Star Trek is composed by series and movies. Here is a short guide to watch it in the way I prefere.

Please note that these are my ideas, if you're a trekker you can not agree with them, but you of course well know IDIC philosophy.

Star Trek & so on are trade marks and belongs to their authors. Not mine. Just talking about them to have fun.

Please Note that I'll use some trek standard abbreviations:

ST = Star Trek
Ent = Enterprise
Tos = The Original Series
Tng = The Next Generation
Ds9 = Deep Space 9
Voy = Voyager

You can find italian version of this guide here:

http://fabuland.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/come-guardare-star-trek/

Step 1: #1 Star Trek: Enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise is the last series produced, but it's a prequel all others. So I suggest you first watch this that is, by the way, my favourite one (and to me it's the best TV-show with The X-Files).

It's set in 2151 and the successive years and it shows the first steps of Humanity in the Galaxy.

I started to watch Star Trek with Enterprise :) and there's my favourite character, Charles "Trip" Tucker III.

You can watch the last episode "These Are the Voyages" after watching The Next Generation, or you can skip it, given it's horrible. If you don't like it, as a lot of fans, you can read the books that continue the series (unluckly cancelled at 4 season) or, better ;)P, my 5th Virtual Season (in which I try to fix the TAtV disaster).

Enterprise's novels: the first 5 are set between the regular episosed; "Last Full Measure" is set during the Xindi's War, but is a prelude to the next ones, that are the novels that fix TAtV and go on from there.

By the Book
What Price Honor?
Surak's Soul
Daedalus & Daedalus's Children
Rosetta

Last Full Measure
The Good That Men Do
Kobayashi Maru
The Romulan War
- Beneath the Raptor's Wing
- To Brave the Storm
Rise of the Federation
- A Choice of Futures
- Tower of Babel
- Uncertain Logic

You can find the summary of the books up to The Romulan War on my blog:

http://fabuland.wordpress.com/category/libri/

Step 2: #2 the Original Series

Star Trek: The Original Series is the most famous ST series. It's the one with Kirk and Spock and with a lot of red shirts that die here and there.

It's set in the middle of XXIII century, Humanity is part of a big United Federation of Planets and Kirk with his ship continues to explore the galaxy.

Step 3: #3: the Animated Series

Star Trek: The Animated Series is a sequel to Star Trek: The Original Series made in animated cartoon.

A lot of people doesn't watch TAS, but I think it's funny and given that's a cartoon they have put a lot of strange aliens that, at time, were hard to do in a filmed series. Here you can meet M'Ress, a Caitian official with feline appearance, and Arex, an edosian alien with three arms.

Step 4: #4 Star Trek: Phase II

Star Trek: Phase II is a fan production of high quality. If you watched TOS yuo have heard that Kirk's mission should have last 5 years, but the TV-show was cancelled after 3. There were a lot of petition, but it didn't go on. So, some fans started Phase II.

As for TAS, you can bypass this, but I suggest to watch it, it's great.

Step 5: #5 Star Trek: Movies 1-6

After ST:TOS (or after TAS and Phase II) you should watch the Movies. They take place after Kirk's mission ends.

Watch them in the right order:

Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Now, if you want to take a break for Star Trek, you could watch "Daddy Day Care" with Eddie Murphy, because, at this time, you'll be able to catch all Star Trek in-jokes of this movie.

Step 6: #6 Star Trek: the Next Generation

Set in XXIV century, Star Trek: The Next Generation talks about Kirk's legacy in the next generation of explorers. TNG is one of the most loved ST series by fans. Personally I love more ENT, DS9 and VOY, but that's another story.

These guys are more confident and "superman and superwoman" than the others.

Step 7: #7 Star Trek: the Next Generation Movies

There are 4 Star Trek: The Next Generation Movies. It's important that you watch the 3rd after DS9 and the 4th afetr VOY. You can also watch all the movies after VOY. There are some little "spoilers" about DS9 in the 3rd and an important one about VOY in th 4th.

Star Trek Generations (after TNG)
Star Trek: First Contact (after TNG)
Star Trek: Insurrection (after DS9)
Star Trek Nemesis (after VOY)

Really important! In the 4th movie there is a reference to Joanthan Archer from Enterprise ;)

Step 8: #8 Star Trek: Deep Space 9

To me, one of the best ST series, Star Trek: Deep Space 9 is set at the same time of TNG and VOY. It's set on a station, Deep Space 9, that was previously a mine station. After gaining freedom from its Cardassian oppressor, Bajor is helped by the Federation, in the person of commander Benjamin Sisko, to protect itself and the space tunnel for Gamma Quadrant discovered near Bajor.

Step 9: #9: Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Voyager is also set more or less in the same years of TNG, even if you watch it you have the sensation that is more modern.

After exploring Alpha Quadrant with Ent, Alpha & Beta Quadrant with TOS & TNG, Gamma Quadrant with DS9, you'll explore Delta Quadrant with the great characters of Voyager!

Step 10: #10: Star Trek: Enterprise (bis)

Well.... Enterprise was filmed after all the other series as a prequel, so someone prefere to watch it after Voyager. This is optional, but it's good to prepare for the next step. You can skip the last episode, the thing called "These Are the Voyages", it's false and not important.

Step 11: #11: Star Trek: JJ-verse

The JJ-verse is pretty diffcult to place in the cronology, because is an alternate universe (a "reboot"). I think it should be watched after all the other series and movies because so you can catch all the references and connetions with them.

The JJ-movie wipes away pratically everything previously shown in Star Trek except for Star Trek: Enterprise :D and this is why you could re-watch Ent before these movies (see http://mattmoylan.deviantart.com/art/Lil-Formers-... )

You'll find the TOS character changed (even Kirk's brown eyes become blue and Bones' blue eyes become dark).

After watching these movies you should really read "Ensign Sue Must Die": http://comicalclare.deviantart.com/art/Ensign-Sue-Must-Die-01-165689110

So, live long and prosper! \\//,