Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is the newest Star Trek on Paramount+ series, and here is where its series premiere ranks among the other first Star Trek episodes made for streaming. Since Star Trek: Discovery, Alex Kurtzman and Secret Hideout have executive produced all the new Star Trek content on Paramount+.
Star Trek on Paramount+ diversified what a Star Trek TV series could be. Breaking the strict hour-long format of Gene Roddenberry and Rick Berman’s eras, Star Trek under Alex Kurtzman proved Star Trek could work in hardcore serialization, as short films, in animation, and as a comedy, while continuing to excel in its traditional episodic structure.
Many lessons were also learned in Star Trek on Paramount+’s modern era. Earlier series like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard were intent on rewriting the book of Star Trek, to the chagrin of longtime Trekkers. As more and more Star Trek series were produced (and eventually canceled), later series leaned more into the style of classic Star Trek.
Every Star Trek on Paramount+ premiere episode attempted to balance introducing new characters and concepts while retaining the je ne sais quois that makes it identifiable as Star Trek, with varying degrees of success.
Here are Star Trek: on Paramount+’s premieres, ranked worst to best.
8
Star Trek: Section 31
Star Trek: Section 31 was originally planned to be an ongoing TV series starring Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and Yeoh’s Best Actress Academy Award win altered the trajectory of Section 31. The pilot episode was refashioned into Star Trek‘s first movie made for streaming on Paramount+.
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Craig Sweeny, Star Trek: Section 31 betrays its roots as an adventure intended to launch a TV show. Section 31 is a serviceable sci-fi action adventure, but it doesn’t work as an espionage yarn, nor is Section 31 properly explored. Section 31′s Star Trek connections are minimal, and the slapdash 90-minute end result pleased neither critics nor Trekkies.
7
Star Trek: Short Treks – “Runaway”
Star Trek: Short Treks were initially launched to bridge the gap between Star Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2. Over three seasons, including the non-canonical Star Trek: very Short Treks, the series produced 14 shorts between 5 and 15 minutes that spanned live-action and animation.
“Runaway,” Star Trek: Short Treks‘ premiere, was written by Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman, and directed by Maja Vrvilo. Ensign Sylvia Tilly’s (Mary Wiseman) comedic encounter with a stowaway aboard the USS Discovery set up a key part of Star Trek: Discovery season 2. “Runaway” is a brief, entertaining romp, but also easily glossed over.
6
Star Trek: Discovery – “The Vulcan Hello”
Directed by David Smell from a teleplay by Bryan Fuller and Akiva Goldsman, Star Trek: Discovery‘s premiere is the first part of a two-part story that introduces Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), who made a tragic error of judgment that sparked a war with the Klingons and left her infamous as Starfleet’s first mutineer.
Star Trek: Discovery’s premiere story concluded with the second episode, “Battle at the Binary Stars,” and the USS Discovery itself isn’t introduced until the third episode.
Star Trek: Discovery‘s premiere boldly rewrites the visual and storytelling language to fit the streaming and prestige TV era, with mixed results. Despite powerful acting by Sonequa Martin-Green and Michelle Yeoh, Discovery’s cinematic style and inexplicable canon diversions, like redesigning the Klingons, were a tough pill to swallow and continue to vex Star Trek fans.
5
Star Trek: Picard – “Remembrance”
Directed by Hanelle M. Culpepper and written by Akiva Goldsman and James Duff, Star Trek: Picard picks up a sullen Admiral Jean-Luc Picard’s (Patrick Stewart) story decades after Star Trek: The Next Generation. While bursting with TNG callbacks and Easter eggs, “Remembrance” introduces new characters like Dahj (Isa Briones), an android hunted by Romulans.
Star Trek: Picard season 1’s showrunner was acclaimed writer Michael Chabon.
Star Trek: Picard‘s series premiere is better than the overall reputation that seasons 1 and 2 suggest. “Remembrance” paints a somber picture of Picard’s life and the state of the United Federation of Planets at the dawn of the 25th century. Stewart sinks his teeth into the new material, and is matched by solid performances by Isa Briones and Alison Pill as Dr. Agnes Jurati, as well as a cameo by Brent Spiner as Data.
4
Star Trek: Prodigy – “Lost & Found”
Star Trek: Prodigy was a bold experiment to present Star Trek and its values to a younger audience. Written by Kevin and Dan Hageman and directed by Ben Hibon, Star Trek: Prodigy‘s premiere introduces a ragtag group of alien teens who steal a Starfleet ship, the USS Protostar. The appearance of Hologram Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) brings the Star Trek to Prodigy.
“Lost and Found” is a thrilling pilot that, by design, feels more like Star Wars than Star Trek. As Star Trek: Prodigy continued, more and more Star Trek concepts, characters, and ideals are introduced until the USS Protostar’s young crew become true believers. Star Trek: Prodigy‘s premiere is an engaging and joyful start with richly characterized teenage rebellion mixed with sci-fi action, but the best for the Protostar was still to come.
Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ series premiere is a shock to the system in the best way. Written by series creator Mike McMahan and directed by Barry J. Kelly, “Second Contact” is a rapid-fire and breathtakingly funny immersion into life aboard the USS Cerritos from the junior officers’ point of view, and introduces the distinctive and lovable Ensigns led by Tawny Newsome as Mariner and Jack Quaid as Boimler.
With “Second Contact,” Star Trek: Lower Decks immediately returns viewers to the vibes and aesthetic of Star Trek: The Next Generation, embracing everything fun and weird about life on a late 24th century starship. Star Trek: Lower Decks cracks jokes at breakneck speed and basks in the Cerrtos’ crew’s overwhelming love of Star Trek that continues throughout Lower Decks’ 5-season run.
2
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – “Strange New Worlds”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was the return to classic form Star Trek on Paramount+ needed, and the self-titled series premiere, “Strange New Worlds,” kicks it off in grand style. Written and directed by Akiva Goldsman, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ launch is a bright, colorful reset of the USS Enterprise under Captain Christoper Pike (Anson Mount).
As Captain Pike rescues his Number One (Rebecca Romijn) from Kiley 279, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds‘ premiere tackles a traditional moral dilemma about a planet on the brink of annihilation. Blending youthful Star Trek icons like Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) with winning new faces like Lt. La’an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong), “Strange New Worlds” successfully transported the feel of 1960s Star Trek to the 21st century.
1
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy – “Kids These Days”
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s series premiere distills all the good things about Star Trek on Paramount+’s era, and knowingly avoids its pitfalls as well. Directed by Alex Kurtzman and written by series creator Gaia Violo, “Kids These Days” introduces Captain Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) and the vividly realized new Starfleet Academy, populated by a stellar young cast.
A near-flawless and crowd-pleasing blend of cinematic action and charming character beats, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s series premiere leans into the very best of Star Trek as the cadets combine their talents to save the USS Athena from the villainous Nus Braka (Paul Giamatti). Starfleet Academy’s San Francisco homecoming is a heartwarming reclaiming of Star Trek‘s pure essence, steeped in hope for the future.
- Release Date
-
January 15, 2026
- Network
-
Paramount+
- Showrunner
-
Alex Kurtzman, Noga Landau
- Directors
-
Alex Kurtzman
- Writers
-
Gaia Violo, Gene Roddenberry
