According To Rotten Tomatoes, Star Trek TV Shows Are Better Than They Ever Have Been
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Star Trek TV shows are better than they ever were. While Rotten Tomatoes itself makes no distinction that divides new Star Trek shows from classic iterations of the franchise, it's still easy to separate Star Trek into distinct eras. Star Trek: The Original Series stands on its own as the show that started it all; lately, TOS is grouped with Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise to be defined as Star Trek's classic era. Every show following Star Trek: Discovery in 2017 comprises Star Trek on Paramount+'s modern era.
As television production evolves, so too does Star Trek. Classic Trek shows refine the formula that Star Trek: The Original Series established, with a core cast of well-defined characters led by a brave captain. Often episodic, Star Trek became more serialized once home technology made it easier for fans to catch up on missed episodes. By contrast, modern Star Trek focuses on fewer characters, with ongoing serialized stories made possible by on-demand streaming. Notably, new Trek shows have fewer episodes per season, and fewer seasons per series, as a byproduct of streaming's erratic production schedules, and expensive, cinematic scope.
Star Trek's Modern Vs. Classic Rotten Tomatoes Scores Explained
Critics Rate Modern Star Trek Shows Better Than Their Classic Counterparts
The Rotten Tomatoes Star Trek page displays critical and audience ratings for each Star Trek show. The average critical score of Star Trek shows from Star Trek: The Original Series to Star Trek: Enterprise is 81.5%, while critics give Star Trek: Discovery to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds an average of 91%. The ongoing Strange New Worlds is a franchise high, with Captain Christopher Pike's (Anson Mount) USS Enterprise prequel earning an impressive 98%. The animated Star Trek: Prodigy fares better than its spiritual prequel, Star Trek: Voyager, with Prodigy's 97% marking a 21% positive change over Voyager's 76%.
Show Title | Years | Critics' Score | Audience Score | Disparity Between Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Star Trek: The Original Series | 1966–1969 | 80% | 89% | 9% |
Star Trek: The Animated Series | 1973–1974 | 94% | 81% | 13% |
Star Trek: The Next Generation | 1987–1994 | 92% | 90% | 2% |
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | 1993–1999 | 91% | 89% | 2% |
Star Trek: Voyager | 1995–2001 | 76% | 80% | 4% |
Star Trek: Enterprise | 2001–2005 | 56% | 80% | 24% |
Star Trek: Discovery | 2017–2024 | 84% | 33% | 51% |
Star Trek: Picard | 2020–2023 | 89% | 57% | 32% |
Star Trek: Lower Decks | 2020–2024 | 91% | 73% | 18% |
Star Trek: Prodigy | 2021–Present * | 97% | 88% | 9% |
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | 2022–Present | 98% | 79% | 19% |
While Star Trek's overall scores from both audiences and critics are relatively high, Star Trek's audience scores trend in the opposite direction from critics'. Audience scores for modern Star Trek shows average out to only 66%, as opposed to the 84.8% average that audiences gave classic Star Trek shows. After Star Trek: Enterprise, Rotten Tomatoes' Star Trek audience scores fall sharply, with franchise re-starter Star Trek: Discovery earning only 33% of audience favor. A narrower disparity between scores for classic Trek indicates agreement between critics and audiences that TNG and DS9 were great, and Voyager sits in a comfortable middle.
General Opinion On Modern Star Trek Suggests Previous Eras Were Superior
Classic Trek Really Is Great, But That Doesn't Mean New Trek Is Bad
The general opinion on modern Star Trek series suggests that previous eras were superior. TOS and TNGintroduced entire generations to Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future, and humanity's place among the stars. DS9 questioned what it would take to maintain that utopia, Voyager took Starfleet to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, and Enterprise examined the challenges humanity would have to overcome to build the United Federation of Planets in the first place. Classic Trek established all the tropes that modern Trek draws on, and should rightly be celebrated for building the future we've all come to hope for.
Star Trek: Enterprise remains the critics' lowest-rated Star Trek series at 56%, but its 80% audience score suggests that even Enterprise is subject to the nostalgia effect that smooths out the criticisms levied at Star Trek shows when they first air.
However, the wider disparity between audience and critical scores for modern Star Trek suggests that audiences rating Star Trek on Rotten Tomatoes are harsher on newer iterations of Trek than they are on broadcast era favorites. History shows that nearly every Star Trek show is met with skepticism when it's first announced—even TNG was panned by early detractors—but those opinions shift over time, when audiences actually give Star Trek shows chances to be what they are. Just as TNG shouldn't be judged for not being TOS, modern Trek also needs to be judged on its own merits.
Is Star Trek Really Better Now Than It Used To Be (& Does It Actually Matter)?
New Star Trek Will Eventually Become Nostalgia, Too
Whether Star Trek is actually better now than it used to be is a matter of personal preference. New Star Trek shows suffer from erratic release schedules and top out around 50 episodes, which is barely enough time for a Star Trek series to find its footing. At the same time, modern Trek shows have higher production values and give a voice to everyone in the room. New Trek shows aren't afraid to take risks; they experiment with different genres and formats much more easily than their broadcast counterparts, with less chance of turning in a dud.
Classic Star Trek offered comfort and predictability, whereas the true strength of new Star Trek shows is their ability to evolve what it means to be Star Trek. Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Prodigy offer jumping-on points for newer fans, because these entry-level shows don't require any previous knowledge of the franchise. Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds feel like old Trek, but benefit from having ongoing character arcs. The more pertinent question may not be whether Star Trek is better now—but whether newer Star Trek shows will hold up to scrutiny over time.
