‘They’re not doing it because they’re greedy bastards.’

Oh, no?

Well, playing out before me is a scene straight from the dog-eat-dog, step-over-your-mother-on-the-way-up world of fat-cat investment bankers. And David Shore, head of the story department for Atlantis Films’ new primetime drama series Traders, has the daunting task of creating some audience empathy for the lot of them, the wealthy deal-makers who stage million-dollar takeovers before lunch.

‘Okay. They probably are greedy bastards, but that’s not what drives them. I think you’re going to like them.’

On the impressive 8,000-square-foot, two-tiered set at Cinevillage in Toronto’s east end dwell the employees of Gardner/Ross, the fictional Toronto independent investment bank that’s the core of Traders.

On this particular day, in the middle of episode nine, (scene 23 to be exact), it’s your average daily grind. The company’s shouldering too much debt and layoff rumors are flying. The saving grace could lie in a particularly profitable deal that’s about to go downor not. It’s getting precariously close to the point where the firm is legally obligated to announce the deal, upon which the price of the stock will immediately head for heaven.

Sally Ross (Sonja Smits) is feeling the pressure. It’s her deal, one of her first since she inherited the role of senior partner from her father. She’s on the trading floor pushing Marty Stephens (Patrick McKenna), the frazzled head trader, to find the most gullible shareholder to fleece before the price goes up.

Yep. It has it all. Hidden agendas, infighting, personal politics, butt-kissing. Just another day at the office, but with better clothes.

And really nice digs. The set of Traders, designed by production designer Stephen Roloff, is a sight to behold. With its L.A. Law-esque boardroom, elegantly elaborate private offices and an appropriately high-brow reception area, this set may have the people at Wood Gundy drooling.

The trading room floor – the nerve center of the drama, where deals are struck and dreams are shattered – looks like the habitat of young, high-strung professionals under too much pressure. Rubber bats, electronic chess sets and Rubik’s cubes lie amongst the coffee mugs and rumpled copies of Report on Business.

In fact, taking into consideration the army of computers, the constantly clicking electronic pixel screens and intense-looking people wearing headsets, you might just mistake the place for Mission Control.

The characters, however, aren’t automated. Trying to go beyond the one-dimensional characters of more soapy dramas, Shore says he and his writing team have tried their best to avoid the ‘black hat, white hat’ pitfalls.

‘These characters have complicated lives. There’s good and bad in each of them. What drives them in their careers is just ego and that’s what I like about them. They’re real people. They’re also wealthy people, but we don’t hold that against them.’

Oh, yes. Wealth. That’s what the show’s about – money and the struggle to get more. While the urgency and excitement of ‘Buy Low, Sell High’ will make for some exciting moments, even Shore had some doubts as to whether or not the concept had dramatic legs.

‘There wasn’t an instant attraction to the idea. I mean, the world (of investment banking) is neat, it’s fast-paced, it’s exciting, but there’s the concern everyone cites right off the bat. Right from the start I said. `This is a fun mow. It’s a fun book. Is it a tv series? I don’t know. It’s exciting, but is it dramatic?’ But I’m really thrilled with how we’ve been able to overcome it.’

Overcoming the necessary calculating nature of the characters also became an issue. How, for example, do you create any warm fuzzy feelings for traders who calculate the financial ramifications of exiting during a fire alarm before deciding it isn’t worth leaving the trading floor? It’s comes up during the season and Shore admits it wasn’t easy. ‘How do you create empathy or sympathy for these people? How?’

Another challenge for the story department is balancing the sheer size of the show’s ensemble cast. While Shore admits he hates slow stories and loves to have a lot going on, keeping everyone involved and consistently in the plot at times calls for ‘a story, b story, c story, d, e and f sometimes.’

But he’s not complaining. Widening the cast was one of the first things he did when he came on-board. ‘I’m amazed that Atlantis went for a cast of this size,’ says Shore. ‘It’s a huge cast.’

With a budget of $800,000 to $1 million per episode, the series might have the look and stylistic approach of a slick u.s. primetime drama, but it’s Canuck and not afraid to show it. Executive producer Alyson Feltes says the goal is to have viewers recognize and accept the show’s origins.

‘One of the mandates is to make this series identifiably Canadian and not try and disguise Toronto as New York. We’re not pretending we’re doing something about Wall Street.’

Set to air on Global in January in a yet-to-be-determined primetime slot, Feltes is confident the show will pick up an audience similar to that of er, Chicago Hope and NYPD Blue. The slant is expected to be heavy on the female side, which might have something to do with the array of handsome young traders in Harry Rosen suits.

The sprawling cast includes David Gardner (Street Legal), David Cubitt (Lonesome Dove), Bruce Grey (For the Boys, Between Friends), Janet Bailey (Race to Freedom), Terri Hawkes (The Killing Machine), Kimberly Huffman (Les Miserables), Rick Roberts (Side Effects), Philip Akin (Highlander) and James Mainprize (Road to Avonlea). The ensemble cast includes Ron Gabriel, Chris Leavins, Richard Liss and David Hewlett.

Mary Kahn (Destiny Ridge) is supervising producer and Jack Blum, Sharon Corder, Tim Southam, Allan Booth and Bob Sandler make up the story department.

Traders, now nearing the end of production on a 13-episode season, is an Atlantis production in association with CanWest Global. Additional funding comes from Telefilm Canada, the Cable Production Fund, the Ontario Film Investment Program, and the Maclean Hunter Television Fund. Atlantis will distribute worldwide.