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From creator and showrunner Kathleen Jordan ("Teenage Bounty Hunters," "American Princess"), loosely inspired by the cult short story collection of the same name, the eight-episode soapy dark comedy Decameron arrives on Netflix on July 25.
The series explores the all too topical theme of class struggles in pandemic season as a crew of misfits try to survive the plague pandemic in Florence in 1348.
The Decameron stars Tony Hale, Zosha Mamet, Sersha Monica Jackson, Tanya Reynolds and others.
"When something like the plague comes along, everything goes flat," Hale said. "It doesn't matter. So what do I invest in? What relationships do I invest in? How do I treat people? Those are the things that matter."
What is the Decameron about?
First published in Italy in the mid-14th century, Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron tells the story of a group of noblemen and their servants who take refuge in the grand Villa Santa outside Florence as the Black Death rages in 1348.
To pass the time, they take turns telling each other stories that range from humorous to lewd.
The series has a similar premise, but with a twist from Lord of the Flies - as time passes and social rules become thinner, an orgy of riches and booze collapses into a struggle for survival.
Wealthy citizens avoid the plague by participating in lavish and isolated displays of wealth? Doesn't sound like this could be relevant...at all!
Jordan thought of Boccaccio's Decameron as "short little burning stories". So she took the collection as a framework. But the germination of the project came from a desire to explore themes of class disparity. "And when in times of crisis the gulf between the haves and the have-nots grows and widens," Jordan said. "Obviously, that's something we've seen over the last few years, especially with covid."
But it's not all because of the plague in Villa Santi. Jessica Plummer, who plays the noble Philomena, compared the antics and silliness of the comedy series to a reality show. "Think, like, Lion Island, but back in the day," she said. "Lots of drama, lots of sex, lots of, yes, craziness".
A trailer
Watch the trailer to see Florence's best attempt at eating, drinking and heading into a bright new future. Just don't expect him to live by the laws of civility, writes Tudum.
Bonus video:
