The first season of the surprise hit Star Trek show Strange New Worlds is now streaming on YouTube, letting fans watch it for free. However, it is only available to fans in the United States.
Strange New Worlds is currently enjoying high marks with both critics and fans. On the popular review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, this Star Trek series has 99% on the Tomatometer with an audience score of 80%. By comparison, Star Trek: Picard starring Patrick Stewart has lower scores on both metrics (89% and 57%, respectively).
Episodes of the first full season of Strange New Worlds were released for free on the YouTube platform, as part of promoting the Paramount+ streaming service.
Aside from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, other Paramount Plus series like iCarly, Queen of the Universe, and Joe Picket are also available on YouTube. However, only YouTube viewers in the United States will be able to do so. Other geo-locations will find the videos blocked in their countries.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds follows the adventures of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, but not exactly the one from the original series or the one from the rebooted J.J. Abrams Star Trek films.
Commanded by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), this Enterprise is staffed by Una Chin-Riley aka Number One (Rebecca Romijn), Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck), Communications specialist Nyota Uhura (Cella Rose Gooding), Chief Medical Officer Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), and Chief Engineer Hemmer (Bruce Horak). The series is a spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery after overwhelming positive fan response to Pike, Spock, and Number One in the second season.
But while Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is set 10 years from the original Star Trek, it has already explored setting up the events fans of the franchise are familiar with. It has even introduced this version’s James T. Kirk (played by Paul Wesley) in an episode that pays homage to the classic episode Balance of Terror.
Fans are also anticipating the second season, as there will be episodes crossing over with the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks. The crossover will feature Tawny Newsome as Beckett Mariner and Jack Quaid as Brad Boimler who will reprise their roles in live-action for the first time.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will remain free on YouTube for U.S. viewers until the end of June. The second season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds begins streaming on Paramount+ on June 15, 2023.
