To me, The Next Generation is good for the general vibe of the overall franchise post-original series. Start around season four or even with First Contact for a nicer primer on things if you're totally new to Trek. Deep Space Nine for more of a serialised story but requires a bit of a learning curve. Lower Decks I hear can operate as a good entry point but I wouldn't agree as it's a lot looser with lore for comedy purposes and might give you the wrong idea. Don't start at either Voyager or Enterprise and finally watch with a friend who's more versed in Trek so you'll be able to share in their enthusiasm and ask them about things you might be curious about.
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in reply to @eramdam's post:
My first thought (but I'm not a real sicko) would be Next Generation (maybe selectively? it's seven long seasons and not all of it is great). TNG establishes much of the 24th century lore many subsequent shows build on.
The current show Strange New Worlds (season 3 is coming next) is pretty fun, pretty basic, and I could see it being a nice first stop, maybe.
Deep Space Nine is probably the best one but it's not a first stop, and watching that first might make the rest seem worse, just like watching Babylon 5 (blessed be its name) first made DS9 a bit disappointing to me.
I second TNG as well, great lore building, its got tribbles, and less space nazis than other leading star based shows
I'm not a dedicated star trek person so I've only experienced the series through TNG episodes here and there, I can say that it's a fine way to experience things if you're not looking to be fully invested (it's very well written)
honestly, start with The Next Generation; it's the one that most informs all of the series that come after. if you get a real wild hair about seeing all of Star Trek, just go into the original series knowing it's that real pulpy kinda sci-fi, real "comic books my grandpa bought for a nickel apiece" stuff
then yeah, go to Deep Space Nine after that
TNG Season 3+ or find a top ten list is good
TOS movies Star Trek II-III-IV- VI are good without looking at episode guides
edit: yeah I'd say strange new worlds is probably good too
I've been thinking about this like maybe most trekkies but also I watched TNG and DS9 as a child
Unpopular vote for DS9 on my end. It's so so good, once you get through the hokey bits. And, I find it to be a bit more engaging than TNG a lot of the time.
DS9 is extremely good, probably the top-tier of Trek experiences, but it hits so much harder if you have just a little bit of foundation on what the rest of the federation is like.
TNG is still the best entry point. It's designed for viewers that really didn't have prior knowledge - there are callbacks, but they're only occasional, and most the lore builds fresh. It's viewing friendly, and once you get over the rough 80s-ness of the first season it gets quite good.
People may make recommendations to skip certain episodes, but for a first watch I'd disagree - it's important to see the good and the bad, especially if you want to put the whole show into perspective. The only episode I'd 100% skip is in the second season, it's a "Riker's memory" clipshow episode that has no bearing on anything whatsoever and is a waste of an hour of your life.
There is a lot to Star Trek, and it can be overwhelming if you go in thinking like it's all necessary, but it isn't - just go in, have a fun time, enjoy some foundational scifi.