You could say that I'm a sci-fi lover. If you asked my wife, she would disagree and say that I'm a sci-fi nut. And after reading The Boston Globe's Top 50 Science Fiction Television Shows I thought I would share what some of my favorite sci-fi shows are.

I must first make a disclaimer before I begin. These are television shows that I've watched in my lifetime. I know there have been years of great sci-fi television that my young age has forced me to miss. These include shows like Buck Rogers, the original Dr. Who, The Twilight Zone, etc. If you have a top 5 that is different from my top 5 then post a comment and let me know. I'm always up for trying out new (or old) sci-fi shows.

#5 - Heroes

Some people would put this as their #1. All though the show has quickly become one of my favorite shows to watch each week, it's still a new, unproven show. The first season was amazing. It's what every television show (regardless if it's sci-fi or not) should strive to be.

The second season....well....there was much to be desired. Characters didn't develop very well and the story just felt like it was thrown together. I'm eagerly waiting to see what Heroes has in-store for us in Season 3. I just hope that it lives up to the hype that the first season built for this show.

#4 - Star Trek: Next Generation

Out of everything nerds are usually classified as, a Trekkie is not one that I would label myself as. I've never been a huge Star Trek nut and I definitely don't have any urge to learn Clyngon. However, I loved Star Trek: NG. Captain Jean-Luke Piccard was probably one of my all time heroes when I was growing up as a kid. And I still think that Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge's V.I.S.O.R. is one of the coolest things since sliced cheese.

#3 - Battlestar Galactica (new version)

I've only watched a handful of the original series of Battlestar Galactica, and from what I've seen, it was a great show in its own right. However, the latest version of Battlestar Galactica may be one of the best television shows made period. The writing is phenomenal and the character development is outstanding. What makes me love this show so much is its ability to make you feel like everything is going to work out in the end, only to see the final scene of that weeks episode and be left with the feeling that everyone is just going to die. The show is in its final season so I am eagerly waiting to see how they are going to draw everything out in the end. Should be exciting.

#2 - Earth: Final Conflict

Now I'm sure some of you read that title and said, "huh?" Earth: Final Conflict was the first sci-fi show that I became obsessed with. I just recently got my hands on all five seasons of the show and watched the complete show straight through. It was just as good now as it was when I first watched it. If you've never seen the show I would definitely suggest trying to find it. The forethought of the writers, for its time, was amazing. The creators of the show were already talking about a world wide internet before the internet really took off, they were using cell phones as "personal computers" when cell phones came in bags, and they saw the growth of social networking online way before Myspace became a household name. On top of that, it was just a great show and one that I will always hold as the show that made me a sci-fi nerd.

#1 - Stargate SG-1

Stargate SG-1, where should I begin with my love for this show. I remember watching the original Stargate movie in 1994 and being completely drawn in by the idea of a system that could take you anywhere in the universe. All the other sci-fi shows that I'd watched were always in the future. Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. were always set years in the future with technology we can only dream of. Stargate was one of the first I'd ever watched that was set in the present. Just the thought of something like this happening in the here and now always brought me back each week to watch the newest episode. And it's 10 year run (the longest in sci-fi history) was a testament to how strong of a fan base it built in those 10 years. Stargate SG-1 is also the only series (besides Earth: Final Conflict) that I've watched every single episode of. I'm actually just about to start watching it through again. I'm sure I'll enjoy it all over again.

These are my favorite five. I'm sure they may not be your favorite five, but these are the sci-fi shows that I nerdly hold near and dear to my heart. If you have a favorite five that's different than mine, let me know. I'd love to see what others are watching. Maybe one of mine made your list. Let me know.

Some others shows that barely fell off the list are

- Dr. Who

- Babylon 5

- Farscape

- Thunderbirds

- Eureka

- Firefly

- MacGyver

- Lost