How Many Star Trek Series Are There?

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The television series Star Trek has been going for over fifty years, and shows no signs of slowing down.

During those five plus decades, it has been on screen for a lot of that time, and there were often movies when it wasn’t on the air. There have been 12 Star Trek series, and more are on the way! (As of 2022)

Over all this time, it hasn’t been just one single series, rather lots of different series set within the same universe.

But how many Star Trek series are there in total? Well, we’ve got the answers.

In our handy guide below, you’ll find out about each and every series of Star Trek that there has been.

Along with that, we have information about each of them.

How Many Star Trek Series Are There?

To answer the big question outright, the answer is that there are 12 different series of Star Trek, though more are always on the way.

List of All Star Trek TV Series:

• Star Trek: The Original Series – 1966-1969
• Star Trek: The Animated Series – 1973-1974
• The Next Generation – 1987-1994
• Deep Space Nine – 1993-1999
• Voyager – 1995-2001
• Enterprise – 2001-2005
• Discovery – 2017-Onwards
• Short Treks – 2018-2020
• Picard – 2020-Onwards
• Lower Decks – 2020-Onwards
• Prodigy – 2021-Onwards
• Strange New Worlds – 2022-Onwards

Below, we’ll get into each of them and what makes them different.

The Original Series – 1966-1969

This is the series that began it all, and is one of the most famous and beloved Star Trek series there are.

Of course, when it aired, it was just called Star Trek.

However, as time went on and more shows were created, it had to be retroactively referred to as The Original Series.

It ran for almost three years and had three seasons, where it was mostly popular with science fiction lovers and, interestingly, engineering students.

Clearly, the show and its use of science appealed to many people who were smart on that subject.

However, it wasn’t until later on, after it had been canceled and instead rerun on television a lot, that it would find an even wider fanbase.

The show was about the crew of a spaceship called the USS Enterprise and their adventures through space.

The key crew members were Captain James T. Kirk, his science officer Spock, and their doctor Bones.

On top of that, other key crew members were Sulu, Uhura, and Scotty.

The Animated Series – 1973-1974

This animated version of the The Original Series featured much of the same cast for its voices.

The animation allowed the show to go to more expansive worlds that couldn’t be visualized on the live action budgets of before.

However, some don’t count this series to be canon.

The Next Generation – 1987-1994

This is the series that proved Star Trek could and would be something more than its original show, and there were countless other stories to tell.

This particular story is set a century after the original show, and involves a new crew on a new starship.

Well-regarded English actor Patrick Stewart played the new captain, Jean-Luc Picard, while his commander William Riker was played by Jonathan Frakes.

Other key crew members include the android Data, a Klingon named Worf, and half-human, half-Betazoid counselor named Deanna Troi.

Deep Space Nine – 1993-1999

Set shortly after The Next Generation, this story within the Star Trek universe especially stands out because it is set on a space station, instead of a starship like they had been previously.

It also was the first of the series to use long, serialized stories.

The crew is headed by Benjamin Sisko, while other key members included their security chief Odo and chief medical officer Julian Bashir.

Voyager – 1995-2001

This Star Trek series is notable for being the first to have a woman as the commanding officer heading up the show’s crew.

It took place around the same time as Deep Space Nine and follows the starship USS Voyager as it tries to get home.

The crew is headed up by Captain Janeway, while also involving a First officer named Chakotay and a Chief Engineer named B’Elanna Torres.

Enterprise – 2001-2005

This series took place before the time period of The Original Series, acting as a prequel to that show.

It mixed its episodes up between single standalone adventures and season-long arcs, offering a wealth of storytelling.

The crew of the Enterprise ship is led by Captain Archer, while other key members of the crew included a Chief Engineer named Trip Tucker.

Discovery – 2017-Onwards

This is also a prequel to the original show, and is the first Star Trek show in 12 years. It involves a ship called the USS Discovery.

When the show started, fans could say hello to Jason Isaacs as the ship’s commander, Captain Lorca.

However, this changed as the seasons went on.

In season 2, the commander was Captain Pike, while season 3 saw Captain Saru take over.

Through this all, though, the main character of the show is the science specialist Michael Burnham.

Short Treks – 2018-2020

This spin-off was a series of small short films expanding the universe of Discovery.

Picard – 2020-Onwards

This show resurrects the Jean-Luc Picard character from The Next Generation, sending him on a redemptive adventure.

While seasons 1 and 2 brought back some other cast members from The Next Generation, season 3 brought back almost the entire crew.

Lower Decks – 2020-Onwards

This is an animated adult show set in the Star Trek universe, the first to be an outright comedy. ( My Personal favorite!)

Prodigy – 2021-Onwards

This is a Star Trek show for children, featuring a gang of teenagers who find themselves on a disused starship.

Strange New Worlds – 2022-Onwards

This takes some of the cast from Discovery and sends them on a prequel adventure, depicting the early voyages of the USS Enterprise.

That select crew includes young versions of Pike and Spock, allowing us to learn more about their history.

Final Thoughts

There have been 12 Star Trek series, and more are on the way! It’s interesting to note that between 1966 and 2005, there were six Star Trek shows, spanning almost 40 years. However, since 2017 there have been just as many Star Trek series in just 5 years!