Every Star Trek Series, Ranked By Episode Count

For over 60 years, Star Trek has become a huge part of popular culture, spanning 13 different TV series. But which one had the most episodes? The show, created by Gene Roddenberry, presented a hopeful vision of the future when it first appeared on television in the late 1960s. However, it didn’t last long on the air initially. Strong support from fans kept the show going until it eventually returned as a movie.

This period marked a high point for Star Trek, with a show consistently airing each year from 1987 to 2005. After a ten-year break, the series returned to television with Discovery in 2017. While several new Star Trek shows have been created since then, overall interest in the franchise seems to be declining.

While the future of Star Trek beyond 2027 is unclear, the franchise has already proven itself as a major force in television. With over a dozen different shows and nearly 1,000 episodes in total, Star Trek stands out from most other franchises. Some series have run for many seasons with close to 200 episodes, while others were shorter, lasting only a few episodes. Similarly, some shows enjoyed nearly a decade on the air, while others were unfortunately cancelled after just a short time.

13. Star Trek: Short Treks (2018-2020) – 10 Episodes

As the title suggests, Star Trek: Short Treks is the shortest Star Trek series so far. Originally available on CBS All Access, Short Treks presented brief stories – lasting between 10 and 20 minutes – that explored characters and themes from the Discovery timeline. The show was cancelled after two seasons and only 10 episodes, and it doesn’t seem likely to return, especially with the future of Star Trek being unclear.

12. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (2026-Present) – 10 Episodes

While Short Treks has finished airing, the new Star Trek series, Starfleet Academy, is likely to have more than just its current number of episodes. This series is different from most Star Trek shows because it focuses on the lives of students at Starfleet Academy. The first season has 10 episodes, and a second season has already been confirmed.

11. Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974) – 22 Episodes

As a huge Star Trek fan, I remember being so excited when Star Trek: The Animated Series came out! It was the only new Trek content for a while between the end of The Original Series and the release of The Motion Picture, and it really helped keep my love for the Enterprise and its crew alive. It was made by Filmation, a studio that did a lot of cartoons, and basically continued the five-year mission. Now, whether it officially counts as part of the ‘real’ Star Trek story is debatable, but there are definitely some fantastic episodes worth checking out!

As much as I love revisiting classic cartoons, The Animated Series is one I always wish had lasted longer. It only ran for 22 episodes, total. The first season gave us 16, but the second was cut short, only delivering six. Still, even with that short run, it made history as the first Star Trek show to win an Emmy – they took home the award for Outstanding Entertainment – Children’s Series, which is pretty amazing!

10. Star Trek: Picard (2020-2023) – 30 Episodes

As a lifelong Star Trek fan, I really enjoyed Picard. It was unique for the franchise because it centered entirely around one character, Jean-Luc Picard. The show picked up with him decades after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, which was a treat for longtime viewers like myself. And like a lot of modern TV shows, each of its three seasons had ten episodes, bringing the whole series to a satisfying conclusion in 2023.

9. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-Present) – 30 Episodes

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds deliberately captures the look and feel of the original series, with its bright colors and thought-provoking stories. The show follows Captain Christopher Pike and his crew aboard the Enterprise – he was Kirk’s captain before him. After three seasons and 30 episodes, Strange New Worlds is continuing with more adventures.

If all goes well, Strange New Worlds will finish with 46 episodes, surpassing the number of episodes in the next Star Trek series by six. The show’s fourth season will have the usual 10 episodes, but the fifth and final season will be shorter, with only six episodes.

8. Star Trek: Prodigy (2021-2024) – 40 Episodes

Star Trek: Prodigy stands out in the current Star Trek lineup, partly because it has a lot of episodes. The animated show follows a group of young aliens who find the starship Protostar and begin training to become Starfleet cadets. Although it was initially canceled after one season, Netflix picked it up for a second season.

Each season of Prodigy has 20 episodes – twice as many as most shows created for streaming services. The show quickly became a fan favorite, which helped lead to a second season. While it’s unlikely to return, Prodigy’s longer seasons demonstrate that the traditional episode format can still appeal to today’s viewers.

7. Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020-2024) – 50 Episodes

Star Trek: Lower Decks quickly became a major hit in the recent history of Star Trek, lasting five seasons over five years. This animated show for adults focuses on the everyday challenges faced by junior officers serving on a less important Starfleet ship. Its consistent quality was a key reason why it resonated so well with longtime Star Trek fans.

Most current Star Trek shows probably won’t reach the number of episodes as Lower Decks, particularly with series like Strange New Worlds nearing their conclusion. While 50 episodes isn’t a huge number in television history, Lower Decks‘ consistent release of 10 new episodes annually for five years is quite an accomplishment.

6. Star Trek: Discovery (2017-2024) – 65 Episodes

Unlike Lower Decks, Star Trek: Discovery wasn’t always consistent in its approach. This series, the main show of the newer Star Trek productions, follows the adventures of the Discovery crew as they travel through the 23rd and 32nd centuries. It first aired in 2017 with 15 episodes, but each subsequent season had fewer episodes.

The show Discovery concluded after 65 episodes, but it took almost seven years to complete. While the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays, there was also a two-year break before the fifth season began. Over the course of the series, episode lengths changed with later seasons having fewer episodes – decreasing from 15 to 10 per season.

5. Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) – 79 Episodes

Courtesy of MovieStillsDB

While Star Trek: The Original Series kicked off the franchise, it wasn’t the most enduring. The adventures of Captain Kirk and the Enterprise crew became iconic, and the show remains popular even after 60 years. Interestingly, despite its huge impact, the series was canceled after just three seasons.

I’m a huge Star Trek fan, and even though it was cancelled pretty quickly, the original series still managed 79 episodes! Each season usually had over 20 episodes, and the first season was a bit longer with 29. Interestingly, there’s actually an 80th episode – the original pilot called “The Cage.” It wasn’t shown on TV for years, but now it’s included with the rest of the series, so we get to enjoy that too!

4. Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005) – 98 Episodes

The last of the original Star Trek series, Enterprise, was unfortunately canceled right when it was hitting its stride. A prequel set a century before the original Star Trek (TOS), the show followed Captain Archer and his crew aboard the NX-01 as they ventured into uncharted space. Though it only lasted four seasons in the early 2000s, Enterprise nearly reached 100 episodes.

If Enterprise had lasted the typical seven seasons, it would have had a similar number of episodes as the more popular shows on this list. However, 98 episodes is still a significant achievement, particularly now that most TV seasons are much shorter.

2026-03-21 18:50