I am new to the ES Franchise, entering the series on Skyrim. I've heard a lot of good things about Morrowind and Oblivion in the past but never got around to trying them. Recommended?

Yes, you will probably like them. Most fans love all the TES games.

Oblivion plays lot like Skyrim, just an older version, and it actually has Classes and Birthsigns to design your character with.
Morrowind is very different from the other two. Morrowind is a more traditional RPG, not just a first-person sword adventure game. This means that your actions are based on a roll-of-dice system. There is more character customization and many more Skills in MW.
MW is a slower and harder game than the other two, but the depth is amazing when you see how much history they put into the game. It definitely has 100 times more Lore than newer TES games.

I suggest reading through this, to learn about how the games differ in some gameplay aspects: http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Differences_Between_Morrowind,_Oblivion,_and_Skyrim

Morrowind might look a bit outdated in some aspects, but with mods you can have something http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N-3zCPVZW0&feature=related

Morrowind is my absolute favourite Elder scrolls game, and to me is superior to oblivion in pretty much every way, and superior to skyrim in a lot of ways.
But seeing as how skyrim is your first ES game, im just gonna take a shot in the dark and assume you wont like morrowind at all. If you like skyrim, and are expecting an experience like skyrim, morrowind wont be anything like it. Not nearly as fleshed out combat system, no physics and all that. None of that bothers me, but it bothers most people (especially 'new' gamers)

As long as you don't mind getting used to the mechanics, and the learning curve that comes from playing RPGs with older elements (if you go in the wrong cave, you very well may be fighting highly superior enemies than you can handle, you can fail casting spells, performing alchemy, etc), then yes. Morrowind by far my favorite TES game. It is in a unique location that truly feels alien and harsh, yet beauty shows through this world all the time. You'll hear a lot of conflicting stories, and the game knows how to throw a morally gray area or an ambiguous story or two at the player.

Everybody has their favorite in the ES series, and nobody is wrong for doing so. It's all a matter of opinion. Just keep this in mind, when someone assures you that they're views are completely correct, and that anybody who differs from them has obviously not listened correctly.

I've played the five games (and reviewed four of them) when they first came out. Morrowind was the first of the series that really captured my imagination, and while both Skyrim and Oblivion each do a few things far better, I still think Morrowind is the best overall, feature for feature. There are also a host of mods that make the experience still more memorable. I can't say that you will like Morrowind, just because you enjoyed Skyrim; the two games aren't really that similar in many respects. But personally, I do think you owe yourself a chance to see what Morrowind is like, feel how it plays, and make up your own mind.

but pls play without any mods to see what is like and then install whatever you like

i like 1 2 3 4 5 equally i miss somethings in all but i dont have one

Does that include sound and graphics overhaul too? I'm about to start my game for the very first time and was planning to install that mod only to make it more graphically appealing. Does it take away from the original atmosphere in any way or am I safe with it?

I hope OP wants to know this too and that I'm not hijacking his thread. Thanks

It comes down to personal opinion. Really, just do whatever you want with your game. There're no rules. Also, welcome to Morrowind.

Thanks for the comments everyone.

Yes, definetly worth trying, you may have some trouble getting adjusted to the controls, but still, it's an awesome game.