The Star Trek franchise can seem overwhelming to the uninitiated, but there are three great shows that are perfect starting points for those who want to dive in. Most Star Trek shows can be enjoyed in isolation, but some require more knowledge than others before they can be fully enjoyed. While it should be noted that Star Trek: The Original Series is probably where most established fans would tell you to start, the sheer age of the show can be off-putting to those just dipping their toes into the space opera for the first time.
Instead, it's best to start with a Star Trek show that's immediately accessible...and wasn't cancelled after three seasons. The three potential starting points on this list are all well-suited to aspiring Trekkies for various reasons.
If you enjoy the one you choose to watch, then you'll be more likely to seek out other shows and movies and improve your knowledge from there. You might even feel the calling for an Original Series marathon. Eventually.
1. Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005)
Enterprise was the first Star Trek show not to be set after its predecessor. Premiering shortly after Star Trek: Voyager aired its finale, Enterprise took over as the sole Star Trek series on the air, which hadn't happened for a long while. It also made the bold move of being written as a prequel to the entire Star Trek franchise. When Enterprise was made, The Original Series' 23rd-century setting was the earliest point in the franchise's timeline.
Enterprise is set in the 22nd century, and even today, nothing has been slotted in before it other than the occasional time travel adventure in other shows and movies. Therefore, zero Star Trek knowledge is required prior to hitting play. Even at the time, it felt like a way to welcome in a new generation of fans, almost like a soft reset for the franchise — without a canonical reset.
Although Enterprise was divisive while it was in production, attitudes have softened in the 20 years since it ended. It's an underrated show, only four seasons long, and the last project of the classic era.
2. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-2027)
Similar to Enterprise, Strange New Worlds is also a prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series — but only just. The show chronicles the years that immediately precede Captain James T. Kirk being given command of the USS Enterprise. An all-new cast places different actors into iconic roles, but the show also introduces new characters who never appeared in The Original Series. While that sounds like a breeding ground for rampant plot holes — of which there are, admittedly, a few — finding out what happened to said characters by the time of TOS is one of the coolest elements of Strange New Worlds.
It's important not to be put off by the fact that Strange New Worlds is technically a spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery. Not only is pretty much every Star Trek show a spinoff in some way, but Strange New Worlds' connection to Discovery is intentionally tangential at best.
Although the Strange New Worlds cast does play a major role in Discovery season 2, the former is written to make complete sense without seeing the latter. Think of it as The Original Series for the modern age, only it's renewed through to its fifth and final season, which is expected to air in 2027. There are currently three seasons on Paramount+, with season 4 coming in 2026.
3. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994)
The Next Generation is the biggest undertaking on this list, but if you're super serious about getting into Star Trek, this is a brilliant place to start. With 178 episodes spread over seven seasons, The Next Generation is a worthwhile project that will introduce you to the lore in a way that many other Star Trek shows might struggle to. With arguably the best ensemble cast in the entire franchise, there's a reason why The Next Generation is so beloved among Trekkies. The show also opens doors into other projects far more naturally than others.
Not only did the TNG cast reunite to make four movies after the 1994 series finale, but Patrick Stewart reprised his role as Jean-Luc Picard in three seasons of Star Trek: Picard. Premiering in 2020, Picard is the perfect legacy sequel for those who can't get enough of the TNG era, and the final season reunites the original cast one more time for a high-octane adventure that'll instill nostalgia in even the greenest of franchise fans. But, by that point, you'd have watched so much Star Trek that you could hardly be called a newbie anymore.
Every Star Trek show and movie mentioned here is streaming now on Paramount+.