Every Star Trek Series Ranked Worst To Best

8. The Animated Series

The Animated Series is an oddity in the Star Trek franchise. It is considered both canon and not, containing elements that would crop up later in the show. It is the Animated Series after all that finally gave the audience Kirk's full name - James Tiberius Kirk. Elements of Spock's childhood were developed here and then later included in the main series. The Search for Spock and Unification both employ some of these story elements.

The series was also the first Star Trek series to win an Emmy. That the show features at the bottom of this list is not so much a comment on its own strengths but rather a sign that the shows that followed and preceded were superior in terms of both quality and quantity. Unfortunately, the Animated Series only ran for one season. It was characterised by writer D.C. Fontana as the Original Series' fourth season.

As there was such a long hiatus between the Original Series and what eventually became the Motion Picture, the Animated Series served as a way to keep interest in the show alive, providing both the actors and some of the crew with paid work in the intervening years. It also was also served by another example of Leonard Nimoy's good nature - he refused to work on the show unless both Nichelle Nichols and George Takei were rehired as well.

Only Walter Koenig's voice did not return, as Chekov was cut. He did however manage to write a script that was included, so all returned in their own way.