Everything worth watching
Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), a human raised on Vulcan, falls from first officer to mutineer at the start of a Klingon war, then finds a second chance aboard the USS Discovery and its experimental spore drive. Across five serialized seasons the ship moves from a decade before Kirk's era to the 32nd century, with Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp and Mary Wiseman alongside.
Checked 25 Oct 2026. Services change their catalogues often; the service’s own page has the final word.
Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), a human raised on Vulcan, falls from first officer to mutineer at the start of a Klingon war, then finds a second chance aboard the USS Discovery and its experimental spore drive. Across five serialized seasons the ship moves from a decade before Kirk's era to the 32nd century, with Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp and Mary Wiseman alongside.
Why watch Discovery was built for streaming: serialized, cinematic and centred on one character's arc rather than a captain's chair. It reopened the franchise on television and introduced the versions of Pike, Spock and Number One who now lead Strange New Worlds. Its jump to the 32nd century gave the franchise a largely unmapped era to explore. Best for viewers who want season-long stories over standalone episodes.
Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman created the series, which premiered in September 2017 as the flagship of CBS All Access, the service later renamed Paramount+. It was the first new Star Trek series since Enterprise ended in 2005. Michelle Yeoh co-starred as Philippa Georgiou, a role she later carried into the 2025 film Star Trek: Section 31.
The show ran for five seasons, ending in 2024. Season two brought in Anson Mount as Captain Pike and Ethan Peck as Spock, leading directly to Strange New Worlds. Season three sent the crew to the 32nd century, the period also explored by Starfleet Academy.
Start with season one, but know that the opening two episodes are effectively a prologue; the series finds its shape once Burnham arrives on Discovery. If season one’s war arc does not grab you, season two, with Pike in command, is the most accessible entry for longtime Trek fans.
Sonequa Martin-Green
Commander Michael Burnham
Anthony Rapp
Lieutenant Commander Paul Stamets
Doug Jones
Commander Saru
Mary Wiseman
Ensign Sylvia Tilly
Wilson Cruz
Dr. Hugh Culber
David Ajala
Cleveland "Book" Booker
Blu del Barrio
Adira
Shazad Latif
Lieutenant Ash Tyler
Tig Notaro
Commander Jett Reno
Rachael Ancheril
Commander Nhan
Anson Mount
Captain Christopher Pike
Jason Isaacs
USS Discovery Captain Gabriel Lorca
The Guide
Paramount+ and others · CA US UK AU NZ · Evergreen
Twelve series across 60 years, listed by premiere date, with where each one streams in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
Jeff Cameron · 4 min read
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