Dandelooo’s Emmanuèle Pétry Shares Growth Plans

Dandelooo has been distributing and producing preschool series for many years, building up a robust kids’ catalog of shows such as Max & Bunny, Billy the Cowboy Hamster, Hold On Gaston!, Pompon Little Bear and The Upside Down River. The company’s cinema division has diversified the slate even more, with titles such as My Life in Versailles and Born in the Jungle. Emmanuèle Pétry, producer and head of international, tells TV Kids how the company plans to further its growth and what trends she expects will shape the industry this year.

TV KIDS: How do you see the shifts that occurred in 2025 affecting your kids’ distribution and production businesses in 2026?
PÉTRY: I can only witness the fact that we work longer hours, have more intense weeks and think harder all together. What is the Olympics motto again? Faster, stronger, higher! That’s right, and that’s the mindset required now. The pressure is real but so is the opportunity, so in many ways, we are condemned to succeed by adapting and pushing ourselves to meet a rapidly changing kids’ market.

TV KIDS: What growth opportunities are you pursuing throughout this year?
PÉTRY: Two years ago, despite the challenging times, we made a strategic decision to open a cinema division covering development, production and international sales. That decision is paying off, as we are currently enjoying quite a vivid and encouraging environment. At the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Paris, we had over 32 constructive and positive meetings, which proved that we made the right decision. We are now working on three active projects.

TV KIDS: How are funding models changing amid the continued disruption in the marketplace (and the global economy)?
PÉTRY: We are more grateful than ever to be working within the European framework and building on the now mature model created 30 years ago by Creative Europe. It continues to help us create connections between production studios across countries both large and small. In the current climate of global economic uncertainty this is a haven—one we hope will continue to support our creative ambition and sustain our culture against the broader media turmoil.

TV KIDS: Kids today have so many options for entertainment beyond television. How are you addressing the challenge of discovery and making sure your IPs get in front of and capture the attention of children?
PÉTRY: It is the biggest challenge of all, and I’m afraid I don’t have a solution against the tidal wave of content—from platforms such as FVOD, Roblox and YouTube. We can only continue, in a humble way, working with cinema distributors and public channels to support and help parents, teachers and caregivers in educating young children to better understand and analyze the images and films they are watching and ensure they do not become victims of the 24/7 screens and social media.

TV KIDS: What other trends do you foresee shaping the kids’ sector this year?
PÉTRY: I need to say that one major concern is that the YouTube situation in the kids’ sector is becoming extremely problematic fundamentally because it’s based on an unfair economic model. YouTube is not only capturing a major chunk of the advertising budget without investing a penny into the production of children’s programming, but they are also keeping the majority of the revenue (over 55 percent) as a “distributor.” At the same time, they are pouring poor, cheap programs with no added value into the eyes of children. In my view, this imbalance is unsustainable for the kids’ sector, and this issue needs to be addressed by the policymakers at the highest European level.

On a more positive side, one emerging trend I find particularly interesting is the growing emergence and importance of “sound.” For example, we are seeing more radio stations dedicated to kids, a rise in podcasts—including those exploring themes such as Greek mythology, more “box stories” with well-known heroes and even original characters, too. I guess some parents are realizing that screens are overwhelming and erasing their children’s imagination—they are now turning toward the “open your ears, dear,” approach. This trend is likely to gain further momentum thanks to the fact that France has just voted in a new law which bans social media access to under 15-year-olds.

TV KIDS: There is a lot of negativity out there. So: What are you most looking forward to? What is keeping you excited about working in the kids’ industry?
PÉTRY: From all the way back in my early years in this industry, I’ve always heard the negativity—people thinking that our business would collapse within five years and joking that we should start thinking about a new career and maybe go and raise sheep (which, honestly, is a bit temping today). I think that the fact that we consistently stayed optimistic, despite the bad news, has helped us survive and keep our head above water during the hardest years. Today, we have three shows in production, which is incredibly energizing.

I continue to get very excited about great books waiting to be adapted, good original ideas, enthusiastic and talented people, gifted designers and the power of teamwork. Most of all, I look forward to making meaningful new films for children who will be born tomorrow and imagining the worlds they will one day explore.

TV KIDS: Are there any titles you would like to share in particular?
PÉTRY: We are delighted to share that My Life in Versailles, a wonderful family movie, has just been nominated for a César Award, along with Arco and Little Amélie. This recognition confirms that it is possible to talk to children about deep and meaningful subjects with humor and sensitivity. My Life in Versailles, a 78-minute, 2D-animated feature aimed at children aged 6 to 10, is a heartwarming story of resilience and connection set against the iconic backdrop of the Palace of Versailles. The film blends kindness, sensitivity, humor and history to captivate both children and families.

The very sweet and charming Max & Bunny, which is our own production and our first early preschool series, commissioned by CANAL+, premiered in the Christmas holidays. The series follows the dynamic duo Max and Bunny as they accompany young viewers through daily situations. Using clever and effective tools, Max & Bunny deals with emotions, helps kids to listen, accept, verbalize and find charming, fun solutions for every little problem they may encounter.

In addition, we have in production for France Télévisions season two of our very successful series Billy the Cowboy Hamster. Season one has already been sold to all of Europe and North America. The trio of Billy, Jean Claude the worm and Suzie are once again set to charm the hearts of millions of children where every twist and turn leads to unforgettable adventures.

Finally, we also have in production for TF1 a fantastic series adapted from a huge book success, which we will soon announce.