Say what you will about the bloodbath which was the season finale of Game of Thrones series 5 but it definitely got people talking and watching, and a lot of them were online.

Video streaming giant Netflix has hit back at claims it is cracking down on subscribers who bypass regional locks to view the US version of the site.

Backed by near-unanimous critical praise, incessant social media conversation and intense coverage on every form of talk show, Breaking Bad soared to its highest ratings ever — and also created a record 500,00 illegal downloads — in its finale Sunday night on AMC.