We already know that “Game of Thrones” is the most illegally downloaded show of 2012, while “Dexter” was the most illegally downloaded show of last year, but what about legal downloads? You might be surprised to find out that the most legally downloaded show on iTunes in the United States is actually a British show: “Doctor Who.” It does make some sense, given the popularity of the show in the U.S., the relative lack of access to BBC America and the fact that BBC America has that horrible Amy Pond intro and cuts several minutes of each episode to make room for commercials. “Doctor Who” is not a show that should be edited for time. Note, too, that “Sherlock Holmes” has been at the top of the download list on iTunes since it debuted a few weeks ago, meaning that Stephen Moffat is kind of the kind of iTunes.
“Game of Thrones,” somewhat surprisingly, didn’t make the list, but that’s probably because it wasn’t released until December of last year (which is probably why it was number two on the illegally downloaded list last year, because those without HBO have no other way to access it). I was surprised to see another British show in the top 10, “Top Gear,” and also pleasantly surprised to see that “Archer” was number nine on the list. “Archer” not only has a huge following online, but a huge following that actually appreciates the show enough to pay for it. It helps, too, that episodes are released after each is aired instead of being released all at once after the season has ended.
Here’s the entire top 10 Most Popular Legally Downloaded TV Series from ITunes, and remember folks, if you want to continue to see quality television, you have to pay for quality television.
1. Doctor Who
2. Modern Family
3. Dexter
4. Breaking Bad
5. True Blood
6. Top Gear
7. Glee
8. Entourage
9. Archer
10. The Walking Dead
(Via)
