According to Rotten Tomatoes,Star TrekTV shows are better than they ever were. While Rotten Tomatoes itself makes no distinction that dividesnewStar Trekshowsfrom classic iterations of the franchise,it’s still easy to separateStar Trekinto distinct eras.Star Trek: The Original Seriesstands on its own as the show that started it all; lately,TOSis grouped withStar Trek: The Next Generation,Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,Star Trek: Voyager, andStar Trek: Enterpriseto be defined asStar Trek’s classic era. Every show followingStar Trek: Discoveryin 2017 comprises Star Trek on Paramount+’s modern era.
As television production evolves, so too doesStar Trek. ClassicTrekshows refine the formula thatStar Trek: The Original Seriesestablished, with a core cast of well-defined characters led by a brave captain. Often episodic,Star Trekbecame more serializedonce home technology made it easier for fans to catch up on missed episodes. By contrast, modernStar Trekfocuses on fewer characters, with ongoing serialized stories made possible by on-demand streaming. Notably,newTrekshows 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
TheRotten TomatoesStar Trekpage displays critical and audience ratings for eachStar Trekshow. The average critical score ofStar Trekshows fromStar Trek: The Original SeriestoStar Trek: Enterpriseis 81.5%, whilecritics giveStar Trek: DiscoverytoStar Trek: Strange New Worldsan average of 91%. The ongoingStrange New Worldsis a franchise high, with Captain Christopher Pike’s (Anson Mount) USS Enterprise prequel earning an impressive 98%. The animatedStar Trek: Prodigyfares better than its spiritual prequel,Star Trek: Voyager, withProdigy’s 97% marking a 21% positive change overVoyager’s 76%.
1966–1969
80%
89%
9%
1973–1974
94%
81%
13%
1987–1994
92%
90%
2%
1993–1999
91%
1995–2001
76%
4%
2001–2005
56%
24%
2017–2024
84%
33%
51%
2020–2023
57%
32%
2020–2024
73%
18%
97%
88%
98%
79%
19%
WhileStar 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 Trekshows average out to only 66%, as opposed to the 84.8% average that audiences gave classicStar Trekshows.AfterStar Trek: Enterprise, Rotten Tomatoes’Star Trekaudience scores fall sharply, withfranchise re-starterStar Trek: Discoveryearning only 33% of audience favor. A narrower disparity between scores for classicTrekindicates agreement between critics and audiences thatTNGandDS9were great, andVoyagersits 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 modernStar Trekseries suggests that previous eras were superior.TOSandTNGintroduced entire generations toGene Roddenberry’s vision of the future, and humanity’s place among the stars.DS9questioned what it would take to maintain that utopia,Voyagertook Starfleet to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, andEnterpriseexamined the challenges humanity would have to overcome to build the United Federation of Planets in the first place.ClassicTrekestablished all the tropes that modernTrekdraws on, and should rightly be celebratedfor building the future we’ve all come to hope for.
Star Trek: Enterpriseremains the critics' lowest-ratedStar Trekseries at 56%, but its 80% audience score suggests that evenEnterpriseis subject to the nostalgia effect that smooths out the criticisms levied atStar Trekshows when they first air.
However, the wider disparity between audience and critical scores for modernStar Treksuggests thataudiences ratingStar Trekon Rotten Tomatoes are harsher on newer iterations ofTrekthan they are on broadcast era favorites. History shows that nearly everyStar Trekshow is met with skepticism when it’s first announced—evenTNGwas panned by early detractors—but those opinions shift over time, when audiences actually giveStar Trekshows chances to be what they are. Just asTNGshouldn’t be judged for not beingTOS, modernTrekalso 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
WhetherStar Trekis actually better now than it used to be is a matter of personal preference. NewStar Trekshows suffer from erratic release schedules and top out around 50 episodes, which is barely enough time for aStar Trekseries to find its footing. At the same time,modernTrekshows have higher production values and give a voice to everyone in the room. NewTrekshows 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.
Modern Star Trek Fixes A Problem That Killed The Franchise 20 Years Ago
There’s no questioning the overall success of the Star Trek franchise, but its modern era has perhaps unexpectedly pushed the saga onward.
ClassicStar Trekoffered comfort and predictability, whereasthe true strength of newStar Trekshows is their ability to evolve what it means to beStar Trek.Star Trek: DiscoveryandStar Trek: Prodigyoffer jumping-on points for newer fans, because these entry-level shows don’t require any previous knowledge of the franchise.Star Trek: Lower DecksandStar Trek: Strange New Worldsfeel like oldTrek, but benefit from having ongoing character arcs. The more pertinent question may not be whetherStar Trekis better now—but whether newerStar Trekshows will hold up to scrutiny over time.
