Star Trek: The Next Generation

Yes, Next Generation before The Original Series. Why? Because what they were doing with NextGen was so much more interesting and artfully done than with TOS. As Pickard, the brilliant Patrick Stewart imbued the entire series with a sense of gravitas that you just didn't get from Shatner. Television had evolved, and NextGen worked with new storytelling techniques and had a far more serious tones. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two series was the role played by secondary crew. It was rare for a TOS episode to really explore characters other than Kirk or Spock, but some of the finest episodes of NextGen deal with Data, or Worf, or Jordy, or even Troi. The team played off each other in a way that was far more natural than in the 60s, but it was also still giving us what Gene Roddenberry had always hoped would come across – a big bright future for humanity among the stars. Why it's on the list: A supersmart series that moved the Star Trek universe into a modern age.