Top 10 Most Pirated TV Shows on BitTorrent

Written by Ernesto on October 21, 2008 

TV shows are by far the most wanted files on BitTorrent, and according to some, it’s becoming the modern day TiVo. But what are all those people downloading?

heroesSimilar to last week, Heroes is leading the chart. Prison Break is missing since there wasn’t a new episode. A notable newcomer is Californication, which makes its first entry in the top 10.

The data presented here is collected by TorrentFreak from a representative sample of BitTorrent sites and is for informational and educational reference only.

Top Downloads October 12 – October 19
Ranking (last week) TV-show
torrentfreak.com
1 (1) Heroes
2 (3) Dexter
3 (back) House
4 (7) Desperate Housewives
5 (6) Smallville
6 (back) Fringe
7 (5) Grey’s Anatomy
8 (back) Entourage
9 (new) Californication
10 (8) Stargate Atlantis

Previously: IFPI Wins Danish File-Sharing Case

Next: Pirate Bay Celebrates Microsoft’s Global Anti-Piracy Day

28 Responses

1 Oct 21, 2008 at 15:37 by BSG

A lot of people have started watching Californication, due to the much announced addition of Callum Keith Rennie (Battlestar Galactica’s Leoben)to the cast.

2 Oct 21, 2008 at 15:47 by NastyBedazzler

Dexter and Californication are excellent shows. I don’t get the hype still surrounding Heroes, season 1 was good but it’s been all downhill since then

3 Oct 21, 2008 at 16:17 by www.eZee.se

Is it just me or has SGA gone right down to the dogs?

Its hard trying to to watch that show now without getting irritated esp after watching other quality shows on TV… oopps, make that BT ;)

4 Oct 21, 2008 at 16:40 by Gonz

It’s a pity SGA doesn’t get too much credit. I personally think it beats Heroes blindfolded… But that’s just me.

(PS: I’m kind of a long-time fan of the Stargate series ;])

5 Oct 21, 2008 at 16:48 by ChillyConCarne

@#1 >>> Callum Keith Rennie (Battlestar Galactica’s Leoben)

Who the f-ck is he??? I started watchin Cali, great show/cast/script/etc. but rest assured, it’s not because of him it’s because of the sexrehab news … poor smock who thinks a noob would make a difference ….

btw looking forward 2 final BSG… liked the season where the cylons occupied them and tried to rule the ppl w/o understanding them, and the ppl fighting back with any means available… it made you rude for the oppressed/BSG… the funny thing that during the hot phase of the us occupation of irak… wondering how many got the parallels?

6 Oct 21, 2008 at 16:55 by its not easy being green

@3

when they didn’t pick up the season 3 story arc and invented stupid michael that was the end for me, plus they started to give more and more screentime/lines to Rachel Luttrell (Teyla), made me puke…

and plz for the love of god, they should give ronan 50+ extra iq points so he can stop acting like a five year old… worked wonders for the character of Teal’c

7 Oct 21, 2008 at 17:19 by well

there should be Merlin(pretty cool british story about the wizzard Merlin) in that top but it wasn’t made in theire air date

8 Oct 21, 2008 at 17:35 by will

merlin sucks

9 Oct 21, 2008 at 18:12 by Gruntled

How was the sampling created to get these stats? It’s a fascinating form of zeitgeist.

10 Oct 21, 2008 at 18:14 by HappySadFace

I wish Pushing Daisies and True Blood would be on the list I know True Blood has been picked up for a second season but Pushing Daisies could use the audience. Would be a tough loss since there is nothing else like it.

11 Oct 21, 2008 at 18:34 by Anonymous

No Shield? Madness!

12 Oct 21, 2008 at 19:04 by Idiot

What no Little Britain USA?

13 Oct 21, 2008 at 20:01 by www.eZee.se

@4, Am myself a longtime SG and SG1 fan (although even SG1 screwed up things in the end with the Ori crap… think about it, even Continium rocked coz the Ori arc was out) but SGA has just been goin down the dogs, i think its after the wraith became less bad ass when a bullet or two could take them out unlike the first eps.

@its not easy being green, Bang on!
And here i was thinking that i was the only one really pissed with Rachel Luttrell tilting her feking head,half opening her mouth and looking dazed for no reason every 1 min of screentime.

Its liek the show’s cast and crew know its their final season so lets just get it over with.

14 Oct 21, 2008 at 20:38 by well

Just to let you all know incase you didnt..

Theres new episodes each of the new season of these shows:

Family Guy
American Dad
The Office

DOWNLOAD EM cause there awesome. The shows above suck huge drama balls.. stress me the f*ck out watching them.

These shows have started back up so remember to check the schedule and add those RSS feeds so you dont even have to download the torrent. There usually downloaded within minutes after the live air.

15 Oct 22, 2008 at 04:53 by well, well

thanks for suggesting a bunch of primetime shows that are broadcast for free to anybody with an antenna. I’m sure you’re opening a lot of people’s eyes.

16 Oct 22, 2008 at 11:25 by PrisonBreakArtist

Argh, one week off the air and Prison Break and Family Guy are knocked off. Pfffft.

17 Oct 22, 2008 at 11:40 by dPsychc

Heroes all the way

18 Oct 22, 2008 at 15:28 by Flyer

Unfortunately they don’t make any good SF and Fantasy TV-shows anymore.

Battlestar was great – but Stargate Atlantic sucks – Why do they have to add pityful morons like McKay and D. Jackson – Woolsley and Sheppard? – Their characters suck – same ole mimics every show – no depths – so predictable. – Didn’t Mamoa had a character in Andromeda? – a very good old SF show

And Smallville? – puleeese!!!! – that’s for 10y olds

If you ask me the best show on the list is definately Grey’s Anatomy second and third by two not on the list – Boston Legal – and Bones.

If you haven’t seen “The Closer” – make the effort to dl the seasons available – Kyra Sedgwick – plays a great character as Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson

Other – not ongoing – but great shows I can recommend:
Medium – Band of brothers (wwII) – Generation Kill (Invasion of Iraq) and a very old one Xena Warrior Princess all 6 seasons of her are still available – Lucy Lawless is great as Xena – some episodes in the 6 seasons are maybe not always worth to watch – but the overall impression is that it’s a good show – combines laughter with sentiment

Enjoy!!

19 Oct 22, 2008 at 15:39 by Flyers

Re Stargate shows –
Would we (earth that is) really send a lil group of people armoured with those ridiculous automatic guns they wear around? – What? – Haven’t we far better weapons today? – Why don’t we ever see any heavier stuff going thru the gates – like tanks for example? – What’s the matter with these screenplay writers? – *lol*

20 Oct 22, 2008 at 18:03 by thats not goin to fly

@18 Flyer

> Battlestar was great – but Stargate Atlantic sucks

BSG is still great
its Stargate Atlantis (eith a ‘S’ at the end)

> their characters suck

no they don’t, but Andromeda sure does.

> Best shows Grey’s Anatomy, Boston Legal and Bones

GA, good show – BL firsts seasons good, last 2 = awful – Bones stereotypes + bad acting (dechanel? or whats her name) and mind numbing pseudo intellectual dialog

>The Closer

makes me want to blow my brains out. watched half a show… “can u proof u r innocent, no? lock him up 4 life”, “u gave up ur right, when bla bla” … her accent is soooo annoying, don’t get me started…

> Other – not ongoing – but great shows I can recommend

Smallville is 4 kids but xena isn’t? yeah right :D

good shows:
-The Wire – best show ever, not the usual stuff, get it on dvd
-NCIS – love how the characters mock/tease each other, well written/acted/produced
-Dexter – great premise (dexter the character and the whole thing) but has some stupid/ridiculous dialogs
-Californication-Mad Men-Craig Ferguson-Daily Show-Colbert-House and the 1st season of prison break

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One thing I _ h_a_t_e _ that more and more show incorporate, are those 2 minute segments where they play a song just to play some song.
I understand that the sound engineer/technician has to put sound in so the restaurant sounds like a restaurant and not like a set. but please stick to dished jingling, ppl talking in the background/waklin by, if they r outside bird singing wind brushing through the tree, ppl laughing/shouting, cars driving by etc
But don’t fill in the blanks with some stupid, annoying and unnecessary music. In many cases it music style doesn’t even fit the style of the show or context … Leave the music segments and excessively bright colors and overly simplistic dialog to CSI

21 Oct 22, 2008 at 21:07 by Anonymous

@13 yup, wraith have become less and less bad in these days… Thank God we have the replicators! LoL!

[ps: in my country, we are in season 4]

22 Oct 23, 2008 at 03:11 by Anonymous

gotta check out True Blood

23 Oct 23, 2008 at 08:32 by Anonymous

I suppose I’ll have to post my complaint like I have the past couple of weeks….

Where are True Blood & Sons of Anarchy? Not to mention Supernatural.

WTF?

The Desperate Housewives thing makes me wanna puke!

24 Oct 23, 2008 at 09:42 by Flyer

thats not goin to fly
Don’t you ever make a typo? Thanks for pointing out the S in Atlantis for me I had no idea *lmao*

For the rest – Sure you’re entitled to your opinion – I stick with mine though

Re Xena
It’s Fantasy and not much worse then for example the recent movie “In The Name Of The King” I admit that many episodes in the 6 seasons long show are bad but:
a) I like the story of the 2 women who stick together no matter what
b) I like all the great costumes in the show
c) I like the fighting – it always has a humorous angle and Xenas battle cry is cute
d) I like the way the stories sometimes mingle with historic events and with various mythologies
e) And oh Did I mention that Xena isn’t the most beautiful woman in the world – but she’s the sweetest smile and lovely eyes and very often she shows remarkable acting talents

Re “The Closer”
You’re missing the point Her southern accent and her “Thank you Thank you sooo much” is SUPPOSED to be annoying Geeeez *lol*

25 Oct 23, 2008 at 18:58 by OM

I dont understand why people download so many tv shows when you can watch the shows online at sites like tvduck.com

26 Oct 24, 2008 at 00:40 by by any chance...

Yesterdays CSI:NY was great, but last weeks episode was utter and complete BS, awful in so many ways…
Are there different writers for different episodes???

27 Oct 24, 2008 at 06:51 by BurningDownTheHouse

Who the hell is downloading House? That shit SUUUUUX!
Every episode is the same as the last but with a new patient. damnit.. i hate it

28 Oct 31, 2008 at 22:33 by MRX

Carpoolers – Great show
Not on list ..

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