Honestly, it's been years. Since 2021, fans of the quirky, smoke-filled French comedy Family Business have been scouring Netflix for any sign of a fifth season. People are desperate. They want more of the Hazan family, more of their chaotic "Pastraweed" schemes, and more of that specific, dry humor that only Jonathan Cohen and Gérard Darmon can deliver. But here is the cold, hard truth that most clickbait sites won't tell you: as of right now, Netflix has not moved forward with Family Business Season 5.
The show felt complete. It really did. By the end of the third season—which many people mistakenly call the fourth or fifth because of how Netflix categorizes "parts" in different regions—the story of the kosher butchers turned cannabis moguls reached a pretty definitive, if absurd, conclusion. Yet, the internet doesn't let go that easily.
The Confusion Surrounding Family Business Season 5
There is a massive amount of misinformation floating around. You’ve probably seen those AI-generated "release date" articles that claim a premiere is just months away. They're fake. All of them. Creator Igor Gotesman originally envisioned the show as a tight, three-season arc. In the world of French streaming, "tight" usually wins over "endless."
Why do people keep searching for it? Part of the problem is how we consume TV now. We binge. We finish a show in a weekend and immediately demand a "next." For Family Business, the demand stems from the chemistry. Watching Joseph (Cohen) fail upward while his father, Gérard, looks on with a mix of horror and reluctant pride is peak television. It wasn't just about the weed. It was about a family that couldn't stop getting in its own way.
Why the Story Ended Where It Did
If you look at the finale of Season 3, the stakes had escalated from a small Parisian shop to international fugitives and monastery hideouts. Where do you go from there? Space? The writers understood a fundamental rule of comedy: stop before the joke gets old. By the time the credits rolled on the last episode, the Hazans had survived the French police, the Bulgarian mob, and their own incompetence.
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A Family Business Season 5 would require a complete soft reboot. You’d have to find a new reason for them to be in debt or in danger. While it's possible—shows like Money Heist proved you can always find a new vault—the creative team behind this show seems more interested in moving on to new projects. Jonathan Cohen, for instance, has been incredibly busy with Le Flambeau and various film roles, cementing himself as the king of modern French comedy.
Could Netflix Change Its Mind?
Netflix loves a hit. And Family Business was a massive hit, not just in France, but globally. It’s one of those rare "local" shows that translated perfectly because family dysfunction is universal.
But here's how the industry actually works.
Netflix tracks "completion rates." If everyone who started Season 1 finished Season 3, the show is a candidate for more. However, the costs of keeping a cast like this together rise every year. Darmon is a legend. Cohen is a superstar. Enlisting them for a Family Business Season 5 would cost Netflix a fortune compared to what they paid back in 2019.
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- Cast Availability: Most of the main actors have moved on to high-budget cinema.
- Narrative Arc: The "Pastraweed" hook is spent.
- Production Costs: Shoots in Paris and international locations aren't getting cheaper.
The "Part" vs "Season" Trap
Let's clear up the numbering. This drives me crazy. Some regions split the show differently. If you think you've already seen Family Business Season 5, you might just be looking at a platform that divided the 18 total episodes into smaller chunks. Officially, there are three seasons. That’s it. Anything claiming to be Season 4 or Season 5 right now is likely just the back half of the existing story rebranded for different markets.
What to Watch If You’re Missing the Hazans
Since a new season isn't on the horizon, you need a fix. You need that specific blend of high-stakes crime and low-stakes intelligence.
First, check out Fiasco on Netflix. It’s also created by Igor Gotesman and stars Pierre Niney. It captures that same "everything is going wrong and it’s hilarious" vibe. It’s cringe-comedy at its finest. Then there is Represent (En Place), which features Jean-Pascal Zadi. It’s more political, but the DNA of French ensemble comedy is all over it.
If it’s the weed-centric plot you miss, Disjointed is the obvious American comparison, though, honestly, it lacks the heart of the French butcher shop. Family Business succeeded because it was a family drama first and a drug show second.
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The Legacy of the Show
We have to appreciate what we got. Eighteen episodes of pure, unadulterated chaos. The show managed to tackle themes of grief, Jewish identity in France, and the changing legal landscape of narcotics without ever feeling like a lecture. It was just... fun.
The fans who keep asking about Family Business Season 5 are really just saying they miss the characters. We miss Catherine, the grandmother who was arguably the most hardcore member of the family. We miss the ridiculous schemes. But sometimes, a clean ending is better than a dragged-out decline. Think about The Office (UK) or Fawlty Towers. Short, sweet, and legendary.
Final Reality Check
Don't believe the trailers on YouTube with "Season 5 Official Teaser" in the title. Those are fan-made edits using clips from Jonathan Cohen's other movies. They are clever, but they aren't real. If Netflix decides to revive the brand, it will likely be a "10 years later" special or a movie, rather than a full-blown fifth season.
The French TV industry is currently pivoting toward more prestige dramas and high-concept sci-fi. While comedy remains a staple, the "stoner comedy" trend has cooled off a bit. The Hazans came, they saw, they smoked, and they left us wanting more. That is exactly what good television is supposed to do.
Actionable Steps for Fans
If you're still holding out hope, here is the best way to spend your time instead of refreshing a dead IMDB page:
- Follow the Cast on Social Media: Specifically Jonathan Cohen and Julia Piaton. They are very active and usually announce their new projects (which often feature the same rotating cast of French comedians) there first.
- Explore the "Gotesman-verse": Watch Five (2016). It's a film by Igor Gotesman starring many of the same people. It’s basically the spiritual predecessor to Family Business.
- Rewatch with Subtitles (not Dubs): If you watched the dubbed version, you missed half the jokes. The wordplay in French slang (Verlan) is half the fun. Rewatching in the original language with subtitles gives the show a completely different, much sharper energy.
- Check Out "Le Flambeau": It’s a parody of reality shows like Survivor and The Bachelor. It’s where Jonathan Cohen is currently putting all his creative energy, and it is arguably funnier than Family Business.
The door isn't locked, but it's definitely closed for now. Instead of waiting for a season that likely isn't coming, dive into the wealth of new French comedy that Family Business helped pave the way for. The Hazans taught us one thing: when the shop closes, you just find a new hustle.