Babs Olusanmokun is a worthy predecessor to DeForest Kelley’s chief medical officer Bones.  Christina Chong as Lt. La’an Noonien Singh proved to be worthy of her “tough guy” role (although her standout performance was as a princess in the very Trek throwback episode “The Elyssian Kingdom,” as was Melissa Navia as cocky Enterprise pilot Erica Ortegas, whose performance gets better with each episode, culminating in her confronting Captain Pike in the season finale.

star trek prequel tv series

Despite Captain Pike’s “unbreakable” attitude, he gets tested in story after story.  The franchise stretched its boundaries with a gory Alien tribute in its penultimate episode, “All Those That Wander,” revisits a deep-cut throwback with Gia Sandhu’s T’Pring, and has some good laughs in “Spock Amok.”

star trek prequel tv series

Is it a perfect series?  No.  The finest character and performance is Bruce Horak as chief engineer Hemmer.  It’s a shame, and a waste, to kill off such a great creation so soon, especially as the only physically challenged character and only fully makeuped alien in the crew–really for “strange new worlds” the Enterprise has too many humans and Hemmer’s demise makes it worse.  Also, one of the most hopeful storylines in Star Trek in years–probably since Gene Roddenberry’s own participation–was the idea that Dr. M’Benga could hold his daughter in statis in a transporter pending improvements in medical technology.  It was a plot that could have been revisited for an entire five-season run, but the writers cut it off.  But these were the low points of a really great season of television.

star trek prequel tv series

What are we holding out hopes for next season?  Appearances of M’Ress and Arex from the animated series.  A peek at Montgomery Scott, who served 20 years in Starfleet before serving under Kirk sounds like it’s off the table, based on comments from the production (despite a voice in the background on the Farragut ).  We could still meet a young Hikaru Sulu.  Will we see Pike’s crew members from the past, like John Hoyt’s character Dr. Phillip Boyce?  Peter Duryea’s Helmsman Tyler?  A transport chief and geologist based on Pike’s earlier appearance?  Melanie Scrofano’s Captain Batel appears to be a certainty for season two.

Taking place a decade before the original Star Trek series and intended to be more episodic and optimistic like the original series, Strange New Worlds really nailed it.  The writing, sets, costumes, props, visual effects, and cinematography were refreshing, inventive, exciting, and fun.

Strange New Worlds  is not to be missed.  Watch the entire first season now on Paramount+.

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‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Succeeds by Going Back to Basics: TV Review

By Zack Handlen

Zack Handlen

  • TV Review: ‘Mayans M.C.’ on FX 6 years ago

Star Trek New Worlds TV Review

For the first 40 years of “Star Trek” history, the character of Christopher Pike was little more than a footnote in the franchise’s lore. Captain of the Enterprise in the failed original NBC series pilot “The Cage,” Pike, as played by Jeffrey Hunter, wound up as the dry run for William Shatner’s James T. Kirk, a square-jawed hero doing square-jawed hero stuff who fell a few inches short of being right for the job. Gene Roddenberry, ever the environmentalist, recycled scenes from that unaired pilot for a two-part episode of the original series called “The Menagerie,” which allowed for, until 2009, Pike’s greatest contribution to popular culture: his transformation into a hideously scarred burn victim who lived in a large black box that beeped whenever someone asked him a question.  

It’s not much build off of, but Pike has become increasingly important to “Trek” as the franchise looks to its past to build a future. Bruce Greenwood played the role J.J. Abrams’ big screen reboot “Star Trek” in 2009, as a mentor figure quickly sidelined for the people who actually mattered, but it wasn’t until Pike became a regular on the second season of “Star Trek: Discovery” that the character came fully into view. Stepping into the vaguely dad-shaped space left by Greenwood in Paramount+’s “ Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ,” Anson Mount offers up something surprisingly rare on TV these days: a charming, straightforward good guy. His affable presence is maybe not the best reason to produce yet another “Star Trek” prequel series — but it’s not the worst, either.  

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Not that Mount is the only thing “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” has to offer. The new series is full of familiar character names, taken both from that failed pilot and from the original series proper. These include Ethan Peck as Spock and Rebecca Romijn as Number One, both reprising roles they first played on “Discovery,” as well Celia Rose Gooding as communications prodigy Noyta Uhura and Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel. Trivia fans will recognize Doctor M’Benga from two episodes of the original series (here played by Babs Olusanmokun), and the eyebrows of anyone familiar with the franchise will likely be raised at hearing the name of the Enterprise’s new chief of security, La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong).  

As fan service goes, it’s reasonable enough, only occasionally veering into the overly cute. But fan service on its own does not a show make, and the question “Strange New Worlds” has to answer right from the start is: why? “ Trek” has done prequel series before, but both “Enterprise” and “Discovery” at least tried to find new angles on the material, with varying degrees of success. “Strange New Worlds” is telling the story of a captain whose most important action was sitting in a chair before someone else used it. Where’s the novelty? What’s the point?  

Going by the first five episodes of its first season, “Strange New Worlds’” answer is more or less: who cares? The new series wallows in references to the original, and while some of the nods offer a different perspective on established canon (for example, a chance to hear T’Pring’s side of the story a decade before she forces Spock and Kirk to fight to the death in “Amok Time”), there’s no serious attempt at subversion here. Where “Discovery” spent most of its first season putting on and taking off half a dozen different identities, “Strange New Worlds” is content to fall back on the basics: a likable cast traveling the galaxy, having wacky sci-fi adventures, and generally having a hell of a good time.  

By and large, this approach works. While it lacks “Discovery’s” ambition, “Strange New Worlds” also avoids that show’s struggles with serialization and scope, as each episode limits its focus to the story at hand. The result is as straightforward and direct as the show’s leading man, and nearly as likable. There’s no strain here, and while the more episodic style may be old-fashioned, it’s refreshing to watch something that isn’t pretending to be a 10-hour movie. There’s none of the bait-and-switch that so often plagues modern streaming shows, the promise that the fireworks factory will be along soon, provided you keep watching. Characters develop and change, but their narratives don’t display the overstuffed exhaustion that comes from needing to drag a single plot out over the span of an entire season.  

Anyone who’s watched a modern “Trek” show will recognize the franchise’s current fixation on broad emotional beats, with every heartfelt moment landing with all the subtlety of a Sarah McLachlan ASPCA commercial. It’s an approach that can wear thin over time, especially given the soundtrack’s insistence on underlining every earnest confession and inspiring speech with the musical equivalent of a firehose. But even there, the episodic storytelling helps, as the show rarely gets bogged down for long by angst or despair. In some ways, the broadness feels reminiscent of the original series, back when every scene felt about three minutes away from a fist-fight or a hook-up, and if the vibe these days is more family friendly, that may be for the best.  

It helps that the cast is clearly enjoying themselves. Mount’s brand, “chill silver fox with occasional worries,” sets the tone; efforts to tie in his time on “Discovery” with the current series are somewhat strained, but the overall effect of his performance is laidback and welcoming. Peck remains a strong presence as Spock, lacking Nimoy’s intensity but balancing the character’s stoicism and drier-than-dry wit with aplomb; Romijn gets more to do here than on “Discovery,” and rises to the occasion admirably. Of the rest, Chong’s security chief may be the standout, if only because her grim practicality helps to differentiate her from what is, on the whole, an aggressively lovable bunch. But there’s no deadweight to speak of, and the first five episodes give all of the main ensemble their chance to shine.  

“Strange New Worlds” isn’t trying to break new ground, which is something of a relief. The show looks great, moves quickly, and does everything it can to keep the audience entertained. At times, its excess of charms can border on cloying, and some of the attempts at moral lessons are distractingly ham-fisted, but everything passes by so smoothly it’s hard to hold a grudge. The going may not be as bold as it once was, but it’s fun and rarely insulting, and most of the time, that’s enough.  

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” premieres May 5 on Paramount+ in the U.S., with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays.

Correction: Dr. M’Benga appeared in Season 2 and Season 3 of the original series of “Star Trek,” not in the original pilot, “The Cage.”

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How to watch the star trek movies and tv shows in order.

The universe is composed of 13 films and eight TV shows. Here's how to watch them all.

Key Takeaways

  • Explore the Star Trek universe by watching the franchise in chronological order, based on stardates.
  • The original Star Trek timeline includes the TV show Enterprise and the first two seasons of Discovery.
  • The original series, The Animated Series, and the first Star Trek movie are important parts of the franchise's origins.

With the Star Trek franchise rapidly expanding on Paramount+ , now is the perfect time to boldly go explore the Star Trek Universe.

The universe is composed of 13 films and nine TV shows. Now, it'd be easy enough to watch them all in the order they premiered, but if you prefer to watch everything chronologically (when the events take place), we've compiled an ultimate viewing guide for you. Below, you'll find the entire franchise organized by stardates. It starts with the oldest event in the original Star Trek timeline.

Speaking of timelines, there are two in Star Trek: The original, which includes nearly all the films and TV shows; and Kelvin, an alternative timeline that kicked off with the latest three reboot films. To better understand what we're talking about, please read the guide below. Those of you who want to proceed spoiler-free, however, can scroll all the way to the bottom for the list version of this guide.

Also at the bottom, we've included another spoiler-free list. It's structured by order of release - or when each film and TV show premiered.

How to watch every Marvel movie and TV show in chronological order

The original star trek timeline.

The thing to remember about this order is that it is chronological - based entirely on the stardate time system in the Star Trek franchise. Think of stardates as years. In that case, the order below starts with the oldest events in the Star Trek Universe - but it excludes the Kelvin timeline films.

There are spoilers below.

1 Star Trek: E nterprise

The first to boldly go where no man has gone before, star trek: enterprise.

Stardate: 2151 to 2156

Enterprise follows the adventures of one of the first starships to explore deep space in the Star Trek Universe.

Set right before the founding of the Federation of Planets (and about 100 years before the original Star Trek series), Star Trek: Enterprise is a TV show that follows the adventures of Captain Jack Archer, played by Scott Bakula, and the Starship Enterprise crew. This ship is the first Federation vessel to have Warp 5 capabilities, allowing its crew to be among the first deep-space explorers.

The series introduces many of the different alien species important to the Star Trek Universe, such as the Vulcans and Klingons. It also begins to lay the groundwork for the Federation of Planets, in the fourth and final season.

2 Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2

Discover a new type of starship, set ten years before the original series, star trek: discovery.

Stardate: 2256

The first two seasons of Discovery is set ten years before the original series as the crew of the titular ship tests an impressive new warp drive.

Star Trek: Discovery follows Michael Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green, the first officer aboard the USS Shenzhou before she is found guilty of mutineering. However, with the Federation at war with the Klingons, the captain of the new Discovery ship, Gabriel Lorca, played by Jason Isaacs, enlists Burnham to help get the ship’s experimental warp drive properly working.

Discovery's early setting in the Star Trek universe was changed with a leap through time at the end of season two, which is why we're placing the recently released third season elsewhere on our list.

3 Star Trek: Strange New World

A direct prequel to the original series., star trek: strange new worlds.

Stardate: 2258

Strange New Worlds follows the early adventures of the Starship Enterprise, before Kirk became its captain.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike.

Pike will be a familiar name to Star Trek fans, as Pike is the man who commanded the starship Enterprise before Captain Kirk. The series follows Pike doing just that, in his final five-year mission as captain of the Enterprise before he becomes Fleet Captain and hands the reigns to Captain Kirk.

This being a prequel to the original Star Trek series, there are also other recognizable names, with Ethan Peck playing Spock and Celia Rose-Gooding as Uhara. A third season is currently in production.

4 Star Trek: The Original Series

Where it all began, star trek: the original series.

Stardate: 2266 to 2269

The original Star Trek series follows Captain Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew as they boldly go where no man has gone before.

This is the original Star Trek TV show. It began airing in 1966 and primarily follows the crew of the USS Enterprise, starting with them embarking on a 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”.

The series introduces William Shatner’s Captain James T Kirk and Leonard Nimoy’s Spock, too.

It also gives us the basis for the universe that makes Star Trek so successful, from introducing numerous alien species like the Vulcans and Klingons to showing us the inner workings of the Federation of Planets. The origins of the Star Trek Universe wouldn’t exist without it.

5 *Optional* Star Trek: The Animated Series

Continue the journey with the original crew, star trek: animated.

Stardate: 2269 to 2270

Continue the adventures of the original series in this animated version that sees most of the cast return to voice their characters.

After The Original Series ended, it quickly became a cult classic. Creator Gene Roddenberry then began work on an animated series that saw most of the original cast provide voice work for the animated versions of their characters. The show essentially functions as the fourth season of the original series, with the original characters navigating unexplored sections of space.

However, it was eliminated from canon by Roddenberry himself, when the rights were renegotiated following the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. So, if you want to consume every drop of Star Trek content, add this to your list.

6 Star Trek: The Motion Picture

The first star trek movie, star trek: the motion picture.

Stardate: 2273

Captain Kirk, his crew, and a newly remodeled Enterprise head out to investigate an alien entity known as V'ger.

This is the first feature film in the Star Trek Universe. It sees Captain James T Kirk retake the helm of a renovated USS Enterprise to investigate a mysterious cloud of energy that is moving toward Earth. The energy cloud destroys a Federation monitoring station, as well as three Klingon ships, but before Kirk is able to engage it, he must learn to operate an unfamiliar USS Enterprise.

7 Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Star trek: the wrath of khan.

Stardate: 2285

The crew of the Enterprise faces off against it's most fearsome adversary, Khan.

The second Star Trek movie is perhaps the most successful entry in the franchise. It sees Captain James T Kirk taking command of a USS Enterprise staffed with untested trainees in order to track down the adversary Khan Noonien Singh and his genetically engineered super soldiers.

In the process of escaping a planet that Kirk trapped him on, Khan learns of a secret device known as Genesis, capable of re-organizing matter to terraform (make them habitable) planets. Khan tries to steal the device, but, of course, Kirk will do all he can to stop him.

8 Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

The crew of the enterprise try to resurrect spock, star trek iii: the search for spock.

Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise set out on a mission to recover Spock's body and bring him back to life.

Following their battle with Khan, the crew of the USS Enterprise returns home to Earth in this third feature film.

Once there, Leonard H “Bones” McCoy, played by DeForest Kelley, begins to act strangely, leading to him being detained. Captain James T Kirk, with the help of Spock’s father, Sarek, played by Mark Lenard, then learns that Spock transferred his Katra into McCoy before dying.

If nothing is done, McCoy will die from carrying Spock’s Katra. So, the crew of the USS Enterprise go back to the site of their battle with Khan - in the hopes of retrieving Spock’s body. To top it all off, they must battle with the Klingon Kruge, played by Christopher Lloyd, over control of the Genesis Device. The Search for Spock is also directed by Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy.

9 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Earth is in danger and the only hope is humpback whales, star trek iv: the voyage home.

Stardate: 2286

The Enterprise travels back in time to 1986 and has to untangle a mystery involving humpback whales and an alien probe.

In this film, a mysterious ship begins orbiting Earth and destroys the planet's power grid. It emits strange noises, too, and the newly resurrected Spock realizes the sound is similar to the now-extinct humpback whale. Believing the strange ship is expecting to hear back the song of humpback whales, the crew goes around the Sun and travels back in time to 1986 to get a humpback whale.

Nimoy returned to direct this film, as well.

10 Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

The enterprise crew must face off with spock's brother, sybok, star trek v: the final frontier.

Stardate: 2287

The Enterprise heads out on a mission to rescue hostages from the planet Nimbus 3.

After finishing a mission, Kirk, Spock, and Bones are enjoying a camping trip in Yosemite in this film when they are ordered to rescue hostages on the planet Nimbus III. But, once arriving on the planet, the crew realizes Spock’s half-brother, Sybok, is responsible for taking the hostages in order to lure a starship, with the hopes of reaching the mythical planet Sha Ka Ree and meeting a God.

Sybok realizes he’ll need Kirk’s expertise to navigate through the barrier at the centre of the Milky Way that leads to this mythical planet. Along the way, the Klingon Kraa decides to hunt Kirk. The Final Frontier is also the only Star Trek film directed by William Shatner.

11 Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

The final film starring the original series cast, star trek vi: the undiscovered country.

Stardate: 2293

After being framed for a political assassination, Kirk and the rest of the crew of the Enterprise must unravel the conspiracy to avoid war with the Klingon Empire.

In the final film of this series, we see the Klingon homeworld nearly destroyed, leading the hostile empire to engage in peace talks with the Federation. Captain James T Kirk is assigned to escort the Klingon ambassador, but is instead blamed when assassins beam aboard the Ambassador’s ship and kill him. The Klingons then sentence Kirk and McCoy to life imprisonment on a frozen asteroid.

At that point, Spock and the rest of the crew must find the true culprits behind the attack of the Klingon ship and rescue Kirk and Bones.

12 Star Trek: The Next Generation

The next generation takes over the uss enterprise, star trek: the next generation.

Stardate: 2364 to 2370

A new crew takes over the Enterprise and heads out on a five-year mission to explore the unknown.

Set 71 years after the USS Enterprise’s last mission with Captain James T Kirk at the helm, The Next Generation introduces us to a new USS Enterprise staffed with the next generation of Starfleet officers, led by Captain Jean Luc Picard (played by Patrick Stewart).

This TV series also shows us new species of aliens, the Cardassians and the Borgs, which replace the now-friendlier Klingons as the Federation’s primary adversaries.

The Next Generation ran for seven seasons and featured a couple of cameos from The Original Series, like Spock and Bones, among others.

13 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Everyday life in the deepest reaches of space, star trek: deep space nine.

Stardate: 2369 to 2375

Set on a stationary space station instead of an exploring starship, Deep Space Nine explores what life in space is like after the exploring part is done.

This TV show overlaps with the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It focuses on the former Cardassian space station, a backwood outpost that the Federation now controls and has ordered a Starfleet crew to run, with Avery Brook’s Benjamin Sisko as the commanding officer.

It's not about a starship exploring the unknown, but rather the trade disputes and political manoeuvring surrounding a crucial military hub.

14 Star Trek Generations

The two enterprise crews unite to take on a force with the power to destroy stars, star trek: generations.

Stardate: 2371

The first Star Trek film to feature the Next Generation crew also brought back the Enterprise crew from the original series.

Star Trek Generations is the first film to feature the crew of The Next Generation while also starring some of The Original Series cast.

The plot primarily centres around an El-Aurian, named Dr Tolian Soran (played by Malcolm McDowell), as well as an energy ribbon known as the Nexus.

You see, in 2293, Soran is rescued from the Energy Ribbon by a retired Captain James T Kirk, who is attending a maiden voyage of a new USS Enterprise. Then, in 2371, while answering a distress call, Captain Jean Luc Picard finds Soran - and he has a weapon capable of destroying stars.

15 Star Trek: Voyager

A federation starship stranded in uncharted space, star trek voyager.

Stardate: 2371 to 2378

Follow a Captain Janeway and her crew of the USS Voyager as they attempt to find their way home after being stranded in space.

After leaving Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in search of a group of Maquis rebels, the Starship Voyager, led by Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), is captured by an energy wave that sends it - and a ship of Maquis rebels - into the middle of the unexplored Delta Quadrant. With both ships damaged and far from home, the crews agree to join forces and begin a 75-year journey back to Earth.

16 Star Trek: First Contact

The crew of the enterprise travels back before the first warp drive was used, star trek: first contact.

Stardate: 2373

The Enterprise must travel back in time to prevent a Borg ship from assimilating all of Earth.

In this film, the USS Enterprise tries to help defeat a Borg Cube attacking Earth, with Captain Jean Luc Picard assuming command of a fleet of starships. However, just before the Cube is destroyed, it releases a smaller ship that enters a temporal vortex. The USS Enterprise gives chase through the vortex, but in the process, realizes the Borg traveled back in time and assimilated the entire planet.

And once through the Vortex, the crew arrives in 2063. More specifically, they arrive one day before Zefram Cochrane (played by James Cromwell) uses the first warp drive system, which draws the attention of the Vulcans, leading to humanity's first contact with an alien race.

17 Star Trek: Insurrection

The enterprise must uncover the mystery around a nearly immortal group of people, star trek: insurrection.

Stardate: 2375

The crew of the USS Enterprise uncovers a conspiracy involving the forced relocation of a peaceful alien race.

The action now centres around a planet with a type of unique radiation that rejuvenates its people, known as the Ba’ku. The effects of the radiation make the Ba’ku nearly immortal.

In this film, Brent Spinner’s Data is sent undercover to monitor the Ba’ku people and soon begins to malfunction, which causes Captain Jean Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise to investigate.

They uncover a conspiracy between a species, which is hostile to the Ba’ku, and Admiral Mathew Doherty, a Starfleet officer played by Anthony Zerbe. The crew of the Enterprise must stop them both in order to save the Ba’ku from being forcibly removed from their home planet.

18 Star Trek: Nemesis

Picard vs picard, star trek: nemesis.

Stardate: 2379

Captain Picard and the crew face a new, dangerous enemy in the form of a clone of Picard himself.

Captain Jean Luc Picard and the USS Enterprise crew are sent on a mission to meet with the leader of the Romulans, Shinzon, played by a super young Tom Hardy. Once there, they learn that Shinzon is actually a clone of Picard, created in the hopes that he would one day be able to infiltrate the Federation. The Romulans had abandoned the plan and sent Shinzon into slavery.

He led a rebellion, however, and created his own starship, the Scimitar. Soon, the Enterprise learns Shinzon’s true plan is to use a form of radiation poisonous to all life in order to attack the Federation and destroy Earth.

19 Star Trek: Picard

Picard's forced out of retirement one more time

Star Trek: Picard

Stardate: 2399

Captain Picard's retirement is about as full of adventure as his career on the Enterprise.

One of the most popular starship captains in the Star Trek Universe, Jean Luc Picard had retired to a life of wine-making, but a new mission set 20 years after the events of Nemesis sees Captain Jean Luc Picard return to space along with many of his old friends. The first season sees Picard struggling with the events that led to his retirement from Starfleet -- when he's forced into a conflict that sees him thrust into a captain's chair again.

The second season sees Picard transported to an alternate timeline by the interdimensional being known as Q (John De Lancie), who originally appeared in The Next Generation. The third and final season of Picard recently got a teaser and is slated to premiere in spring 2023.

20 Star Trek: Discovery seasons 3 and beyond

The discovery's journey picks up later than any other star trek content.

Stardate: 3188

Catch up with the rest of Discovery after a timejump shifts the story to the end of the Star Trek timeline.

Burnham and the crew of the Discovery make a jump through time that lands them further in the future than we've ever seen in the Star Trek Universe.

There, Burnham is separated from the rest of the crew of Discovery.

While trying to locate the ship, she learns that the United Federation of Planets has fallen following the event known as The Burn, which saw ships simultaneously explode throughout the entire galaxy. The fuel for Star Trek's ships, Dilithium, has also become extremely rare, which makes travel across wide distances of space much harder. In the fourth season, Burnham and the crew of the Discovery begin the process of rebuilding the Federation of Planets. A fifth season of Star Trek Discovery is slated to premiere in 2024.

Kelvin timeline: The alternate Star Trek timeline

These films kick off JJ Abrams' alternate Star Trek timeline. Officially called the Kelvin timeline, it's named after the USS Kelvin. If you want to watch them, you can do so either before or after Star Trek: The Original Series. We prefer you watch it after - in fact, watch it after you've finished the original Star Trek timeline, because it literally takes place in a different timeline.

How to watch Star Trek in order

Whether you're wanting to check out the Original Series or Discovery, figuring out how to watch Star Trek in order is a breeze with this easy guide!

star trek discovery season 3 cast

Is it just us or is figuring out how to watch Star Trek in order getting more and more complex with each passing year? The prospect of watching Star Trek in order would be daunting for even the most decorated of starship captains with multiple series being brought to life on both the big and small screens. But fear not Trekkies - we've got you covered!

If you've ever tried to watch the Marvel movies in order , you'd be forgiven for thinking that was the most complicated franchise on the planet, but we kid you not - it has nothing on Star Trek. The 55-year-old sci-fi franchise includes nine (soon to be 11) TV shows and 13 movies and it spans 1000 years, making for one super complicated and vast timeline.

So, what is the best way to watch Star Trek in order? Well, that depends. For you purists out there, you might like to opt for viewing this franchise by release date, just like all the original Trekkie fans did back in the day. This will allow you to follow along as they did and get a similar experience. While the timeline does jump around, ( Star Trek: Discovery , for example, is set at the end of the 32nd century but was released before Star Trek: Picard , which is set in the 24th century), it gives you a more complete picture. 

Because the Star Trek franchise involves movies and TV series that take place at different times, another option is to watch everything in chronological order. This means you get to start with something a little bit more modern, but the one problem with this is that references will often be made to films you've not yet seen, which could make certain elements difficult to follow. 

To be honest, just like we recommend in our guide to how to watch the Star Wars movies in order , it really is a matter of personal preference. As long as you have one of the best TVs , you'll find you enjoy this franchise no matter what order you decide to watch it in.

So, without further ado, here's how to watch Star Trek in order - based on release date and in-universe continuity...

Star Trek TV shows and movies in chronological order

This is probably the list you're looking for if you're trying to figure out how to watch Star Trek in order. It's where things get really interesting, as Star Trek movies and TV shows have a habit of jumping around the franchise's chronology with sequels, prequels and bits in between. There are even two distinct timelines – but don't worry, we'll explain all that.

The original ‘Prime’ timeline was started by the Original Series, the Next Generation-era TV shows, and the first ten movies, The alternative ‘Kelvin’ timeline, meanwhile, was created in JJ Abrams’ first Star Trek (2009) to allow the familiar Enterprise crew of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Uhura and Chekov to have new adventures without contradicting canon . To avoid confusion, we've defined the two timelines as separate entities below.

This list doesn't, however, include all of the brief Short Treks – short stories which are mostly set around the Star Trek: Discovery era – and adventures where Starfleet crews time-travelled to the eras before any of the shows/movies are set (eg visits to 1986 in The Voyage Home and 2063 in First Contact). We've also left out upcoming Discovery spin-off Star Trek: Section 31 , since it's not yet in production. (Also, we're not entirely sure exactly when it'll be set.)

Let's start with everything in one big list. 

  • Star Trek: Enterprise (seasons 1-4)
  • ‘The Cage’
  • Star Trek: Discovery (seasons 1-2)
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
  • Star Trek: The Original Series  (seasons 1-3)
  • Star Trek: The Animated Series 
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture 
  • Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan 
  • Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock 
  • Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home 
  • Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier 
  • Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country 
  • Star Trek: Generations (opening sequence)
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation (seasons 1-5)
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation (seasons 6-7), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (seasons 1-2)
  • Star Trek: Generations
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (seasons 3-4), Star Trek: Voyager (seasons 1-2)
  • Star Trek: First Contact 
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (seasons 5-6), Star Trek: Voyager (seasons 3-4)
  • Star Trek: Insurrection 
  • S tar Trek: Deep Space Nine (season 7), Star Trek: Voyager (season 5)
  • Star Trek: Voyager (seasons 6-7)
  • Star Trek: Nemesis 
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks
  • Star Trek: Prodigy
  • Star Trek (2009) – Prime timeline sequences
  • Star Trek: Picard
  • Star Trek: Discovery (season 3-)
  • Short Treks: 'Calypso'

If you watch in the order given above, you'll get a continuous ‘history’ of the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 32nd centuries according to the Star Trek timeline. That said, you will notice some odd discrepancies – thanks to the time in which respective shows were made, the technology in prequel show Star Trek: Discovery is significantly more advanced than what Kirk and Spock used in the Original Series.

Below, we'll explain how the different eras of the shows and movies break down for context. 

Note that Gene Roddenberry's original pre-Kirk Star Trek pilot, 'The Cage', is counted as an instalment of the Original Series. You'll usually find it listed as a bonus episode as part of season one when you're watching it on streaming services.

Star Trek: Enterprise era (22nd century) Begins and ends with: Star Trek Enterprise seasons 1-4

About a century before James T Kirk and his crew embark on their famous five-year mission in Star Trek: The Original Series, Captain Jonathan Archer leads Earth's first steps into the wider universe.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series era (23rd century) Begins with: 'The Cage' Ends with: Star Trek: Generations (opening sequence)

For many this is the most familiar era of Star Trek, since it involves Kirk, Spock and the classic Enterprise crew.  

This section of the Trek timeline kicks off with the original unaired Star Trek pilot, 'The Cage' . Next up in franchise chronology are the first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery , which work as a prequel to the Original Series (they even feature a younger version of Spock), but it's all change in season 3 – the events of the season 2 finale send the crew into the distant future of the 32nd century. More on that later...

Upcoming spin-off Strange New Worlds will follow the adventures of Captain Pike, Number One and Spock on the Enterprise after the USS Discovery travelled to the future. And at some point after that, Captain James T Kirk will take command of Starfleet's most famous ship – a role he filled throughout The Original Series , The Animated Series and the first six Star Trek movies ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture , The Wrath of Khan , The Search for Spock , The Voyage Home , The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country ).

The latest point we've seen (so far) in the 23rd century era is James T Kirk being taken away by the Nexus ribbon in the prologue of Star Trek: Generations . This is the event that allows Kirk to meet Picard when the Next Generation crew take on the mantle of headlining the big screen franchise.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star Trek: The Next Generation era (24th century) Begins with: Star Trek: The Next Generation Ends with: Star Trek (2009) – Prime timeline sequences

The richest, most complicated period in Star Trek chronology. During The Next Generation era, Star Trek was experimenting with the idea of a shared universe years before Marvel got in on the act, with three TV shows (TNG, Deep Space Nine and Voyager ) and four movies ( Generations , First Contact , Insurrection and Nemesis ) interweaving through the same timeline – Voyager's Captain Kathryn Janeway even shows up in Star Trek: Nemesis as a newly promoted admiral.

New animated comedy spin-off Lower Decks is set a year after Picard and the Next Generation crew's final mission in Star Trek: Nemesis, while Nickelodeon kids' cartoon Star Trek: Prodigy will see Kate Mulgrew reprising her role as Voyager's captain, Kathryn Janeway. That suggests it will presumably be set at a similar point in the Star Trek timeline.

In JJ Abrams' first Star Trek movie (2009), the destruction of Romulus and Spock Prime's accidental trip back to the pre-Original Series era (in the Kelvin timeline) also take place after the events of Nemesis.

In the list above, we've shown how the movies (roughly) fit into the chronology of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager. 

Star trek: Picard

Picard era (turn of the 25th century) Begins with: Picard Ends with: ???

Aside from glimpses of the destruction of Romulus in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek (2009), Star Trek: Picard gives us our first post-Star Trek: Nemesis look at what the United Federation of Planets has become. 

Since we last saw Jean-Luc Picard, he's retired to his vineyard in France, an android uprising on Mars has led to a ban on all synthetic life, and a disabled Borg Cube (known simply as the 'Artifact') is being mined for technology.

star trek discovery season 3 story

Distant future (32nd century) Begins with : Star Trek: Discovery season 2 (finale) Ends with: ???

In order to save the galaxy, the brave crew of the USS Discovery set off on a one-way mission 900 years into the future in Star Trek: Discovery 's season 2 finale. Their 32nd century destination is new territory for Star Trek – thanks to the mysterious 'Burn', most of the dilithium in the galaxy has been destroyed, making warp travel impossible. As a result, the Federation is a shadow of its former self – even Earth has decided to go it alone.

This isn't, however, the furthest Star Trek has ventured into the future – Short Trek ' Calypso ' is set on the Discovery in a distant future where the ship's computer has become sentient.

Star Trek's alternate 'Kelvin' timeline explained

A still from Star trek Beyond

In 2009's Star Trek movie directed by JJ Abrams, Spock Prime tries to save Romulus from a supernova, inadvertently creates a black hole while doing so, and gets pulled into the past, along with Romulan mining vessel the Narada. Once there, the Narada attacks the USS Kelvin on the day James T Kirk is born. The ship is destroyed as Kirk's father, George, sacrifices himself to save the rest of the crew. 

When all that happens, the alternative ‘Kelvin’ timeline is created, with events unfolding in parallel (but with remarkable similarity) to the original Prime timeline.

Got all that? There are just three movies set in the Kelvin timeline:

  • Star Trek (2009)
  • Star Trek into Darkness
  • Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek TV shows and movies in release date order

watch star trek lower decks online

  • Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)
  • Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974)
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
  • Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
  • Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock (1984)
  • Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home (1986)
  • ‘The Cage’ (previously unavailable Star Trek pilot from 1965, given VHS release in 1986)
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
  • Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier (1989)
  • Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999)
  • Star Trek: Generations (1994)
  • Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001) 
  • Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
  • Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
  • Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)
  • Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
  • Star Trek Beyond (2016)
  • Star Trek: Discovery (2017-)
  • Short Treks (2018-2020)
  • Star Trek: Picard (2020-)
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020-)
  • Star Trek: Prodigy (2021, TBC)
  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TBC)

Considering The Original Series was cancelled after just three seasons in 1969, it's remarkable that Star Trek is still around half a century later. But as the show's popularity grew in syndication on US TV, Trek fandom became a big enough force for the five-year mission to resume via Star Trek: The Animated Series in 1973. Most of the original cast – with the notable exception of Walter Koenig (Chekov) – were enticed back to voice their characters. 

Then, helped by Star Wars turning sci-fi into the hottest genre in Hollywood, Star Trek beamed onto the big screen with 1979's The Motion Picture . The original crew headed up five more movies ( The Wrath of Khan , The Search for Spock , The Voyage Home , The Final Frontier and The Undiscovered Country ) before bowing out in 1991. The ’80s also gave the world a hint of the Star Trek that never was when 'The Cage' , the original unaired pilot, was released on VHS in 1986 (it appeared on TV two years later). Of the pilot crew, only Leonard Nimoy's Spock went on to reprise his role in the TV show, though footage from 'The Cage' was used extensively in the Original Series’ only two-parter, 'The Menagerie'. 

While the Enterprise was making it big in cinemas, the franchise returned to its TV roots in 1987 with The Next Generation . Set over 70 years after Kirk and Spock's final mission, it featured a new crew – led by Captain Jean-Luc Picard – on board a new starship Enterprise. The Next Generation was arguably even more successful than the Original Series, spawning two spin-off series: Deep Space Nine (which began in 1993) played with the Trek format by focusing on a space station, while Voyager (1995) dumped its crew on the other side of the galaxy, hundreds of light years from home. 

The Next Generation crew also fronted four movies of their own ( Generations , First Contact , Insurrection and Nemesis ) between 1995 and 2002.

After Voyager came to an end in 2001, Star Trek left the Next Generation era behind, and went in a completely different direction – Star Trek: Enterprise was a prequel set a century before Kirk and Spock's adventures. Enterprise lasted only four seasons, however (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager all made it to seven), and was canceled in 2005.

These were also dark times for the movie branch of the Trek franchise, as the disappointing box office performance of Nemesis had put the film saga on hiatus – it wasn't until 2009 that Star Trek warped back onto the big screen. 

Future Star Wars: The Force Awakens director JJ Abrams (already hot property as director of Mission: Impossible 3 and co-creator of Lost) gave the franchise an action blockbuster makeover, recasting Kirk, Spock and the rest of the original crew as rookies on their first mission. The reboot, simply titled Star Trek , made more than twice as much at the box office as any of its predecessors, and two sequels ( Star Trek into Darkness , Star Trek Beyond ) followed. 

Star Trek belatedly returned to TV in 2017 with Star Trek: Discovery . Set a decade before the Original Series, it was a darker, more serialized Trek than we’d seen before – more in tune with the prestige shows of the so-called Golden Age of TV. As it’s turned out, it was just the beginning of Star Trek's renewed assault on TV...

A series of brief Short Treks appeared online ahead of Discovery's second season, while The Next Generation follow-up Star Trek: Picard left spacedock in January 2020. Animated series Lower Decks followed in August 2020, and Discovery spin-off Strange New Worlds – featuring Anson Mount's Captain Pike, Rebecca Romijn's Number One and Ethan Peck's Spock on the pre-Kirk Enterprise – is now in production. 

There's also another cartoon offering heading for the Alpha Quadrant, in the form of animated kids show Star Trek: Prodigy.

And there's potentially even more to come, as the much-talked about Michelle Yeoh vehicle Section 31 is still in development. But with Paramount Plus programming boss Julie McNamara telling Variety that the streaming service's current aim is to debut "a new Trek every quarter", we may have to wait for Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks and/or Strange New Worlds to stand aside before we get a new TV iteration of Trek.

To keep things simple, all the shows above are listed by the date their first episode aired. While the chronology does jump around if you watch Star Trek in order of release date, there are some benefits. For example, the prequel shows assume a fair bit of knowledge of earlier series, like the Borg's appearance in Star Trek: Enterprise episode 'Regeneration', or Star Trek: Discovery's revelations about the ultimate fate of Christopher Pike (the Enterprise captain in 'The Cage', who later shows up in 'The Menagerie'). Moments like that undoubtedly make more sense in the context of later events in the Star Trek timeline. 

How to stream Star Trek TV shows and movies

If you just want to know how to stream the 13 Star Trek movies and eight TV shows in the US and the UK, we've laid it out below. 

In the US, the newly rebranded Paramount Plus (formerly CBS All Access) is definitely the place to go, with every TV show available to watch. In the UK, Netflix hosts all the Star Trek series except for Picard and Lower Decks.

Watching the 13 Trek movies is a rather more complex affair, with the films spread across numerous streaming services in the US and UK – and some of them you'll have to pay to rent/buy.

The TV shows

  • Star Trek: The Original Series ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
  • Star Trek: The Animated Series ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Netflix)
  • Star Trek: The Next Generation ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
  • Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
  • Star Trek: Voyager ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
  • Star Trek: Enterprise ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Netflix)
  • Star Trek: Discovery ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Netflix)
  • Star Trek: Picard ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Amazon Prime Video)
  • Star Trek: Lower Decks (US: Paramount Plus US: Amazon Prime Video)
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
  • Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
  • Star Trek 3: The Search for Spock ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
  • Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
  • Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
  • Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
  • Star Trek: Generations ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
  • Star Trek: First Contact ( US: Paramount Plus UK: Only available to rent/buy)
  • Star Trek: Insurrection ( US: Amazon Prime Video, Hulu UK: Only available to rent/buy)
  • Star Trek: Nemesis ( US: Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video UK: Only available to rent/buy)
  • Star Trek 2009 ( US: DirectTV UK: Sky Cinema/Now TV)
  • Star Trek Into Darkness ( US : FX Now UK: Amazon Prime Video)
  • Star Trek Beyond ( US: Amazon Prime, Hulu UK: Amazon Prime Video)

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Richard Edwards

Richard is a freelance journalist specialising in movies and TV, primarily of the sci-fi and fantasy variety. An early encounter with a certain galaxy far, far away started a lifelong love affair with outer space, and these days Richard's happiest geeking out about Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel and other long-running pop culture franchises. In a previous life he was editor of legendary sci-fi and fantasy magazine SFX, where he got to interview many of the biggest names in the business – though he'll always have a soft spot for Jeff Goldblum who (somewhat bizarrely) thought Richard's name was Winter.

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Paramount announces yet another Star Trek prequel

It’s a prequel to the prequel, itself a sequel to another prequel..

Movie-industry shindig CinemaCon was the venue at which Paramount Pictures announced it has started work on a new Star Trek movie. Slashfilm reports Untitled Star Trek Origin Story will be a prequel to Star Trek (2009), J.J. Abrams’ glossy prequel to Star Trek (1966). It’ll be directed by Toby Haynes, most famous around these parts for helming episodes of Andor and Black Mirror’s USS Callister . The screenplay has been written by Seth Grahame-Smith, who wrote The Lego Batman Movie and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies .

So that we’re clear, Untitled Star Trek Origin Story will serve as a prequel to the 2009 origin story and a sequel to 2001’s origin story, Enterprise . It will likely be set before Discovery, which was conceived as a prequel to Star Trek (1966) and Strange New Worlds , which is a prequel to Star Trek (1966). And, look, if you’ll allow me to get a little personal for a moment, I am deeply overjoyed at the news. Given the dearth of origin stories, prequels and nostalgia-parades in the Star Trek universe, an Untitled Star Trek Origin Story is a welcome, necessary and life-giving addition to the franchise.

Let’s be honest, it’s high time we got something insular and backward-looking after so many years of non-stop groundbreaking, original adventures shorn from the burdens of continuity.

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New Star Trek Prequel Movie Is Officially Official, Andor And Black Mirror Director Confirmed

Star Trek (2009), Enterprise

Captain's Log: Stardate 2024. It's been eight years since the USS Enterprise's last voyage on the big screen, with the franchise having since returned to its roots on television. During that period, the property has proliferated thanks to an influx of streaming series that's included everything from a "Next Generation" reunion to a raunchy cartoon and a wonderfully silly musical episode . But through it all, the question has lingered: when will Trekkies get to undertake another mission painted on the largest canvas available?

It's not been for lack of effort on Paramount's part. Ever since the commercial disappointment of 2016's "Star Trek Beyond" brought the escapades of the Kelvin Universe film series to a halt, the studio has cycled through one filmmaker after another in its quest to get "Star Trek" up and running in theaters once more. Most recently, it turned to "Black Mirror" director Toby Haynes to helm a new chapter based on a script by "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" and "The LEGO Batman Movie" scribe Seth Grahame-Smith. At the same time, Paramount has continued to try and mount a fourth and final chapter in the Kelvin Timeline story that began with J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" in 2009, having only barely recruited Steve Yockey ("The Flight Attendant") to work his magic on the screenplay.

Thankfully, we finally got an official update today during Paramount's CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas (which /Film's Ryan Scott was there to witness with his own two eyes). The studio confirmed that Haynes' film will usher in the franchise's long-awaited return to theaters while, apparently, also functioning as a prequel to the previous Kelvin Universe movies. Production will begin later this year.

Star Trek will boldly go before it's never gone before

Literally winding back the clock for a mission is common practice in "Star Trek," so much so that the property even has a strict set of rules covering all the do's and don'ts of time travel (lest anyone step on a butterfly and wipe James Kirk out of existence). Prequels, on the other hand, only really came into vogue in the 2000s with the one-two punch of "Star Trek: Enterprise" and Abrams' film, the latter of which also introduced the alternate timeline known as the Kelvin Universe. Now, much as its big screen reboot 15 years ago served to reinvigorate the franchise while also appealing to a new generation of Trekkies, it's possible Paramount's goal here is for Haynes' prequel to revive the Kelvin series before bringing the main cast back while at the same time offering a jumping-on point for those who're new(ish) to the whole trekking across space thing.

Haynes' movie itself has previously been described as an "origin story" for "Star Trek" at large , which certainly supports the idea of it functioning as a soft reset without actually wiping out any earlier continuity (just like Abrams' movie). The director, for his part, has already demonstrated an appreciation for the property with his acclaimed "Black Mirror" episode "USS Callister" — a darkly satirical take on "Star Trek" tropes and toxic fandom — while his work on the "Star Wars" series "Andor" proves he's more than up for the task of taking a beloved sci-fi property and subverting it in fresh and exhilarating ways. With a little luck, these past eight years will prove to be more than worth the wait.

Keep it tuned to /Film for further updates on anything and everything "Star Trek."

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Back to the beginning: These are the best TV prequel series

Christine Persaud

TV prequels are a growing trend as showrunners look to find ways to capitalize on popular series beyond the typical spinoff. They offer an interesting perspective on how a story came to be, what led characters to become who we know them as, and the pivotal moments that shaped or influenced the core series.

Better Call Saul

Bates motel, fargo (season 2), dark crystal: age of resistance, star trek discovery.

  • Stargate Origins

Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp

Fear the walking dead.

Along with recent, highly acclaimed prequels like Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and the ongoing  Star Trek: Discovery , both The Lord of The Rings and Game of Thrones sagas will be getting prequel series soon, too — the former on Amazon Prime Video and the latter on HBO. Both are highly anticipated and expected to be major hits among viewers and fans of the original movies, books, and series. The decision to take a story back in time doesn’t always pay off, but fortunately, there have been plenty of good prequel series that proved the concept can be a roaring success.

AMC’s Breaking Bad remains one of the best dramas to have ever graced the small screen. And one of the most popular characters was Saul Goodman, a sleazy lawyer who worked with criminals and wasn’t afraid to bend the law. It sounded like a great idea when the network confirmed that it would be launching a prequel series that focused on how Jimmy McGill became Saul Goodman, and the events that led up to him meeting with and eventually working for Walter White in Breaking Bad . The series, which will air its fifth season in 2020, has lived up to its potential, presenting a story that is compelling on its own, but with plenty of Easter eggs and hidden details to get Breaking Bad fans excited.

Everyone is familiar with Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic 1960 horror film Psycho , about serial killer Norman Bates and his mother, Norma. This psychological horror drama serves as a prequel to that story, showing a younger Norman (played by Freddie Highmore) living with his mother (Vera Farmiga) before the murderous happenings of the movie. It’s also set in the present day, making it more modern and relatable to a new crop of viewers. It provides a glimpse into the early signs of Norman’s mental illness, and his progression into downright madness. It ran for five seasons from 2013 to 2017.

Almost a year after military sci-fi drama Battlestar Galactica ended its celebrated four-season run in 2009, Caprica , set 58 years prior to the cataclysmic destruction of the 12 colonies of Kobol, emerged as a spinoff and prequel to that saga. Rather than focus on the aftermath, it told the story of how the Cylon androids were first created by humanity, and how they eventually turned against their masters. It only lasted for a single season due to low ratings, with the Space network airing the final five episodes after Syfy pulled the show its lineup (they later aired in a marathon). Despite the abysmal ratings, the show was well-reviewed by critics , who lauded the dark overtones, richness of characters, and infused elements of The Matrix and Terminator .

A little different from others on this list, it is actually the second season of anthology series Fargo that interestingly served as a prequel to the first. Airing on FX in 2015, it stayed true to the definition of an anthology series with its own self-contained narrative. But for those who had already tuned in to season 1, it told the story of what happened prior to those events as a young couple try to cover up the hit-and-run and murder of the son of a crime family’s matriarch. With a 100% Certified Fresh rating for the second season, it’s clear that viewers were on board with the concept.

The newest series on this list, this dark fantasy/adventure series starring puppets started streaming its first season on Netflix on August 30, but it has already received universal praise. As a prequel to the 1982 Jim Henson film The Dark Crystal , it takes place on the fictional planet of Thra, where a trio of elf-like Gelflings discover a dark and terrible secret behind the power of their Skeksis overlords and set out to start a rebellion. A joint production of Netflix and The Jim Henson Company, the series blends extensive use of puppetry and CGI to tell a breathtakingly beautiful story.

Premiering in 2017, this series developed exclusively for CBS All Access predates the original Star Trek series, and is set between the events of Star Trek: Enterprise and the original, franchise-starting series. With a cast led by Sonequa Martin-Green ( The Walking Dead ), Discovery chronicles her experiences as a female science specialist aboard the USS Discovery. The series was so successful, it led to record subscriptions for the streaming service following its 15-episode first season. A third season is in the works, but an official release date has not yet been confirmed.

Stargate Origins

Known simply as “SGO” among fans, this sci-fi adventure series is based on the 1994 film Stargate and served as a spinoff to the Stargate SG-1 series. Consisting of just 10 episodes that each ran 10 minutes long, the show debuted in 2018 on MGM’s Stargate Command subscription service. In the series, a young version of Catherine Langford (Ellie Gall) undertakes a journey to unlock the mystery of Stargate but is taken hostage, alongside her father (Connor Trinneer), by Nazis. The episodes were later stitched together to create a feature-length film, which viewers could stream in all its 4K glory.

After being released in 2001, the satirical comedy film Wet Hot American Summer , which parodies teen summer-camp comedies, developed a cult following. In 2015, this follow-up was released as an eight-episode series on Netflix and framed as a prequel. The original film’s star-studded cast — including Bradley Cooper, Janeane Garofalo, Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Christopher Meloni, Elizabeth Banks, and Molly Shannon — returned to reprise their roles, hilariously playing younger versions of their previous roles. Fans loved it, giving the film a score of 93% on review aggregator RottenTomatoes.com  and lauding the goofy hijinks that were expected, but welcome.

Telling the story of a young James Gordon from DC Comics’ Batman mythology, this crime drama series aired for five seasons on Fox from 2014 to 2019. Ben McKenzie starred as Gordon during his early days with the Gotham City Police Department. Along with Gordon, the series brought in popular characters like Bruce Wayne (aka Batman), as well as some of the most iconic villains from the DC Comics universe, including Penguin, Riddler, and Solomon Grundy. While the show was praised for its performances, production value, and writing, ratings eventually dipped and it was time for the show to come to an end. Still, it was a solid prequel to a massive franchise.

Running concurrently with its sister series, Fear the Walking Dead provides a perspective on the zombie apocalypse that The Walking Dead didn’t explore by starting its run from just before the disease had taken over and people were starting to turn. Now airing its fifth season, the post-apocalyptic horror drama is still technically a prequel since the timeline has jumped by five years in The Walking Dead . While the cast has changed dramatically from the first season, with only a few originals remaining (and a few crossovers from the original series now joining the prequel’s cast), the series continues to enthrall viewers with a fresh perspective, different characters encountering unique challenges, and new locations.

This psychological horror-thriller aired for three seasons on NBC from 2013 through to 2015 and was based on the characters from the Thomas Harris novels Red Dragon, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising . It focuses on FBI special investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen), a forensic psychiatrist who turns out to be the very serial killer Graham is trying to hunt down. As they discuss the mind-set of the serial killer, Dr. Lecter attempts to twist, turn, and manipulate Graham, unbeknownst to the profiler. The story is based on five pages of the book Red Dragon , which itself served as a prequel to Silence of the Lambs.

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Christine Persaud

As you've probably noticed, this is the last weekend of April. That means Hulu is about to lose some of its best movies before the new titles arrive May 1. And while we've already shared five great movies leaving Hulu at the end of April, those aren't the only terrific titles going out the door.

That's why this week's picks for the three Hulu movies that you need to stream this weekend are off the beaten path from the films we've previously chosen for April. We've picked out a historical drama, a romantic dramedy, and a remix of a classic Charles Dickens story. But since these movies are only around until April 30, you should catch these flicks before they go off to some other streamer. The Last Duel (2021)

So you're a fan of excellent Apple TV+ shows such as Severance, Ted Lasso, Palm Royale, and Silo, but on the hardware side of things, you're more of a Chromecast or Google TV kinda guy, and that's fine.

Whether you have a Chromecast dongle device, such as a Chromecast or Chromecast Ultra, or even the newer Chromecast with Google TV, or perhaps you have a smart TV or projector with Google TV or Chromecast built-in, rest assured you can watch all your Apple TV+ movies and shows without having to get an Apple TV set-top box. Here’s what you need and what to do!

Fallout has proven to be one of the bigger hits in Amazon Prime Video's existence, and it's also one of the most anticipated shows the streaming service has to offer this year. The series, which is loosely adapted from the popular video game franchise, stars Ella Purnell as a newly invented character who has to set off on a quest that will take her to the surface of a postapocalyptic version of Earth.

If you watched Fallout and found yourself intrigued by Purnell, in particular, then you're in luck. She's still a relatively new face in Hollywood, but she's starred in a number of projects in recent years, many of which have required her to hide her British accent. These are three you should definitely check out if you're a big Purnell fan. Yellowjackets (2021-) Yellowjackets (2021) Official Trailer #2 | SHOWTIME

Screen Rant

New star wars footage confirms a classic lucas villain is returning in the phantom menace prequel show.

A new teaser for Star Wars' upcoming Phantom Menace prequel TV show confirms the return of the Neimoidians - but what role will they play?

  • New footage from The Acolyte confirms the return of the Neimoidians, a classic Star Wars prequel villain.
  • The Neimoidians ruled the Trade Federation in the prequel trilogy, and allied with the Sith.
  • Will The Acolyte show how this alliance came to be?

A new Korean teaser for The Acolyte confirms the return of a classic prequel trilogy race of villains created by George Lucas himself. The Acolyte has been marketed as the "prequel to the prequels," set roughly a century before Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace , and showing how the Sith successfully infiltrated the galaxy. As exciting as the first trailer for The Acolyte may have been, showrunner Leslye Headland has teased that the true plot is as shrouded in mystery as the Sith themselves.

Now, a new Korean teaser for The Acolyte has confirmed a classic prequel trilogy race of villains, the Neimoidians, are returning in The Acolyte . This presumably means the return of the Trade Federation, the corrupt group who blockaded Naboo in The Phantom Menace . Neimoidians had been seen in The Acolyte footage shared at Star Wars Celebration last year, but there was always a chance they'd be cut.

Star Wars: The Acolyte - Cast, Story Details & Everything We Know

Who are the neimoidians, & what role do they play in the acolyte, is this how the sith took control of the trade federation.

Introduced in The Phantom Menace , the Neimoidians were a wealthy and influential race who had essentially taken control of the Trade Federation . The Neimoidians' original goal was to gain control of all galactic trade through ownership of hyperspace routes, but they were foiled by rivals. Still, under their control the Trade Federation became a powerful galactic force, a business that was even represented in the Republic Senate.

The Phantom Menace revealed the Trade Federation served a master; Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith. It is unclear how far back this conspiracy goes, and whether it even predates Palpatine himself; Darth Sidious benefited from a Sith plan that had been taking shape for a thousand years, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the Sith already worked with the Trade Federation at the time of The Acolyte . The first trailer for The Acolyte teased a clash between Jedi and a Sith Master, who could well already be working with the Neimoidians.

Alternatively, this could well be the story of how the Sith allied with the Neimoidians , entering into a partnership with them that ultimately became something rather more like control. It's possible the Jedi have been causing problems for the Trade Federation in this time period, and the Neimoidians have been approached by the sworn enemy of the Jedi. If that is the case, then The Acolyte is indeed the prequel to the prequels - especially to The Phantom Menace .

Source: Facebook

The Acolyte

The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.

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Walter Koenig, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, James Doohan, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek (1966)

In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

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  • Trivia In the hallways of the Enterprise there are tubes marked "GNDN." These initials stand for "goes nowhere does nothing."
  • Goofs The deck locations for Kirk's Quarters, Sickbay and Transporter Room vary (usually between decks 4-7) throughout the series.

Dr. McCoy : "He's dead, Jim."

  • Crazy credits On some episodes, the closing credits show a still that is actually from the Star Trek blooper reel. It is a close-up of stunt man Bill Blackburn who played an android in Return to Tomorrow (1968) , removing his latex make up. In the reel, He is shown taking it off, while an off-screen voice says "You wanted show business, you got it!"
  • Alternate versions In 2006, CBS went back to the archives and created HD prints of every episode of the show. In addition to the new video transfer, they re-did all of the model shots and some matte paintings using CGI effects, and re-recorded the original theme song to clean it up. These "Enhanced" versions of the episodes aired on syndication and have been released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
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star trek prequel tv series

The Star Trek: Origins movie shouldn't ignore Star Trek: Enterprise

A new origins movie for Star Trek is set to go into production later on this year for a possible 2025 or 2026 release. There's has been a lot of speculation about the timeline of the film, with Inverse offering plenty of detail about the Star Trek timeline and how a film set in the 2210s or 2220s wouldn't rattle too much of Trek's history in either timeline with the caveat that "if you don't think about the prequel series, Star Trek: Enterprise."

Enterprise was set during 2151, and the events of the series were interwoven with other series in the franchise, such as the Ferengi's first appearance on the series instead of Star Trek: The Next Generation and, of course, the horrible series finale that connected The Next Generation's Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis). Yes, plenty of fans would love to forget the finale, but the fact remains that it happened. And even Star Trek: Discovery referenced Archer's visit to Qo'noS from the premiere of the series. So it's kind of hard to jettison the series as a whole.

With the Origins movie supposedly set before the Kirk and Spock era as the movie has been touted, that could put it after Enterprise, but, if the movie is set during the Prime timeline, there are a lot of landmines that could potentially disrupt canon. Some fans, of course, will say that canon has been shredded by various other series already, but a film on the big screen takes things to a new level, especially if it's supposed to be the origination of some aspect of Star Trek.

One possible idea would be to take the story back to Captain Pike's origins, which would still put the movie in the 2230s, roughly, with Strange New Worlds being set in 2259. Since Strange New Worlds is an ongoing series, that would be a great tie-in. Another option would be the origins of Captain April who helmed the Enterprise in 2245. Hopefully, the movie won't take the origin storyline so far back in time that it will disrupt everything that has been created. And, if that's the choice that is taken, then we can just hope the movie gets set in the Kelvin timeline so the Prime timeline remains as unaffected as possible!

This article was originally published on redshirtsalwaysdie.com as The Star Trek: Origins movie shouldn't ignore Star Trek: Enterprise .

The Star Trek: Origins movie shouldn't ignore Star Trek: Enterprise

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COMMENTS

  1. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV Series 2022- )

    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet. With Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Christina Chong, Melissa Navia. A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike.

  2. List of Star Trek television series

    The Original Series logo. Star Trek is an American media franchise based on the science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry.The first television series, simply called Star Trek and now referred to as The Original Series, debuted in 1966 and aired for three seasons on NBC.The Star Trek canon includes eight live-action television series, three animated series and one short-form ...

  3. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is an American science fiction television series created by Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, and Jenny Lumet for the streaming service Paramount+.It is the 11th Star Trek series and debuted in 2022 as part of Kurtzman's expanded Star Trek Universe.A spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery, it follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship Enterprise in the ...

  4. How to Watch Star Trek in Order: The Complete Series Timeline

    Where to Watch: Paramount+ 20. Star Trek: Prodigy (2383-TBD) Star Trek: Prodigy was the first fully 3D animated Star Trek series ever and told a story that began five years after the U.S.S ...

  5. 'Strange New Worlds' release date, trailer, cast, and timeline for the

    Strange New Worlds is a sequel to Discovery Season 2, a sequel to Star Trek: Enterprise, and a prequel to The Original Series. Presumably, the show will chronicle a five-year mission commanded by ...

  6. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: everything we know about the Star Trek

    A Star Trek: Discovery spin-off following the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike, science officer Spock and first officer Una Chin-Riley (better known as Number One) on the USS Enterprise ...

  7. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds cast and TOS characters ...

    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a prequel to the Original Series that will include characters from the Captain Kirk Original Series years, including Uhura, Nurse Chapel, and Dr. M'Benga, along ...

  8. Where STRANGE NEW WORLDS Fits in the STAR TREK Timeline

    But with the series ostensibly serving as a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, many are wondering where the show fits in the overall Star Trek chronology. And the answer to that is a bit ...

  9. How to watch 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds'

    The new show is a prequel to the original "Star Trek" series from the 1960s. You can watch it exclusively on Paramount Plus ($5/month) starting May 5. ... In addition to most movies and early TV ...

  10. The first Star Trek: Strange New World trailer has arrived

    The first trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has arrived ahead of the show's May 5th release date on Paramount Plus. The new series is a prequel set 10 years before Star Trek: The ...

  11. 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Review: Prequel Series ...

    The ten-episode prequel unites the terrific team behind "Star Trek: Picard" and "Star Trek: Discovery" - Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet - co-creating the story with Oscar-winner Akiva ...

  12. Strange New Worlds-Star Trek prequel series delivers franchise's best

    Strange New Worlds-Star Trek prequel series delivers franchise's best first season in years. Review by C.J. Bunce. The sign of good storytelling for any retelling or prequel is knowing the ending of the story upfront and still wanting to come back for more. From bookending the season with appearances by interesting Wynonna Earp star Melanie ...

  13. Star Trek timeline in complete chronological order, explained

    The complete Star Trek timeline so far. The current main Star Trek timeline begins in the year 2151, with the first season of Enterprise, and concludes over a millennium later in 3190 with the upcoming Star Trek Discovery season 5. After Enterprise kicked things off in 2151, the TOS-era begins in 2259, with the TOS prequel Strange New Worlds.

  14. 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Succeeds by Going Back to Basics: TV Review

    Correction: Dr. M'Benga appeared in Season 2 and Season 3 of the original series of "Star Trek," not in the original pilot, "The Cage." Read More About: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,

  15. Star Trek

    All Star Trek movies and TV shows in chronological order. - last update December 2023 Refine See titles to watch instantly, ... A prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series, the show follows the crew of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christopher Pike. Stars: Anson Mount, ...

  16. STAR TREK Prequel Series Featuring Pike and Spock Announced

    The streaming site has announced a new prequel spin-off based on characters from season two of Star Trek: Discovery. The show will explore the years Captain Christopher Pike was in charge of the U ...

  17. Star Trek: Enterprise

    Star Trek: Enterprise, originally titled simply Enterprise for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga.It originally aired from September 26, 2001 to May 13, 2005 on United Paramount Network ().The sixth series in the Star Trek franchise, it is a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series.

  18. Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series 2001-2005)

    Star Trek: Enterprise: Created by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga. With Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating. A century before Captain Kirk's five-year mission, Jonathan Archer captains the United Earth ship Enterprise during the early years of Starfleet, leading up to the Earth-Romulan War and the formation of the Federation.

  19. How to watch the Star Trek movies and TV shows in order

    Stardate: 2151 to 2156. Enterprise follows the adventures of one of the first starships to explore deep space in the Star Trek Universe. Creator. Rick Berman, Brannon Braga. Starring. Scott Bakula ...

  20. How to watch Star Trek in order

    Let's start with everything in one big list. Star Trek: Enterprise (seasons 1-4) 'The Cage'. Star Trek: Discovery (seasons 1-2) Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Star Trek: The Original Series ...

  21. Paramount announces yet another Star Trek prequel

    Slashfilm reports Untitled Star Trek Origin Story will be a prequel to Star Trek (2009), J.J. Abrams' glossy prequel to Star Trek (1966). It'll be directed by Toby Haynes, most famous around ...

  22. New Star Trek Prequel Movie Is Officially Official, Andor And Black

    Prequels, on the other hand, only really came into vogue in the 2000s with the one-two punch of "Star Trek: Enterprise" and Abrams' film, the latter of which also introduced the alternate timeline ...

  23. Star Trek Origin Story Movie Slated for 2025, Starts Filming This Year

    What about Star Trek 4?. Star Trek 4 is still also in development as the final chapter of the Star Trek reboot saga with the Enterprise crew played by Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto, Karl ...

  24. Back to the beginning: These are the best TV prequel series

    Star Trek Discovery. Stargate Origins. Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp. Gotham. Fear the Walking Dead. Hannibal. Show 6 more items. Along with recent, highly acclaimed prequels like ...

  25. Star Trek: Discovery

    Star Trek: Discovery is an American science fiction television series created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman for the streaming service CBS All Access (later rebranded as Paramount+).It is the seventh Star Trek series and debuted in 2017. The series follows the crew of the starship Discovery beginning a decade before Star Trek: The Original Series in the 23rd century.

  26. New Star Wars Footage Confirms A Classic Lucas Villain Is Returning In

    A new Korean teaser for The Acolyte confirms the return of a classic prequel trilogy race of villains created by George Lucas himself. The Acolyte has been marketed as the "prequel to the prequels," set roughly a century before Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, and showing how the Sith successfully infiltrated the galaxy.As exciting as the first trailer for The Acolyte may have been ...

  27. Star Trek (TV Series 1966-1969)

    Star Trek: Created by Gene Roddenberry. With Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols. In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

  28. The Star Trek: Origins movie shouldn't ignore Star Trek: Enterprise

    A new origins movie for Star Trek is set to go into production later on this year for a possible 2025 or 2026 release. There's has been a lot of speculation about the timeline of the film, with ...

  29. Star Trek

    Star Trek is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon.Since its creation, the franchise has expanded into various films, television series, video games, novels, and comic books, and it has become one of the most recognizable and highest-grossing media franchises ...