Star Trek is less a single marathon than a collection of crews exploring the same enormous future. Its shows often run alongside one another, and some jump centuries forward. The easiest approach is to choose a crew, follow its adventures, and then expand your journey.
These lists cover the main television series and feature films. Series are listed by premiere year; short-form spin-offs are treated as extras.
Choose what to watch
Choose order
Release order
Release order
- The Original Series
- The Animated Series
Animated TV series
- The Motion Picture
- II: The Wrath of Khan
- III: The Search for Spock
- IV: The Voyage Home
- The Next Generation
- V: The Final Frontier
- VI: The Undiscovered Country
- Deep Space Nine
- Generations
- Voyager
- First Contact
- Insurrection
- Enterprise
- Nemesis
- Star Trek
- Into Darkness
- Beyond
- Discovery
- Short Treks
- Picard
- Lower Decks
- Prodigy
- Strange New Worlds
- Section 31 — film
- Starfleet Academy
Story order: the Prime timeline
This is an era-based route, not a claim that all of Deep Space Nine happens before Voyager. You can watch those shows separately without constantly switching episodes. Short Treks spans different periods; use it as companion viewing after meeting the relevant crews.
- Enterprise
the 22nd century, before the familiar Federation era
- Discovery, seasons 1–2
the 23rd century before Kirk’s main adventures
- Strange New Worlds
Captain Pike’s Enterprise
- The Original Series
- The Animated Series
- The Motion Picture
- The Wrath of Khan
- The Search for Spock
- The Voyage Home
- The Final Frontier
- The Undiscovered Country
- Section 31
the early 24th century. Its protagonist’s personal journey also depends on Discovery, including season 3
- The Next Generation
begins in 2364
- Deep Space Nine
begins in 2369, overlapping The Next Generation’s final seasons
- Generations
its main story follows The Next Generation finale
- Voyager
begins in 2371, overlapping Deep Space Nine
- First Contact
, then Insurrection — during the wider Deep Space Nine/Voyager period Film; 1998 • Film
- Nemesis
after Voyager’s main television story
- Lower Decks
- Prodigy
- Picard
- Discovery, seasons 3–5
the 32nd century, with an epilogue later still
- Starfleet Academy
the 32nd-century setting following Discovery’s main late-era story, not necessarily after its distant epilogue
Story order: the Kelvin timeline, a separate three-film route
Watch Star Trek (2009) → Into Darkness (2013) → Beyond (2016). Their main adventures take place in an alternate 23rd century. They do not replace the events of The Original Series in the Prime timeline.
No entries match this selection.
Peppermoon’s recommendation
For a modern introduction, start with Strange New Worlds. For the classic experience, start with The Original Series or The Next Generation. Save crossover-heavy Picard and the reference-rich Lower Decks until you have some familiarity with the earlier crews.
Sources: Star Trek official viewing guide (https://www.startrek.com/gallery/how-to-watch-every-star-trek-series-and-movie-in-the-right-order); Popverse’s franchise timeline (https://www.thepopverse.com/tv-movies-star-trek-in-order-paramount-plus-movie-movies-strange-new-worlds-discovery-picard-next-generation); Section 31 setting (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Section_31).