The cast of “666 Park Avenue”

In the heart of Manhattan runs the famous Park Avenue, the home of some of the most desirable -- and most expensive -- real estate in the country. As the thousands of cars whiz along the 140-foot-wide boulevard every day, few commuters are aware of the fact that they're passing what may be New York City's most ominous address: the apartments at 666 Park Ave.

While the address may not mean anything, ABC's new drama, "666 Park Avenue," may have tourists and resident New Yorkers alike paying a little bit more attention to the numbers tacked to the buildings along this stretch of road. Premiering on Sunday, Sept. 30, "666 Park Avenue" joins the ongoing migration of soaps to prime time, while putting its own terrifying twist on the genre.

The mighty soap opera once ruled the daytime airwaves, a behemoth of a genre with highly rated shows filling the afternoon time slots on all the major networks. These days, only a few daytime soaps hold on, the rest victims of changing tastes and demographics. But the beautiful faces, devious villains, sex and betrayal that made them so popular in the first place haven't disappeared from the airwaves. Far from it. If anything, the soap opera is doing better than ever, if you're willing to wait for the sun to go down.

"666 Park Avenue" is the latest entry into a flourishing field. Earlier this year, TNT revived the granddaddy of prime-time soaps, "Dallas," to great success, and ABC's "Revenge," which also premiered last season, went on to dominate its time slot.

So it's a competitive game to be walking into but "666 Park Avenue" has a few aces up its sleeve, including two popular and experienced prime-time TV actors onside (Terry O'Quinn of "Lost" fame, and "Desperate Housewives'" Vanessa Williams).

O'Quinn and Williams play the part of married couple Gavin and Olivia Doran, the owners of apartment building "The Drake" at 666 Park Ave. Their dozens of tenants couldn't be happier. Not only do they live in the heart of the greatest city in the world, but it feels like all their wishes are coming true. Everything they desire -- wealth, fame, revenge -- seems to fall into their laps.

Of course, things aren't exactly what they seem at this ominously numbered address. It's a lesson yet to be learned by the building's new superintendents, displaced Midwestern couple Jane Van Veen (Rachael Taylor) and Henry Martin (Dave Annable). Joining the pair at The Drake is an eclectic cast of characters portrayed by a diverse and talented cast, including Robert Buckley ("One Tree Hill"), Mercedes Masohn ("The Finder"), Erik Palladino ("ER") and Swedish actress Helena Mattsson (2010's "Iron Man 2").

As they adjust to life in the Big Apple, the new supers begin to suspect that there's something strange about their new home -- something dark, sinister and, above all, evil. It's a premise that critics are comparing to the 1997 film "The Devil's Advocate," starring Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino and Charlize Theron, in which a small-town lawyer joins a New York law firm, only to come to the realization that his boss is none other than Satan.

Helena Mattsson stars as Alexis Blume in “666 Park Avenue”

Whether Gavin Doran is an innocent pawn in the Devil's machinations, an all-too-willing lackey, or even the Prince of Darkness himself is anyone's guess. Not even O'Quinn knows for sure, but it's pretty certain that Doran is anything but on the level.

Looking back at O'Quinn's acting career, it could almost be believed that he himself had made a pact for fame and fortune. He appeared in his first film all the way back in 1980 (a made-for-TV movie called "F.D.R.: The Last Year"), but despite appearing in literally dozens of TV shows and films over the following two decades, he never managed to move beyond the list of actors that everyone recognizes but no one knows the name of. It wasn't until 2004 that fame suddenly struck.

It was that year when ABC's hit show "Lost" hit the airwaves, with O'Quinn cast as fan-favorite character John Locke, a role that would net him an Emmy award and well-earned stardom. Once "Lost" wrapped up in 2010, he moved on to play Lt. Cmdr. Joe White in a multi-episode arc of CBS's "Hawaii Five-0."

Starring next to O'Quinn is a woman who, in contrast, has made achieving fame look easy. Williams burst into the spotlight in 1983 when she won the Miss America Pageant (a title she later relinquished), but she's kept her ball rolling in the decades since as a musical artist, Broadway actress and television star.

By taking on the role of what may turn out to be one of Satan's sidekicks, Williams is risking being typecast as a villain, but it's a role she's astoundingly good at pulling off. Although she started off in somewhat of a villainous role in "Desperate Housewives," which she joined in the seventh season, she was revealed to be a character as nuanced and complex as the other ladies of Wisteria Lane.

Her role in "Ugly Betty," though, showed her ability to play a villain to the hilt. Her memorable role as diva Wilhelmina Slater earned her a slew of awards and nominations, including three nominations for Primetime Emmy Awards.

With the Devil's luck on its side, "666 Park Avenue" looks set to make a supernatural splash on Sunday nights when it premieres on Sept. 30. Tune in to ABC to check it out -- if you dare.