The newest entry in the Star Trek television franchise, Star Trek Picard, has its much-anticipated debut on January 23rd (more on that one at this link). With that series joining the seven existing shows (with Discovery still airing), I thought it would be a good time to look back and rank the shows that have preceded it. I put up a poll a few weeks back and you can see the results of that at this link. Below are the shows in the order that they finished in the poll. Along with that are my comments and where I believe they should be ranked. And of course, ranking TV shows always fuels plenty of debate, so feel free to chime in with your comments below.
7. Star Trek: The Animated Series (NBC, 1973-4, 2 Seasons Totaling 22 Episodes)
About: This series continues the adventures of the crew of the USS Enterprise only in animated form. It is a direct extension of the original series and most of the cast return to voice their parts with the exception of Walter Koenig (he did write one episode, though).
Johnny Jay’s Rank: 6
Comments: I’m not surprised this one ranked seventh out of seven because this show is often looked at as the red-headed-stepchild of the Star Trek franchise. But it had its share of decent episodes and it fed the demand for more Trek at the time it aired. Some of the episodes are more like story sketches as opposed to fully fleshed-out episodes, but that’s a factor of the thirty-minute length and the fact that this was geared for Saturday morning television (at least it did not deliver Kid Trek which is what the network originally wanted). The show had a good look and feel about it (even if the animation was not the greatest), and it is still worth checking out even if it does not necessarily count as essential (at least watch “Yesteryear” which explores Spock’s past).
6. Star Trek: Discovery (CBS All Access, 2017-Present, 2 Seasons with 29 Episodes So Far)
About: Taking place ten years before the events of the original series, this show focuses primarily on the first officer of the USS Discovery Michael Burnham along with the other members of the crew. TOS characters such as Captain Pike and Mr. Spock have also crossed over on the series.
Johnny Jay’s Rank: 5
Comments: The jury is still out on this one as far as I am concerned. The first season had a lot of rough spots, but the second year seemed to get the show on track. I don’t like that they went for a more advanced tech than what we had previously seen from this period (and what we saw on TOS), but I also understand that the modern audience probably would not have responded well to the retro-tech look. Depending on how this show progresses, it could improve in the rankings as far as I’m concerned, but it needs to hold a steady course going forward.
5. Star Trek: Enterprise (UPN, 2001-05, 4 Seasons Totaling 98 Episodes)
About: This prequel series takes place in the early years of Starfleet and focuses on the first warp-capable Enterprise which is commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer. With his crew, they begin the exploration of the galaxy and have initial encounters many of the alien species which have become iconic to the franchise.
Johnny Jay’s Rank: 4
Comment: This series takes a lot of heat, but I personally rather enjoyed it. The first season was its best as the Enterprise sets out to explore a galaxy that viewers already know well from the previous shows in the franchise. It gave an interesting take on early contact with the Vulcans, the Klingons, the Andorians, and more. The quality slipped in the second season and the third year is a love it or hate it affair. But the fourth season got the show back on track and delivered some its best episodes (though overall it was not as solid as the first year). Sadly, the ratings had dipped notably by that point and this became only the second Trek show to officially be cancelled. But it is better than many give it credit for and is worth a look.
4. Star Trek: Voyager (UPN, 1995-2001, 7 Seasons Totaling 172 Episodes)
About: The USS Voyager heads to a section of the galaxy known as the “Badlands” in search of members of the rebel group known as the Maquis. Together, the starfleet officers and the Maquis are hurled across the galaxy to the Delta Quadrant (70,000 light years from Earth), and they must learn to work side-by-side if they have any hope of ever returning home.
Johnny Jay’s Rank: 7
Comments: This show has its fans and it does have its moments as well, but I am one of those who believed it failed to live up to its potential. It offered a decent twist on the Trek theme and the opportunity for some good dramatic conflict, but ended up quickly settling into a planet-of-the-week formula (Hollywood Reporter has an interesting look at how the show derailed at this link). Most episodes were a derivation and/or combination of the following: aliens come aboard the Voyager and something goes wrong, someone gets in a shuttle and something goes wrong, someone goes into the holodeck and something goes wrong, the Voyager is shown at the beginning of the episode nearly destroyed but by the end of the hour is good as new again. Those first three plots were pretty well mined by the show’s predecessors (the holodeck was introduced in TAS ep “The Practical Joker”, known then as the “Rec Room”), and Voyager episodes often felt like retreads of what had come before. The show did manage to produce some standout episodes, and did deliver one of the best Trek characters in Seven of Nine, but there are a lot of mediocre to just plain bad episodes you have to slog through to get to the high points.
3. Star Trek: The Original Series (NBC, 1966-69, 3 Seasons Totaling 79 Episodes)
About: This is where it all began! This series follows the adventures of the USS Enterprise led by Captain James T. Kirk and crewed by some of televisions most iconic characters such as Mr. Spock, Doctor McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, and Checkov. This is the beginning of the five-year mission (perhaps TAS was the conclusion) and the launch of one of the greatest franchises ever. (Read more about the show at this link.)
Johnny Jay’s Rank: 1
Comments: Now we are at the three shows that fans are usually most passionate about. All three rank as the best examples of the franchise, but where one is placed above the other generates plenty of debate. For me, the original is the best. That’s not to deny the accomplishments of TNG or DS9, but TOS set the standard and advanced sci fi TV in general (still considered mostly for kids at that time). Sure, it has its cheesiness and campiness and the sfx do not stand up very well (hey, some of the TNG episodes have not dated well in that department either). But the stories stand for themselves and the characters have become so well recognized that even non-Trek fans know who they are. Start with this one and you will not be disappointed.
2. Star Trek: The Next Generation (Syndicated, 1987-94, 7 Seasons Totaling 178 Episode)
About: This series continues the adventures of the USS Enterprise in the century after the events of the original show. Captain Jean-Luc Picard commands a larger and more-advanced Enterprise as they discover new races while also dealing with old adversaries such as the Klingons and Romulans. (Read more about the show at this link.)
Johnny Jay’s Rank: 2
Comments: Star Trek: TNG was such a welcome arrival on television in the late 80’s when sci fi was at a low point on television. Fans were even willing to forgive the show its first two subpar seasons just to have Trek back on the air. And while TNG had more than its fair share of mediocre episodes, when the show was hitting on all cylinders it delivered some of the best examples of sci fi TV. It also went out on a high note with one of the all-time great series finales. I wouldn’t argue too hard against someone who considers this the best Trek entry (I grew up with the original, so that one has sentimental value for me), and this is definitely a show that all Trek and sci fi fans should watch.
1. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Syndicated, 1993-99, 7 Seasons Totaling 176 Episodes)
About: This series takes place on the Starbase Deep Space Nine which is a former Cardassian space station orbiting the planet Bajor now administered jointly by the United Federation of Planets and the Bajoran government. It acts as a place of interstellar commerce and diplomacy and it is also used to monitor a stable wormhole nearby that provides a gateway to the Gamma quadrant. Captain Benjamin Sisko heads up a crew dedicated to keeping the peace and exploring this new section of the galaxy while also dealing with the tensions between the many races present on the station. (Read more about the show at this link.)
Johnny Jay’s Rank: 3
Comments: This series has a strong following among Trek fans and truly counts as one of the best entries in the franchise. It took a darker tone than the previous shows and brought more conflict into the episodes (which makes for good drama) and it also made use of extended story arcs (yes, it did steel from Babylon 5). The first three seasons are hit-or-miss as the show was trying to find its way. Once the fourth season kicks off and the Dominion War storyline gets going, though, the show really started to excel. Personally, I still rank it behind TOS and TNG, but DS9 accomplished a lot and I understand the love that many Trek fans have for the show.
More from CancelledSciFi.com
Keep up with the ratings developments and the status of all the currently airing sci fi and fantasy shows with our Weekly Roundup posts. And join the #CancelledSciFiArmy on Twitter to bolster our ranks and help us fight for the struggling and cancelled sci fi and fantasy shows.
Follow our Sci Fi TV Top 5 column for the top sci fi TV stories each week.
Check out our Sci Fi TV Schedule for debut and season finale dates and follow our Weekly Listings for a rundown of the shows airing in the current week.
Check back each Saturday for Sci Fi TV Retrospectives: A look back at cancelled, classic, forgotten, and more genre shows from the past.
