Making an M&A move into edutainment for the first time, Banijay Kids & Family has acquired a majority stake in Procidis, the 62-year-old French prodco behind the Once Upon a Time… educational children’s TV brand.   

Procidis co-produced the franchise’s latest series Once Upon a Time…The Objects (78 x seven minutes) with SAMKA, France Télévisions and Israeli broadcaster HOT last year, with RTS and TV5Monde also participating. 

All told, eight Once Upon a Time… series have aired in more than 100 countries and 80 languages, including Once Upon a Time…Life (France 4, pictured) and Once Upon a Time…Man (France 3). They are all part of a broader brand called Hello Maestro that boasts a consumer products program spanning categories such as DVDs (Sony Music), books (Hachette, DeAgostini and Editions Soleil) and board games (Educa Borras). 

Procidis president Hélène Barillé will stay on at the company as managing director, but Banijay Kids & Family president Benoît Di Sabatino now serves as its president.

This acquisition brings the Banijay Kids & Family portfolio to seven production labels across France, Italy and the UK.