Every Star Trek Series Ranked Worst To Best

6. The Original Series

Star Trek The Original Series Plato
NBC

Groundbreaking. Pioneering. Era and genre defining. Star Trek beamed onto screens in 1966, offering two pilots, two captains. three seasons and one iconic Vulcan first officer. It is the only entry not to have a terrible first season, as Balance of Terror, The City on the Edge of Forever and Space Seed all fall in that first batch of episodes. It is another entry that lies lower in the ranking because it was the catalyst to some truly fantastic television to follow.

While there simply isn't enough time to properly discuss the impact that this series has had on science fiction in general, suffice it to say that many of the developments in technology can attribute their genesis to this show. While many of the cast have sadly passed away in the intervening years, their legacy can be felt to this day. James Doohan will be remembered forever whenever someone cries 'Beam me up, Scotty!'.

Deforest Kelley is the quintessential doctor, who is a doctor and nothing else, dammit. Spock is logic incarnate, played to perfection by Leonard Nimoy - the only actor to reprise his role in the Kelvin universe films. Perhaps even more widely remembered than Spock is Captain Kirk, played by the still very much alive William Shatner. Generations of fans have grown to love his dramatic delivery, his quiet command and his gung-ho attitude.

This was television at its best when the world was still learning what that meant.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"