Sorry Netflix: Arrested Development downloaded illegally by 100,000 fans in 24 hours

More than 175,000 people have illegally downloaded episodes of the revived cult series Arrested Development since it was released exclusively on Netflix on Sunday.

Despite the relatively modest £5.99 ($8) monthly subscription to Netflix, over 100,000 people decided to download episodes of the comedy for free (illegally), according to Torrent Freak.

Figures released from the site show 6 per cent of illegal downloads came from the UK, 18 per cent from the US, 15 per cent from Australia and 12 per cent from Canada.

The numbers are not quite as shocking as the one million fans who illegally downloaded the season premiere of Game of Thrones in April. However, it shows the new series is still in demand despite receiving some disappointing reviews.

Mike Hale wrote in The New York Times this week that Netflix had “killed Arrested Development”. He said: “The story constantly circles back on itself, and information is rationed like methadone in the rehab centre that first appears in episode three. Principal scenes play out over and over, becoming incrementally more clear."

Netflix's stock fell more than 6 per cent on Wall Street on Tuesday 28 May as investors reacted to critics' mixed reviews.

Arrested Development was originally broadcast on US network Fox between 2003 and 2005. Despite winning six Emmy awards, the show was dropped after season three because of low ratings.