What Star Trek series should new fans start with; the best or the first?

When you're a new fan of any major franchise, it's hard to know where to start. Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and all things DC Comics. There are a lot of franchises that have a lot of major stories to tell and they're not all in one place. This isn't like Supernatural which has one show and one spinoff (that only went on one season). It's easy to know where to start when you only have one real series or film in your franchise.

Star Trek is not that franchise. With 13 films, and soon-to-be 12 shows (13 counting Short Treks, which I don't), it's hard to know where to start if you're a new fan. Do you start at the beginning of the timeline? Well, that's Enterprise, which came out in 2001 and featured Scott Bakula as the first captain of a warp-capable ship; Jonathan Archer.

Do you start with the best? Depending on who you ask, that's the William Shatner-led Star Trek series from 1966, the first sequel series with The Next Generation in 1987, or the follow-up show, Deep Space Nine, in 1995. Maybe you want a bit more obscurity, with a series like Voyager, led by Kate Mulgrew, which took the series in a whole new direction. Literally. it was the first show in the series to have a female lead and set the events of the franchise in a brand new part of the Galaxy.

Maybe you want to start with the film franchise? We wouldn't recommend it, but you could start with Star Trek 2009, which is set in an entirely new universe. In that film, you're following around a brand new version of James Kirk, this time played by Chris Pine, instead of Shatner. It starts that series timeline and is as good of a place as any.

That said, we have some suggestions.

If you want to start at the beginning of the series, start with Enterprise. You'll be able to engage with the franchise without the expectation of decades of lore to endure. If you want one that's off the beaten path and a bit different, but still accessible for viewers; Voyaer is the way to go. It takes place during the Next Generation era of films and Deep Space Nine's television run. Yet, it's set on the other side of the galaxy, allowing fans to learn what's going on alongside the crew.

For fans who want more than your traditional Star Trek, the 2009 film works well. It's action-packed, and intense and allows fans with no prior knowledge of the franchise to settle in for an exciting ride. If you want something similar but with more heart and longer stories; we suggest Strange New Worlds.

Strange New Worlds is set between Discovery and The Original Series and features Christopher Pike, played by Anson Mount. It's a fun affair, and while it's not as consistent as other shows (nor does it have the back catalog of episodes), it's the best new Star Trek show by a mile.