Created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek began with the series of the same name, got off to a rocky start, but became one of the most recognizable media franchises of all time.
Roddenberry, a former pilot and television writer, conceived the series in the early 1960s as a "Wagon Train to the Stars," a spacefaring adventure series that would also serve as a platform for social commentary.
Star Trek: The Original Series premiered on September 8, 1966 on NBC. Despite modest ratings and cancellation after three seasons, ending in 1969, Star Trek earned a cult following in syndication, laying the foundation for a vast multimedia franchise.
Roddenberry's vision was rooted in optimism about the future of humanity, depicting a 23rd-century United Federation of Planets where diverse species and cultures cooperated in exploration and diplomacy.
The backbone of the Star Trek franchise has been its television output, spanning nearly six decades.
The Original Series ran from 1966 through 1969, and introduced Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, producing 79 episodes. The Animated Series continued the adventures from 1973 through 1974. Set a century after The Original Series. The Next Generation ran from 1987 through 1994, introducing Picard, Data, and Worf. Airing from 1993 through 1999, Deep Space Nine was station-based, serialized storytelling. In Voyager (1995-2001), the Starship was stranded in the Delta Quadrant, led by Captain Janeway. Enterprise (2001-2005) was a prequel set in the 22nd century, before the Federation's founding. Discovery (2017-2024) began as a prequel, but later jumped to the 32nd century. Running from 2018 through 2020, Short Treks was an anthology of shorts tied to Discovery and Strange New Worlds. Picard (2020-2023) followed Jean-Luc Picard in the late 24th-25th centuries. Beginning in 2020 and still running, as of this writing, Lower Decks is an animated comedy about junior officers. Prodigy (2021-present) is an animated series aimed at younger audiences. Strange New Worlds (2022-present) presents episodic adventures of Captain Pike's Enterprise. Announced for 2026, Starfleet Academy will follow cadets in training.
The Star Trek film franchise began in 1979 and has spanned both the "Prime" and "Kelvin" timelines. These have included Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), The Wrath of Khan (1982), The Search for Spock (1984), The Voyage Home (1986), The Final Frontier (1989), The Undiscovered Country (1991), Generations (1994), First Contact (1996), Insurrection (1998), Nemesis (2002), Star Trek (2009, Kelvin timeline reboot), Into Darkness (2013), Beyond (2016), and Section 31 (2025), a streaming film spin-off.
While not as mainstream as TV and film, Star Trek has inspired both official and fan-made audio dramas. Star Trek: Khan (2025) is an official audio drama exploring Khan Noonien Singh's exile on Ceti Alpha V. Fan-driven productions such as Starship Excelsio, Outpost, Lost Frontier, and The Section 31 Files extend the Star Trek story into podcast and radio formats.
The Official Star Trek YouTube Channel hosts clips, behind-the-scenes content, and mini-series. Star Trek: Very Short Treks (2023) features animated shorts celebrating the franchise's 5th animated anniversary. Star Trek: Scouts (2025) is the first original YouTube-exclusive Star Trek series, aimed at preschool audiences and produced by Nick Jr.
The influence of Star Trek on our culture has been significant. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) was one of the first Black women in a position of authority on U.S. television. The series also featured television's first interracial kiss (Kirk and Uhura) in 1968. Recognizing the cultural importance, Martin Luther King Jr. personally encouraged Nichols to remain on the show.
Flip phones were inspired by the communicators used on Star Trek. Tablets, voice assistants, and even Google Earth drew inspiration from Trek devices like PADDs and tricorders.
Phrases like "Beam me up, Scotty" and the Vulcan salute ("Live long and prosper") entered the popular culture globally. Klingon became one of the most developed fictional languages, with translations of Shakespeare and the Bible.
NASA named its first space shuttle Enterprise due to fan campaigns, and many astronauts and scientists cite Star Trek as their inspiration for pursuing careers in STEM.
Trekkies or Trekkers pioneered modern fan conventions, cosplay, and fan fiction communities, and the franchise has become a multibillion-dollar industry spanning books, comics, games, and merchandise.
Recommended Resources
International Federation of Trekkers
The IFK is a Star Trek organization that was created in 1984 with the assistance of Gene Roddenberry. Its stated purpose is to "promote the humanistic philosophies and ideals portrayed in the Star Trek myths in a realistic fashion conducive to the continued existence and responsible advancement of humankind." It is a global non-profit headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio, with chapters around the world. Its mission, ideals, programs, impact, organizational structure, and contacts are provided.
https://www.trekfederation.com/
This is an award-winning strategy MMO that immerses players in the Star Trek universe. Players will command a starbase, build and customize a fleet of iconic ships, recruit legendary officers, and explore uncharted space while forging alliances with other players. The game is free to play and available on multiple platforms, including macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. Gameplay features, factions, officer specializations, fleet composition, and community are discussed.
https://startrekfleetcommand.com/
Online since 2005, the website was founded by Os Davis, who initially published about 100 pages of content, launching what is now an archive of episode guides, movie reviews, and an informational blog (Captain's Blog). The site offers up-to-date aggregation, episode guides, film reviews, fan resources, and a searchable archive of past news posts, blog entries, and feature articles. Display ads are served site-wide, and affiliate links to merchandise are included.
https://startrekguide.com/
SFI offers Star Trek fans a structured community, encompassing local chapters, regional gatherings, and international events. Established in 1974, it is the world's oldest continuously operating Star Trek organization. The organization and website operate as a member-supported non-profit, with revenue generated primarily through annual membership subscriptions at the international level, supplemented by chapter-level dues where applicable. Member benefits and levels are featured.
https://sfi.org/
The forum has been online since at least 2002, when it was first archived by the Wayback Machine. Initially, it was powered by UBB, later migrating to vBulletin, and to XenForo by the 2010s. It is an independent, fan-run, volunteer-staffed site with several sub-forums covering various topics related to the Star Trek franchise, including specific television series, movies, animated films, gaming, and other Trek content, such as astrometrics, the Federation Embassy, and Trek Nation.
https://www.trekbbs.com/
Operated by Redwood Media LTD since 2019, Trek Central is freely accessible to all visitors and does not charge subscription fees, likely generating revenue through display ads, affiliate partnerships, sponsored content, promotions, and event partnerships. It is a comprehensive Star Trek fans site delivering coverage and in-depth analysis across multiple formats, featuring news, previews, reviews, dedicated "Shows" sections, events coverage, original videos, and merchandise spotlights.
https://trekcentral.net/
Featuring Star Trek news, reviews, interviews, and culture related to the franchise, the site provides updates on Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Short Treks, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Star Trek: Section 31, along with upcoming feature film projects, coverage of past television series and films, conventions, home video releases, video games, books, comics, collecting, and other resources. The site staff is introduced.
https://treknews.net/
Launched in 2006 as The Trek XI Report, the same day it was announced that JJ Abrams had finalized a five-year deal with Paramount, which included a new Star Trek film as his first project. Since then, the news of Trek's return to television, comics, and video games made it clear that the Star Trek franchise was making a comeback. Featured are the Paramount+ Star Trek universe, Star Trek movies from 2009 and on, The Orville, and Trek Remastered, are featured on the site, with other resources.
https://trekmovie.com/
The fan-driven Star Trek news site delivers updates on every facet of the franchise, from series and film announcements to home media reviews and behind-the-scenes features. Featured stories, cast and crew, books, gaming, general Star Trek content, business, and uncategorized content are featured, along with links to other Star Trek sites, such as a discussion forum. Content can be found by category, by tags, featured stories, or via the site's search features.
https://trektoday.com/
