The cast of "Betrayal"

At the dawn of the television era, daytime soap operas were one of the staples of weekday programming. But, with the decline of the stay-at-home housewife, daytime dramas have suffered, and their ratings are but a shadow of what they once were.

However, that doesn't mean that scandalous affairs and over-the-top villains haven't found a new home on TV. These days, prime time has all the soapy drama fans are after.

The latest salacious series to enter prime time comes from ABC, a network that's been gaining a reputation for such programs since the heyday of its hit "Desperate Housewives." Airing Sunday, Oct. 13, on the alphanetwork, "Betrayal" follows the story of two people who share an instant attraction, despite the fact that they're both married.

British actress Hannah Ware ("Boss") leads the cast as professional photographer Sara, who can't seem to deny her attraction to mystery man Jack (Stuart Townsend, "Queen of the Damned," 2002). Unfortunately, both of them are married -- she to ambitious prosecutor Drew (Chris Johnson, "The Vampire Diaries") and he to Elaine (Wendy Moniz, "Guiding Light"), a Chicago restaurateur.

"Betrayal" has had people talking since before its debut. A teaser for the show released prior to the premiere featured a pivotal scene between the two main characters, who meet at a train station. Sara faces a difficult choice when she must decide whether or not to get on the train.

"It's a huge decision and it has huge implications," explained Ware. "She has consciously made a decision to spend an afternoon with someone she is incredibly attracted to."

Although they initially make a noble effort to remain true to their significant others, the attraction between Sara and Jack proves too powerful and they give in to their desires, much like any good soap opera characters would do. As if that wasn't enough, the series has much, much more to titillate viewers each week. Things get a whole lot more complicated for Jack and Sara when a murder rocks their respective worlds.

It turns out that Elaine's father, Thatcher (James Cromwell, "Babe," 1995), is a rather shady businessman and Jack is employed as his counsel. When Thatcher's brother-in-law is murdered, Thatcher's mentally challenged son T.J. (Henry Thomas, "The Last Ride," 2012) becomes the prime suspect. Drew tackles the case as lead prosecutor, hoping it could further his political career, while Jack is forced to serve as the lawyer for the defense.

That's some heavy subject matter, but the talented cast is more than qualified to handle it. Ware may be most memorable to American TV audiences as Emma Kane opposite Kelsey Grammer in the STARZ series "Boss," but she's also appeared on the big screen in such films as "Cop Out" (2010) and "Shame" (2011). Her co-star, Townsend, has appeared in many feature films, including "Chaos Theory" (2008) and "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (2003), but the Irish actor is best known -- by far -- for his turn as Lestat in 2002's "Queen of the Damned," based on Anne Rice's acclaimed novel.

Stuart Townsend stars in "Betrayal"

Supporting castmate Cromwell is most memorable for his Academy Award-nominated role as Farmer Hoggett in "Babe," but he also boasts an impressive list of TV credits, appearing in such hits as "24," "Boardwalk Empire" and "American Horror Story," a gig that recently netted him his first Emmy award. In contrast, viewers may not instantly recognize Thomas, but he was part of one of the film industry's most successful movies of all time. As a child, he rose to fame thanks to his starring role as Elliott in Steven Spielberg's "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982). He worked with another legendary director when he was cast in Martin Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" (2002) and more recently made waves as music legend Hank Williams in "The Last Ride." Moniz should have no problem with "Betrayal's" sudsy storylines, having made her mark in television as Dinah Marler in "Guiding Light," a role that earned her two Soap Opera Digest Award nominations. In addition to his work on "The Vampire Diaries," Johnson appeared in the Lifetime series "Against the Wall."

The "Hollywood Reporter" broke the news that D.B. Sweeney would join the cast of "Betrayal" in the sixth episode as Richard Gross, director of the criminal division of the state attorney's office.

Full of twists and turns, not to mention romance, the series is in line with a recent wave of prime-time soaps, especially on ABC. In fact, fans of the genre can enjoy at least two hours of soapy drama, thanks to lead-in "Revenge." Starring Emily VanCamp ("Brothers & Sisters"), the series centers on a vengeful young woman who seeks justice for her father's wrongful imprisonment years earlier. Set in the lavish community of the Hamptons, the series has beat out time-slot competitors over at CBS and NBC and has even spawned an original novel, "Schooled in Revenge." ABC's guilty pleasure this summer -- "Mistresses," starring TV icon Alyssa Milano -- proved to be a sleeper hit as ratings grew, rather than declined, throughout the summer. It, too, dealt with themes of infidelity as main character Savi (Milano) found herself attracted to a colleague, Dominic (Jason George, "Sunset Beach").

Interestingly, "Betrayal," like "Mistresses," is an import of sorts. "Mistresses" was based on a British series of the same name, and "Betrayal" is actually an adaptation of the Dutch series "Overspel." It's part of a growing TV trend as all sorts of popular series make their way to the U.S. from overseas. Of course, many people know that Fox's "American Idol" is a take on Britain's "Pop Idol" and ditto for "The X-Factor," but European dramas are being made over for American audiences as well -- AMC's freshman series "Low Winter Sun" originated in Britain, and the channel's "The Killing" came from the Danish television series "Forbrydelsen."

Like fine wines, TV series can come from all over. Find out if "Betrayal" meets your satisfaction Sunday, Oct. 13, on ABC.