ABC has released the full description for the series premiere of upcoming soap Betrayal, which stars Hannah Ware and Stuart Townsend as two people whose chance encounter has major reverberations in their personal and professional lives.
Ware plays Sarah, a photographer who feels ignored by her workaholic husband, while Townsend plays Jack, a prominent attorney whose marriage to the boss’s daughter has him feeling lonely and deeply unhappy. After they meet, though, they discover the passion that they’d been missing in their respective relationships and begin a torrid affair that threatens to bring each of their families down, should they get caught.
Throwing a wrench into the matter is the recent murder of Jack’s boss’s brother-in-law, a case where Jack is put in charge of the defense. On the prosecution? Sarah’s husband Drew, an attorney with political aspirations. Not only will Sara be caught in between two men who would get a tremendous career boost out of winning the case, she’s now incapable of leaving Drew, since his public image is more important now than ever and that means having a loving, doting wife by his side. Even if she expressed her unhappiness, threw him out, and asked for a divorce, he wouldn’t necessarily grant it, considering that divorce proceedings would harm whatever political juice he gains from winning the case and becoming a fixture in the city headlines.
Will Sara continue to see Jack during the trial? How close will the two get to having their affair brought into the public eye? Is she going to be able to trust any of her friends with the knowledge of her infidelity?
LOVE, SEX, MARRIAGE, AND TREACHERY SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL
IN THE PROVOCATIVE AND GRIPPING NEW DRAMA, “BETRAYAL,”
PREMIERING SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 ON ABC
Two lovers’ worlds will collide, culminating in a powerful and compelling story of sex, love, loyalty, marriage and treachery in the provocative, sensual and gripping new drama, “Betrayal,” premiering SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.
In the premiere episode, “Pilot,” a chance meeting between Sara Hanley (Hannah Ware), a professional photographer, and Jack McAllister (Stuart Townsend), a top attorney, leads to an instant and undeniable attraction. Sara’s husband, Drew Stafford (Chris Johnson), is a successful prosecutor with political aspirations, and the couple has a seven-year-old, Oliver. Unbeknownst to Sara, Jack is in-house counsel to a powerful but somewhat shady entrepreneur, Thatcher Karsten (James Cromwell), and is married to Thatcher’s daughter, Elaine (Wendy Moniz). Sara and Jack both realize something is missing in their marriages, and fight against the realization that they’ve met their soul mates in one another.
As Sara and Jack struggle with their feelings and their guilt about their families, Thatcher’s brother-in-law, Lou, is murdered, and all evidence points to Thatcher’s mentally challenged son, T.J. (Henry Thomas). Sara discovers she’s in the middle of a nightmare when she learns that Drew will be the prosecuting attorney in this high-profile murder case, which can secure his political future, and that Jack will be the lawyer for the defense. The lovers find themselves in an impossible situation – on opposite sides of a murder investigation.
“Betrayal” stars Hannah Ware (“Shame,” “Boss”) as Sara Hanley, Henry Thomas (“E.T.,” “Gangs of New York”) as T.J. Karsten, Chris Johnson (“The Vampire Diaries”) as Drew Stafford, Wendy Moniz (“Guiding Light,” “The Guardian”) as Elaine McAllister, Elizabeth McLaughlin (“The Clique”) as Valerie McAllister, Braeden Lemasters (“Men of a Certain Age”) as Victor McAllister, with Stuart Townsend (“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”) as Jack McAllister and James Cromwell (“Babe,” “American Horror Story”) as Thatcher Karsten.
Guest starring are James Keane as Lou Mrozek, Helena Mattsson as Brandy, Merrin Dungey as Alissa Barnes and Carmen Roman as Constance Mrozek.
“Betrayal,” based on the hit Dutch series “Overspel,” was written by David Zabel (“ER,” “Detroit 1-8-7”) and directed by Patty Jenkins (“The Killing,” “Monster”), and is executive-produced by Zabel, Lisa Zwerling (“ER,” “FlashForward”), Alon Aranya (“Red Widow,” “Hostages”) and Rob Golenberg (“Red Widow”). It is produced by ABC Studios.
