Adultery has gone mainstream on TV as fans’ favorite characters’ dirty little secrets have become television’s biggest storylines. A wave of philandering protagonists has taken over the small screen over the past few years, and the return of “Mad Men” Sunday – featuring perhaps the most notorious cheater currently on television, Don Draper (Jon Hamm) – inspires a look at what other shows are profiting off of their characters’ bad behavior.

Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) set the infidelity bar high in HBO’s “The Sopranos.” The New Jersey mob boss was a pathological philanderer, despite remaining married to his wife, Carmela (Edie Falco), for the duration of the series. Soprano paved the way for Draper and other powerful, but tortured men – like Peter Florrick (Chris Noth) in “The Good Wife” – who channel their personal issues through secretive, steamy affairs.

However, as television has diversified throughout its current “Golden Age,” much more nuanced depictions of adultery have surfaced. Women, for example, are getting into the game – and not just as the one-dimensional mistress. A rush of shows – “Girls,” “The Affair,” “Orange is the New Black” – have given fans a female-centric view of infidelity. Some shows – “Masters of Sex” – even make the mistress a central character.

In a 2014 article for Glamour, journalist Megan Angelo wrote, “On TV these days, cheating women are more common, and also more complicated. You won’t catch ‘The Affair’s’ Alison (Ruth Wilson) in a gaudy satin robe.”

The trend is not surprising considering the inherent drama in spouses sleeping around on each other, but the shift away from stereotypical affairs by chauvinistic married men toward stories with more complex, balanced characters means cheating on TV has never been so interesting.

Who are TV’s biggest adulterers? Above is a slideshow of the most complex and charismatic cheats on television right now. Check it out and let us know if there are any we missed.

Who is your favorite TV cheat? Tweet your thoughts to @Ja9GarofaloTV.

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Don Draper
Don Draper (Jon Hamm) has spent a decade on "Mad Men" wrestling his inner demons while sleeping around on, not one, but two wives. AMC
Peter Florrick
Peter Florrick (Chris Noth) made a habit of cheating on his wife throughout the early seasons of "The Good Wife." A cheating politician? What a cliché! CBS
Alicia Florrick
Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies, pictured) is an example of how women are becoming more complex and powerful on TV -- even through infidelity. When Alicia started sleeping on her cheating husband with Will (Josh Charles, not pictured) she had fans' support and sympathy. CBS
Alison Bailey
The emotional affair between Alison Bailey (Ruth Wilson, pictured) and Noah Solloway (Dominic West, not pictured) steered "The Affair" to a Golden Globe win for best television series -- drama in 2014. Showtime
Piper
While Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling, pictured) can be forgiven for still having feelings for her ex-girlfriend, Alex Vause (Laura Prepon, not pictured), on "Orange is the New Black," the way she kept both Alex and husband Larry (Jason Biggs, not pictured) hanging was low. Netflix
Virginia
While technically it is Bill Masters (Michael Sheen, left) who is cheating -- on his wife and newborn baby -- the character of Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan, right) gives fans the unique experience of sympathizing with the mistress in an affair. It's all for science, right? Showtime
The Americans
Phillip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth (Kerri Russell) Jennings both sleep around quite a bit to perform their duties as Soviet spies on "The Americans." Both are aware and accepting of each other's affairs as part of the job, but it gets complicated -- Phillip has another wife! This is the most unique adultery-- or relationship in general -- on television. FX
Fiona
Fiona Gallagher's (Emmy Rossum) inability to stay away from Steve (Justin Chartwin) has led to multiple affairs. Even marrying Gus (Steve Kazee) could not get her to stay faithful. Showtime