(Photo by Paramount+/CBS)
Updated: September 8, 2023
The Star Trek universe kicked off in 1966 with the original series, created by science fiction visionary Gene Roddenberry, and later exploded into a massive film and TV juggernaut.
While the original series, which starred William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, saw only three seasons, it made an indelible impression on the sci-fi genre. Live-action TV follow-up Star Trek: The Next Generation, with Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard leading an ensemble cast, captivated viewers from 1987–1994 and inspired three more series that would air within the next decade: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise.
Starting with 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Paramount Pictures has been regularly cranking out Trek films with the original series and Next Generation casts, as well as a rebooted version in 2009 with Chris Pine as Starfleet Academy cadet James Kirk and Zachary Quinto as young Spock. (See the Star Trek films ranked here.)
In 2017, Trek returned to small screens with season 1 of CBS All Access streaming title Star Trek: Discovery, set during a tumultuous wartime era about a decade before the original and starring Sonequa Martin-Green. The new series marked a TV franchise reboot by Alex Kurtzman, writer on the 2009 Star Trek film and its sequel Star Trek Into Darkness.
RELATED: All Star Trek Movies Ranked by Tomatometer
The year 2020 gave fans a celebration of one of its most iconic characters with the premiere of Star Trek: Picard and Stewart reprising his role in the new streaming series that launched its second season in 2022. New live-action series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was also released in 2022, and its first season was quickly Certified Fresh with a 100% Tomatometer score (it has since dropped to 99% on one review). The show’s second season, released in 2023, was nearly as well received and is Certified Fresh at 97% on the Tomatometer.
The TV franchise has since introduced two animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, about the misfit support crew on one of Starfleet’s least-important ships, and kid-friendly Star Trek: Prodigy, which tells the story of a diverse group of teens who inadvertently become the crew of a prize starship and learn important lessons in their subsequent adventures. The latter series — No. 3 on our list below — has since been canceled by Paramount+, but a petition to save the show has gathered over 33,000 signatures.
Have a look below to find out which series score highest with critics in our Trek TV by Tomatometer list.
Disagree with the results? Tell us in the comments which series you think should have been ranked higher (or lower).
94%
70%
94%
79%
97%
87%
93%
72%
92%
90%
91%
89%
89%
57%
84%
34%
77%
80%
56%
80%
The summer heat is reaching new heights this month, the coronavirus pandemic continues affecting film and television production around the country, and the selection of returning series to binge is admittedly slim. So we are bringing you something a little different with this month’s guide by including an upcoming streaming film and the star’s previous TV projects you’ll want to catch up on. Find our recommendations below for six series to binge in August.
What it is: This post-apocalyptic Danish thriller from creators Jannik Tai Mosholt, Esben Toft Jacobsen, and Christian Potalivo takes place six years after the modern world has succumbed to a fatal virus that’s transmitted through toxic, infected rain. Siblings Simone and Rasmus survived against all odds while holed up in a bunker, and they reenter the world in search of their scientist father to find the rain has killed nearly all signs of human life in their native Scandinavia. They’re soon joined by another young group of survivors who face the world’s devastation and dangers together.
Why you should watch it: This slow-burning, character-driven drama has enough sci-fi elements and reality-based thrills to keep any fan of the admittedly well-worn dystopian genre entertained for a quick binge. Season 3 premieres August 6 on Netflix.
Where to watch: Netflix
Commitment: Approx. 10.5 hours (for the first two seasons)
What it is: As the Star Trek universe adds a new series with this month’s Star Trek: Lower Decks, we’re recommending you revisit The Next Generation for a summer binge. TNG sets the stage for this animated comedy series’ fantastical world, which follows four “heroes” from the support crew on Starfleet’s U.S.S. Cerritos, the fleet’s least important ship. The series also borrows its name from TNG episode, “Lower Decks.” If you want more Star Trek options, check out our list of “Star Trek TV Shows Ranked by Tomatometer” to find one that’s right for you.
Why you should watch it: While the new series should be accessible to Trekkies, experts, and newbies alike, a binge of TNG will give you the info you need to ID the Lower Decks’ Easter eggs, share in the Trek humor, and more. Season 1 premieres August 6 on CBS All Access.
Where to watch: Amazon, CBS All Access, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 132 hours (for all seven seasons)
What it is: This one is for all the Seth Rogen lovers out there. Today, he is a bankable star thanks to timeless teen and stoner comedy classics like Knocked Up, Superbad, and Pineapple Express — and his latest, An American Pickle, is quite literally timeless due to its time-jumping immigrant premise. But some may forget that he pretty much grew up on our screens at the top of the millennium with Judd Apatow’s short-lived but beloved network comedies, Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared.
Why you should watch it: Anyone who’s ever felt like an adrift outsider will likely see themselves in any number of the messy-but-lovable characters across these two series. If you’re looking for a classic binge that’ll remind you just why Rogen is a huge star today, this is a great place to start before An American Pickle premieres on HBO Max on August 6.
Where to watch it: A little twist with these titles: They’re only available to purchase on DVD, so you’re going to have to really commit. Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared are available to order from Amazon.com. (Step 1: Do you even have a DVD player?)
Commitment: Approx. 13 hours for Freaks and Geeks and approx. 6.5 hours for Undeclared.
What it is: As a prequel series to the long-running Inspector Morse, this Russell Lewis–created, Shaun Evans–starring series follows our hero Endeavour Morse through his early career as a detective constable through to his promotion as a detective sergeant with the Oxford City Police.
Why you should watch it: This lush period drama depicting 1960s-era Oxford and the surrounding area is grounded first and foremost from a charismatic Evans, but its twists and turns also help make the series endlessly watchable for lovers of the PBS Masterpiece cloth. Season 7 premieres August 9 on PBS.
Where to watch it: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Microsoft, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 40 hours (for the first six seasons)
What it is: Most people escape their locale to vacation where it’s warm, but where do you vacation when your home is in Hell? Los Angeles, apparently. That’s where our titular antihero Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) sets his sights, at least, after resigning his post as ruler of the underworld to spice up his life. Once in L.A., he opens up a nightclub and stumbles into becoming a civilian consultant for the LAPD.
Why you should watch it: Based on the DC Comics character created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, and Mike Dringenberg, Lucifer Morningstar is a protagonist like we haven’t seen before. Ruler of Hell, sure, but also charismatic as hell (charming, witty, and handsome), proving himself to be the perfect right-hand man for homicide detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German). (Over the span of the series, their beguiling relationship is one of the reasons to stick around, too.) Lucifer was cancelled by Fox in 2018, but revived by Netflix, which will premiere its fifth season on August 21.
Where to watch: Amazon, FandangoNOW, Google Play, Hulu, Microsoft, Netflix, Vudu
Commitment: Approx. 47 hours (for the first four seasons)
