JuicyTalk
Across 60 years and 13 TV series, Star Trek is a pop culture titan, but which show ran for the most episodes? Gene Roddenberry’s utopian future splashed across TV screens in the late 1960s, but was off the air as quickly. A groundswell of fan support kept Star Trek alive until it finally returned on the big screen.
This eventually ushered in a golden age for the franchise, and there was at least one Star Trek show on the air every year between 1987 and 2005. After a decade away, the Star Trek TV legacy continued with Discovery in 2017. Since then, many new shows have sprung up, but interest in the final frontier is waning.
Star Trek‘s future is uncertain after 2027, but the franchise’s TV dominance is already established. There are nearly 1,000 episodes across more than a dozen shows, a feat that few franchises can boast. Some Star Trek series have nearly 200 episodes, while others only feature a handful. Likewise, some shows ran for almost a decade, while some were cut short.
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Star Trek: Short Treks (2018-2020) – 10 Episodes
As its name implies, Star Trek: Short Treks is the shortest series thus far. Originally released on CBS All Access, Short Treks features small (10 to 20 minute) stories with characters and ideas from the Discovery era. It was canned after two seasons and 10 episodes, and it’s unlikely that the concept will return with Star Trek‘s future so uncertain.
A non-canon spinoff was produced called Star Trek: very Short Treks, which ran for five episodes in 2023.
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Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (2026-Present) – 10 Episodes
Unlike Short Treks, which is definitely over, the latest Star Trek series probably isn’t going to stay at its current episode count forever. Starfleet Academy chronicles the trials and tribulations of cadets at the titular institution, a major departure from the typical Star Trek formula. Season one is only 10 episodes long, but a sophomore outing has been ordered.
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Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973-1974) – 22 Episodes
Star Trek: The Animated Series was the only thing between The Original Series and The Motion Picture to tide fans over who wanted more Star Trek. The cartoon series was produced by prolific animation studio, Filmation, and continued the voyages of the Enterprise during its five-year mission. It’s place in the canon is dubious, but there are some great episodes.
Unlike a lot of cartoons from the time, TAS only saw a 22-episode run. Its first season consisted of 16 installments, and it received a truncated season two, which only ran for six total episodes. Despite its brevity, it was the first Star Trek series to snag an Emmy, winning for Outstanding Entertainment — Children’s Series.
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Star Trek: Picard (2020-2023) – 30 Episodes
Despite being Star Trek‘s only show (thus far) focused on one character, Picard had an impressive run. It catches up with its namesake several decades after his last appearance in Star Trek: Nemesis. Reflecting the changing length standards in modern TV, all three seasons of Picard featured 10 episodes, resulting in a nice round number when it ended in 2023.
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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022-Present) – 30 Episodes
Leaning heavily on nostalgia, Star Trek: Strange New World evokes the vibrant colors and moral dilemmas of the classic original series. It’s set aboard the Enterprise under the command of Christopher Pike, Kirk’s predecessor in the captain’s chair. So far, SNW has enjoyed a 30-episode run across three seasons, but the show isn’t over yet.
Assuming everything goes according to plan, Strange New Worlds will actually end its run with a total of 46 episodes, leapfrogging the next series on the list by six installments. The upcoming fourth season will have the standard 10-episode run, while the fifth and final outing will only have six episodes in total.
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Star Trek: Prodigy (2021-2024) – 40 Episodes
Star Trek: Prodigy is a unique installment in the modern Trek franchise for several reasons, not the least of which is its impressive episode count. The animated series concerns a group of young aliens who discover the starship Protostar, and learn how to be Starfleet cadets. It was canceled after only one season, but rescued by Netflix for season 2.
Each season of Prodigy features 20 episodes in total, doubling what most other streaming-exclusive series can muster. The show gained cult classic status almost immediately, which is partly why it was saved for a sophomore season. Though it’s likely gone for good, Prodigy‘s lengthy seasons prove that the old format can still be successful with modern fans.
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Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020-2024) – 50 Episodes
Star Trek: Lower Decks was one of the biggest successes of the modern Trek era, and it ran for five seasons across as many years. The adult animated series follows lowly officers aboard a second-class ship, as they deal with the struggles of being in Starfleet. The love letter to trekkies succeeded due in large part to its consistency.
It’s highly unlikely that any modern Star Trek show will pass Lower Deck‘s episode count, especially with shows like Strange New Worlds due to end soon. 50 episodes isn’t a monumental achievement when compared to TV’s past, but it’s impressive that Lower Decks dropped 10 new episodes every year for half a decade.
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Star Trek: Discovery (2017-2024) – 65 Episodes
As a counterpoint to Lower Decks, Star Trek: Discovery was not a model of consistency. NuTrek’s flagship series concerns the crew of the Discovery as they explore in the 23rd and 32nd centuries. The show debuted in 2017 with a 15-episode first season, but episode counts dropped each time the show returned.
Discovery ended its run with 65 episodes, but it took nearly seven years to get there. The COVID-19 pandemic is partly to blame, but there was also a two-year gap before season five. Shifting trends in TV can be observed across Discovery‘s run, as each season was whittled down from 15 episodes to 10 episodes in the last year.
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Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) – 79 Episodes
Though Star Trek: The Original Series started it all, it isn’t the longest-running series by a long shot. The classic adventures of Captain Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise crew are the stuff of pop culture legend, and the 60-year-old series still shines. Notoriously, the highly influential series was canceled after only three seasons on the air.
Despite its early demise, Star Trek ran for 79 episodes in total. Each season featured over 20 episodes, with the first running 29 episodes. Technically, there are 80 episodes, if one is to count the unaired pilot, “The Cage”, that didn’t debut until decades after the show ended. “The Cage” is now featured as part of the show’s episode lineup.
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Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005) – 98 Episodes
The final series during Star Trek‘s golden era, Enterprise was canceled just as it started to finally get good. Set 100 years before TOS, the show follows Captain Archer and the crew of the NX-01, as they pioneer deep space exploration. Enterprise only ran for four seasons in the early Aughts, but almost crossed the 100-episode mark.
Had the show been given the customary seven-season run, Enterprise would have ended with an episode count comparable to the shows that rank higher on this list. Still, 98 episodes is nothing to scoff at, especially considering how short modern TV seasons have become.
