2: Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-94)

The premise: For an entire generation of Trekkies, the crew of the 24th-century Enterprise-D was their entryway into Star Trek, and the syndicated series was somehow able to capture the magic of the original, with its blend of whimsy, adventure and astute political commentary. Some even argue that it bested the original series, and you could make a strong case for the undeniable chemistry of its impeccable cast, which included Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Jonathan Frakes (69) as Commander William T. Riker, LeVar Burton (65) as Geordi LaForge, Michael Dorn (69) as the Klingon officer Worf, and Brent Spiner (73) as the android second officer Data, The Next Generation’s answer to Spock. Throw in Whoopi Goldberg (66) as the starship’s bartender hostess Guinan, and this was a cast that, quite simply, you’d want to hang out with. And it bore out in the ratings: The Next Generation was the most-watched series in franchise history, with more than 30 million viewers tuning in to the 1994 series finale, and it was the only syndicated show to ever be nominated for an Emmy for best drama.

The best part: The two-part episode “The Best of Both Worlds,” in which Picard is captured and assimilated by the Borg, appeared on TV Guide’s list of the most memorable moments in TV history and the greatest TV episodes of all time.

Watch it: Star Trek: The Next Generation, on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Paramount+​​