Fans of the hit TV show “Breaking Bad” can now take a course on the series at the University at Buffalo.

The cross-listed course “Breaking Down ‘Breaking Bad’” is a spring 2014 graduate seminar offered by Bruce Jackson, a professor in UB’s English department.

While Jackson and his wife Diane Christian — also a professor in UB’s English department — were teaching a film class that was open to the public, one of their “regulars” recommended they watch “Breaking Bad,” Jackson said.

“We sat down and started watching (‘Breaking Bad’) and we were up until 4 in the morning, night after night. It turns out, a lot of our friends have done the same thing, and a lot of our students,” Jackson said.

When Jackson mentioned to his students that someone should teach a graduate seminar on the series, his students — about half of who had watched every episode — encouraged him to teach the class, he said.

Jackson said the interesting aspect of “Breaking Bad” is that it’s an epic narrative.

“It’s a 60-hour series that follows one narrative thread. There were no subplots.  It’s an incredible narrative achievement that I don’t think anyone else has done,” he said. “It’s a great narrative, well done in all regards, and it deals with a social issue that is real — mainly drugs.”

Jim Milles, a law professor at UB who is going to be a guest speaker in the seminar, said he agrees with Jackson, stating that the show is unique because it follows a single story arc and the development of one character throughout five seasons. One of the main topics Milles will be discussing is the corrupt lawyer on the show, Saul Goodman, he said.

Jackson is also trying to bring in guest speakers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, UB’s Research Institute on Addictions and the show, he said.

The seminar falls under four listings: media study, theater and dance, the UB law school and visual studies, according to UB’s website.

Jackson stated he expects the seminar to be very interesting because of the fact that the course is cross-listed under different departments.

“Here I get students from four different areas, coming at it from four different points of views,” he said.  “But they’re all coming with a different preparation and a different kind of theoretical background, so I expect the conversation to range all over the place.”

Although the course is only offered to graduate students, with an enrollment total of 18 spots, more than 20 undergraduate students have reached out to Jackson, asking to be in the seminar, he said.

As of now, the course will only be a one-time offer in the spring 2014 semester, Jackson said.

“The reason it’s a one-time thing is because everyone who’s taking (the course) has just watched (the series), so it’s fresh in their minds.” He added, “Who’s going to remember little details a year from now?”

Jackson said he is looking forward to the course because his students showed interest in the topic and encouraged him to teach it.

Said Jackson: “To teach a class because students ask you to is really nice, because they see it as something worth doing.”

Published on November 21, 2013 at 1:31 am