'Star Trek' director J.J. Abrams preferred 'Star Wars' to the original series of the science fiction space adventure.

The US creator of TV programs including 'Lost' said he could never quite see the appeal of 'Star Trek' and wasn't a fan of the original TV series in the 60s.

He said: "I don't know why, but I never got into it. I never accepted it the way friends of mine did. I always felt a little bit on the outside. But 'Star Wars' - in 1977, I was 11 years old, and it just blew my head open. So, for me, 'Star Wars' was redefining and 'Star Trek' was a disconnect."

The director said, however, that since making the latest film in the franchise, the 11th in the series, he has changed his mind.

He added: "Of course, I've come to love the characters and the world. I feel a little stupid that I had to direct a movie to understand what my friends had loved for so long."

'Star Trek' - a prequel to the original film series starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy - is in cinemas now.