# Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020)

> Four ensigns on Starfleet's least important ship juggle their duties and social lives while the Cerritos is battered by sci-fi anomalies.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/72994

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 50
- Episode runtime: 27 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: animation, comedy, science fiction
- Created by: Mike McMahan
- Network: CBS All Access, Paramount+
- Cast: Tawny Newsome, Jack Quaid, Noël Wells, Eugene Cordero, Dawnn Lewis, Gillian Vigman, Jerry O'Connell, Fred Tatasciore
- TMDB rating: 7.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9184820/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: mild
- Tone: breezy, joyful, irreverent, optimistic, sincere

## What critics say

Audiences broadly rate the series positively, valuing its comedy and affection for Star Trek while noting it is a lighter, sillier take on the franchise.

## Synopsis

Star Trek: Lower Decks (2020-2024) is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Mike McMahan for CBS All Access and Paramount+. Rather than following the captain and senior officers, it centers on the support crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos in 2380, chiefly junior ensign Beckett Mariner (voiced by Tawny Newsome), a rebellious officer who clashes with her by-the-book colleague Brad Boimler (voiced by Jack Quaid), alongside fellow ensigns D'Vana Tendi (voiced by Noël Wells) and Sam Rutherford (voiced by Eugene Cordero). Their engine is simple: they must finish their shifts and sustain their social lives while the ship is battered by a constant stream of sci-fi anomalies, so each episode mixes workplace errands with strange alien planets and broad franchise jokes. Across five seasons of ten episodes each, the show stays a self-contained, episodic comedy with a warm through-line about friendship and self-expression. Its tone is breezy, joyful and optimistic, with a sincere heart beneath the parody. Fans of Futurama, Rick and Morty and Star Trek: The Next Generation will find resonance in its blend of animated silliness and earnest futurism.

## Shows like Star Trek: Lower Decks

- [Star Trek: Picard (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/72995)
- [Dogs in Space (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/112966)
- [Star Trek: Short Treks (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/70470)
- [Duck Dodgers (2003)](https://ember.film/tv/199)
- [Sealab 2021 (2000)](https://ember.film/tv/310)
- [Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/86640)
- [Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/128394)
- [Strange Planet (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/127203)
- [Captain Fall (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/147246)
- [The Orville (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/62609)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt