The Entire First Season Of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Is Now Free On YouTube

Trekkies who are a little behind the ball (or simply don't feel like subscribing to Paramount+) now have a window of opportunity to watch some of the most widely-acclaimed "Star Trek" in a long, long time for the low, low price of free. The folks at Paramount have decided to upload the entire first season of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" to YouTube for anyone to watch. Yes, this is the official Paramount+ YouTube channel, so no funny business going on here. Just a little treat from the folks at ViacomCBS to you.

"Strange New Worlds" debuted last year, with a second season on the way in June (you can watch the trailer here). That's very likely why the first season has been uploaded for free, as a means to help generate further interest in its return. The series is based on the years that Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. It follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock, and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.

All ten episodes are currently available on YouTube with no paywall to speak of. It's unclear for just how long the season will be there for free though, so those who wish to take advantage would do well to get the lead out. It's impressive that the whole season has been released like this, even if it is just for a short while. Frequently, networks or streaming services will release an episode or two online for free, but a whole season? That's a rare treat.

In this case, viewers will be treated to "Star Trek" which has been met with near-universal acclaim. The first season holds a stellar 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Yes, we've had plenty of "Trek" in recent years with "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Picard" also airing, but nothing quite so beloved as this by viewers, it seems.

Anson Mount leads the cast as Captain Christopher Pike, with Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock also heading things up. Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La'an Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas, Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M'Benga, and Bruce Horak as Hemmer round out the main ensemble for the first season.

Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers serve as co-showrunners. They both also serve as executive producers alongside Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet, Aaron Baiers, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth.

"Star Trek: Strange New World" season 2 premieres June 15, 2023, on Paramount+.