TV Series: Binge Watch Star Trek and Beyond! | Star Trek Celebrates 60 Years

Happy 60th Anniversary, Star Trek! 🖖

Binge-watching is bad for your brain. Some people say binge-watching is unhealthy. That might be true, and I suppose if you’re a youngster, you might do some extra research to be sure that you’re not damaging your brain. (How binge-watching is hazardous to your health.)

Oh, pish posh!  I'd rather enjoy new worlds where no one has ever gone before.  Besides, I am already beyond the half-century mark (50+). Video streaming is a new form of entertainment that wasn’t around when I was growing up. So I am going to take advantage of video streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Viki, etc. 

In particular, I plan to enjoy all of those old TV shows that I remember watching on television when I was younger and also TV series that I never got a chance to watch when they were being aired.  Binge-watching is necessary because there are so many seasons/episodes. If I view one a week or one episode a day, it might take 100 years! LOL. Sometimes I also enjoy binge-watching movies in certain genres, like sci-fi. 

Star Trek and Beyond!

(NOTE: Do not confuse the subheading above with the 2016 movie "Star Trek Beyond"). I simply meant to say I started with the original 1960s series and then went beyond to all of the spinoffs.)

These are the TV series that I decided to binge-watch: “Star Trek” and all of the other “Star Trek spinoffs”. Why? Because Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock made quite an impression on me as a child. The program had a talented and diverse cast. People from various backgrounds and ethnicities were represented “equally,” and back in the 60s in America, that was considered groundbreaking. I never watched the Star Trek spinoffs like “The Next Generation”, “Deep Space Nine”, etc. when they were on TV. But we have a Netflix subscription, and it has all of the Star Trek episodes, except for “Star Trek: Discovery”. Here is a recap of what I have binge-watched thus far. No spoilers, just a few “hints”.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966 – 1969)

In 1966, I was 11 years old. Rewatching this series was a wonderful trip down memory lane. Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Lieutenant Uhura, and all of the others I remembered so vividly. I honestly can’t say that I have a favorite episode. But I can say that I was disappointed with the last episode. That TV series should not have ended like that.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1994)

This series was an excellent follow-up to the original series. My two favorite characters were Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Data. The Starfleet crew was even more diverse. They had a Klingon on board who was in charge of security. If you watched the original series, you will recall that the Klingons were The Enemy. This series introduced Another Enemy far worse than the Klingons. The Borg. If they don’t scare you, it’s because you’ve already been “assimilated”. (Hint.) Like the original series, I don’t have a favorite episode in this series either.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999)

The crew/cast is “even more diverse”. In addition to humans, there are Klingons, Ferengis, Cardassians, Bajorans, and a species who were even scarier than the Borg. They were called the Dominion. My two favorite characters were Commander Benjamin Sisko and Odo, the Changeling. Incorporating the character Vic Fontaine, played by James Darren, in the holodeck was a very creative piece of scriptwriting. My favorite episode in this series is “Badda-Bing Badda-Bang”. Commander Sisko is very talented. (Hint.)

Star Trek: Voyager (1995 – 2001)

A starship lost in space trying to get back home. My favorite characters are not the stars of this show. They are a part of the supporting cast. I love Mr. Neelix and Seven of Nine. In my opinion, this series is not as interesting and engaging as the other series. But it is imperative that I watch it to The End. I have to know how they get home. What a hook!

I could ramble on and on, but I'll close off this post with a quick list: Star Trek TV Series and Films After the Original 1960s Series, so you can pick and choose what you want to binge-watch.

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All Star Trek Series

• Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)
• Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)
• Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005)
• Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024)
• Star Trek: Short Treks (2018–2020)
• Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020–2025)
• Star Trek: Prodigy (2021–2024)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022–ongoing)
• Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (2026–ongoing)

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All Star Trek Movies (1979–2016)

The Original Series Cast Films (TOS)

• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

The Next Generation Cast Films (TNG)

• Star Trek: Generations (1994)
• Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
• Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

The Kelvin Timeline (Reboot) Films

• Star Trek (2009)
• Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
• Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Today in 1966: #StarTrek (TOS) debuted in the U.S. The original starship Enterprise studio model used in the TV show is in our collection: https://t.co/Y6LNJ1sDxC #StarTrekDay #AirSpacePhoto pic.twitter.com/Lki0fhfkMz

— National Air and Space Museum (@airandspace) September 8, 2020

been boldly going for 55 years 💛
— happy #StarTrekDay ! 💫 pic.twitter.com/eg2OkLpx8s

— daily tos & snw (@year2200s) September 8, 2021