Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the late ’90s and early ’00s cult series from Joss Whedon, is arguably more popular now than when it actually aired. Why? Because college academics love it.

According to Katharine Schwab of The Atlantic, “hundreds of scholarly books and articles have been written about Buffy’s deeper themes, and an entire academic journal and conference series—appropriately called Slayage—is devoted to using the show and other Whedon works to discuss subjects such as philosophy and cultural theory.” The show opened the door for modern programs such as ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘Mad Men’ to be taken as seriously as highbrow literature. (The Atlantic)