January has proven to be a busy month for Toronto’s Shaftesbury Films, which is currently posting the two-part miniseries The Summit for CBC and Global, while production is underway on the teen comedy series Overruled! for Family Channel and Disney in the U.S.

The seven-week Summit shoot — in locations including London, Ecuador, northern Ontario and Jamaica — wrapped up late November, according to Shaftesbury producer Adam Haight (The Jane Show, Andromeda).

‘It went fairly smooth, though it’s an extremely ambitious project,’ he tells Playback Daily, adding that it was ‘grueling but a thrill’ to work in all the different places. He would not disclose the budget of the project, which is a coproduction with Toronto’s Media Headquarters.

Nick Copus (The 4400, The Dead Zone) directs the four-hour mini, about a G8 Summit that comes under threat of bio-terrorism when a military-engineered strain of smallpox finds its way within the walls of the conference. It features an all-star cast including Mia Maestro (Alias) and Canucks Bruce Greenwood (National Treasure: Book of Secrets), Christopher Plummer (Emotional Arithmetic), Wendy Crewson (Away from Her) and Lisa Ray (Water). Coproducers are Robert Cohen and Shari Cohen of Media Headquarters.

Haight says they have over 200 hours of footage, and are currently working on the picture cut at Technicolor, while mixing and sound work will be done at CBC in March.

The pubcaster has first-window rights on the mini, which will also air on Global.

‘If you had told me four or five years ago that I’d be able to make a miniseries of this caliber with two major Canadian broadcasters, I’d say ‘no way,” says Haight. No airdate has been finalized for Summit, which will be delivered mid-April.

Global’s involvement is the result of benefit money that was set aside for projects to be produced in partnership with CBC, according to Christine Shipton, the net’s SVP of drama and factual content.

‘Discussions began two years ago as to what project would fit both networks’ audiences, and we honed in on this one as it is a very commercial thriller,’ she says.

The key Canadian crew, which included DOP Alwyn Kumst (The Dresden Files), enjoyed working with crews in Ecuador, which doubled for Colombia.

‘They were very hard-working…labor is inexpensive but equipment is extremely expensive, so the crews there are used to working until they’re finished,’ says Haight, adding they couldn’t get insurance to shoot in Colombia, which is considered too unsafe.

Meanwhile, Shaftesbury is in production on the first 13 episodes of the new half-hour teen comedy series Overruled!, about kids who set up their own court system in high school. The series stars Jacob Kraemer (Naturally, Sadie), Sally Taylor-Isherwood (Bon Voyage) and Jasmine Richards (Naturally, Sadie).

Series directors include Steve Wright (Life with Derek), Craig Pryce (The Jane Show), Michael Mabbott (The Life and Hard Times of Guy Terrifico) and Jeff King (The Black Donnellys).

The series will air on Astral’s Family Channel and Disney in the U.S. Shaftesbury Sales Company holds Canadian and international rights.

The prodco is also prepping the 8 x 60 series Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, based on the Giller Prize-winning book by Vincent Lam, for The Movie Network/Movie Central. A spokesperson at Shaftesbury says they’re currently in the script-development phase with writer Jason Sherman (ReGenesis).