This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise. And, as Trek enters its second half-century, the space saga is undergoing rapid expansion. This summer sees the release of Star Trek Beyond on the big screen. Next year, CBS All-Access will debut the first new Star Trek TV show in over a decade. So now is the perfect moment for Engage: The Official Star Trek Podcast. Hosted by critic Jordan Hoffman — who once ranked every single episode of every Star Trek TV show — the weekly series will celebrate the franchise, with the intention of welcoming longtime Trek fans and new arrivals.

EW is excited to announce that the podcast podcast launches next week, hosted on Play.it. You can find it on Play.it/StarTrek, and will also be found on iTunes and at StarTrek.com. Next week sees the release of three episodes, featuring appearances by guests “Weird Al” Yankovic and Adam Nimoy. (The show’s official Facebook page is here.) I spoke to Hoffman about his hopes for the show, and along the way, we got to talking about the episodes of Star Trek we would recommend to franchise newcomers. Listen to the full interview below, and be sure to check out Engage when it officially launches next week.