Since its debut in 1966 with Star Trek: The Original Series, the Star Trek franchise has grown to include 12 different TV shows. However, the cancellations of five of those shows were particularly frustrating for fans. Over the years, Star Trek has been broadcast on NBC, through syndication, on UPN, and now streams on both Paramount+ and Netflix.
When it comes to series finales, Star Trek: The Next Generation set the standard. The 1994 episode, “All Good Things…”, beautifully concluded seven seasons of the show and is widely considered one of the best TV finales ever made. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine also finished powerfully in 1999 with its moving final episode, “What You Leave Behind.”
The Star Trek series on Paramount+ started seeing cancellations in 2023 when Star Trek: Prodigy was unexpectedly ended, though fan efforts briefly brought it back on Netflix. In 2024, Star Trek: Discovery concluded after five seasons, with a special 12-minute epilogue attached to the final episode, “Life Itself,” that fully wrapped up the story of Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green).
The popular show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will conclude in 2027 with a final season consisting of only six episodes. This will bring the show’s total number of episodes across all five seasons to 46. Depending on the series finale, some viewers might feel disappointed that the adventures of Captain Christopher Pike and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise are ending so soon.
These five Star Trek series ended prematurely, leaving fans disappointed and wanting more, or failed to reach their full potential before being cancelled.
Star Trek: The Original Series
3 Seasons From 1966-1969
The original Star Trek series was incredibly popular, but it was cancelled before many fans felt it had run its course. Though it debuted in the 1960s and laid the groundwork for a franchise that’s now been running for over 60 years, the show nearly ended after its first season when ratings on NBC weren’t high enough to ensure its continuation, leaving the fate of Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the USS Enterprise uncertain.
A dedicated fan campaign, spearheaded by John and Bjo Trimble, saw thousands of letters sent to NBC pleading for the continuation of Star Trek. Although the show lasted for three seasons and 79 episodes, it was ultimately cancelled, and the Starship Enterprise was taken out of service. During its final season, Star Trek‘s creator and executive producer, Gene Roddenberry, lost his leadership role on the show.
Though canceled before completing its original five-year run, Star Trek became a classic through reruns, gaining even more fans over the next ten years. The two seasons of Star Trek: The Animated Series on NBC also effectively acted as a fourth season of the original show.
Although fans were disappointed when Star Trek: The Original Series ended, the franchise continued on the big screen. Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979 revived the Starship Enterprise and launched a successful movie series that has now produced 13 theatrical films and one streaming movie, with more potentially on the way.
Star Trek: Voyager
7 Seasons From 1995-2001
Star Trek: Voyager, led by Captain Kathryn Janeway (played by Kate Mulgrew), was the third Star Trek series overseen by Rick Berman. Similar to its predecessors, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, it ran for seven seasons and a total of 172 episodes on the UPN network.
Despite the dramatic conclusion, many fans of Star Trek: Voyager were disappointed with the series finale, “Endgame.” In the episode, a future version of Admiral Janway assists Captain Janeway in defeating the Borg with a carefully planned attack. This allows the USS Voyager to finally finish its seven-year, 70,000 light-year trip from the Delta Quadrant and return home to Earth.
The finale of “Endgame” showed Captain Janeway’s ship returning to Earth, but without any follow-up, which left fans wanting more. After seven seasons, viewers never got to see Janeway and the crew of the Voyager receive a proper homecoming or resolution to their journey.
After a quick appearance by Admiral Janeway in Star Trek: Nemesis, it wasn’t until twenty years later that fans learned what happened to Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Star Trek: Picard revealed her fate, and Star Trek: Prodigy provided updates on Admiral Janeway, Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran), and The Doctor (Robert Picardo).
Star Trek: Enterprise
4 Seasons From 2001-2005
As a longtime fan of Star Trek: Enterprise, I was really disappointed with how the show ended. The finale, “These Are The Voyages…”, was supposed to be a tribute to the whole Star Trek universe from the producers, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. But honestly, it felt like a letdown, and it’s become known as the worst series finale in all of Star Trek history.
Most fans agree that the fourth and final season of Star Trek: Enterprise was its strongest, and many believe it finally captured the show’s full potential. Under the direction of showrunner Manny Coto, the season featured memorable episodes like a multi-part story focusing on Vulcan culture and a two-part adventure in the Mirror Universe.
The show Enterprise finished its run before the first Star Trek prequel could explore two major events that fans had long hoped to see: the Romulan War, which was only hinted at in the original Star Trek, and how the United Federation of Planets was created, including Captain Jonathan Archer’s (Scott Bakula) journey to becoming its President.
Many fans initially blamed Enterprise for the long hiatus in Star Trek programming – no new series aired for twelve years until Star Trek: Discovery. However, with the rise of streaming, Enterprise has gained renewed appreciation, and a new generation of viewers now feels cheated that Captain Archer’s series only lasted four seasons on UPN.
Star Trek: Prodigy
2 Seasons From 2021-2024
Fans of Star Trek: Prodigy are understandably upset with how Paramount+ and Netflix handled the show. It’s disappointing that after only two seasons and 40 episodes, the series—created by Kevin and Dan Hageman—was cut short, leaving fans feeling cheated.
Star Trek: Prodigy was created to bring the spirit of Star Trek to a new audience, and many believe it perfectly captured the original vision of Gene Roddenberry. Despite this, Paramount+ unexpectedly canceled the show in 2023 and removed all episodes from its platform.
A huge fan campaign, including paying for an airplane to fly over Los Angeles, helped save Star Trek: Prodigy when Netflix picked up both seasons 1 and 2 – all 20 episodes of the first season and the initial 20 episodes of the second. Unfortunately, this success didn’t last. Netflix decided not to renew the show for a third season, and the series will leave the platform when its license expires at the end of 2025.
As Star Trek celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2026, the future of Star Trek: Prodigy remains uncertain. The show has no current streaming home, and it appears there are no plans for future episodes featuring the optimistic young crew of the USS Protostar. It’s difficult to think of another Star Trek series that has been treated as unfairly and mysteriously as Star Trek: Prodigy.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
5 Seasons From 2020-2024
Mike McMahan’s Star Trek: Lower Decks is a brilliant show, and it’s disappointing that it’s ending after five seasons on Paramount+. The cancellation is a result of Paramount’s cost-cutting measures following its sale to Skydance Media.
Despite doubts that Star Trek could be genuinely hilarious, Star Trek: Lower Decks became the first half-hour comedy in the franchise – and it worked! The show cleverly celebrated everything fans love about Star Trek, with all its quirks, without ever making fun of the series or its audience. The crew of the USS Cerritos were portrayed as enthusiastic Star Trek fans themselves, mirroring the viewers at home.
What made Star Trek: Lower Decks special was its strong character development. Over five seasons, characters like Lieutenants Beckett Mariner and Bradward Boimler, along with their colleagues, dealt with personal struggles, grew as individuals, and ultimately overcame challenges.
Though season 5 of Star Trek: Lower Decks – bringing the total to 50 episodes – was perhaps the show’s strongest, it felt like there was still plenty of story left to tell. Because animated shows are generally less expensive to make than live-action ones, Star Trek: Lower Decks had the potential to continue for many more seasons.
Many Star Trek shows, from the original series to Lower Decks, haven’t had satisfying endings or fully explored their storylines. Both the shows themselves and their fans deserved better conclusions.
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2025-11-05 02:01