The Decameron is a Netflix period romp that sees a group of nobles and their servants sheltering together from the bubonic plague in Italy.
Loosely inspired by the 14th century short story collection "The Decameron" by Giovanni Boccaccio, it stars Tony Hale, Jessica Plummer, Zosia Mamet, Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Tanya Reynolds as a group of strangers who flee to the Villa Santa outside Florence in 1348, as The Black Death rages through the cities.
"Think, like, Love Island, but back in the day," laughs former EastEnders star Jessica Plummer, who plays noblewoman Filomena. "A lot of drama, a lot of sex, a lot of, yeah, craziness."
"When something like a plague comes along, the ground goes even,” adds Tony Hale, who plays villa steward Sirisco. “It doesn’t matter. So, what am I investing in? What relationships am I investing in? How am I treating people? That’s the stuff that matters.”
Here’s everything we know about Netflix comedy series The Decameron...
The Decameron release date
The Decameron is an eight-episode series launching on Netflix from Thursday July 25 2024.
Is there a trailer?
Yes there's both an official and teaser trailer for The Decameron released by Netflix and it all looks good fun. It's set to the song Blue Monday by New Order. Take a peek below...
The Decameron plot
The Decameron is set in Italy in 1348 and follows a group of nobles and their servants who flee to a grand countryside villa as the bubonic plague sweeps the country. There, they hope to wait out the deadly pandemic by enjoying a lavish holiday but as social rules wear thin, their wine-fuelled romp descends into a fight for survival. “At times of crisis, the chasm between the haves and the have-nots grows wider and wider,” says The Decameron showrunner and creator Kathleen Jordan. “Obviously, that’s something we’ve seen in the last few years, in particular with COVID.”
The Decameron cast and characters
There's a large cast for The Decameron which sees Being The Ricardos actor Tony Hale as the villa steward, Sirisco while Jessica Plummer (EastEnders, The Girl Before) plays spoiled noble Filomena. Amar Chadha-Patel (Willow) is physician Dioneo, Leila Farzad (I Hate Suzie) is Stratilia, Lou Gala (Julia) is God-fearing Neifile, Karan Gill (I May Destroy You) is the charming Panfilo and Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls) is servant Misia. Zosia Mamet (The Flight Attendant) is Pampinea, Douggie McMeekin (Chenobyl) is rich noble Tindaro and Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education) is servant Licisca.
Jessica Plummer says: "There’s a lot of drama, a lot of sex, a lot of craziness. When I first read the script, I thought Filomena was bratty and entitled, which she is, but she’s also a sensitive and layered character. She’s misunderstood, but that’s because she puts on a mask."
Zosia Mamet says: "If a toddler with a personality disorder had a baby with a crotchety old lady, you would get Pampinea. She puts on airs to make herself feel okay, but the fact that she’s almost 30 and hasn’t found a husband makes her feel like a bit of an imposter, like she doesn’t deserve to be here."
Behind the scenes and more on The Decameron
The Decameron is created by Kathleen Jordan (Teenage Bounty Hunters, American Princess) for Production company Tilted Productions and is directed by Michael Uppendahl (Fargo, American Crime Story) for episodes 1, 2, 7, 8, Andrew DeYoung (episodes 3-4) and Anya Adams (episodes 5-6). The series is executive produced by Jenji Kohan (Glow, Teenage Bounty Hunters, Orange is the New Black), Blake McCormick, Tara Herrmann, Michael Uppendahl and Kathleen Jordan.
Showrunner Kathleen Jordan says the series tackles the timely theme of class systems within a pandemic. "We explore class disparity and how the chasm between the haves and have-nots grows wider during times of crisis, which is obviously something we’ve seen in the last few years, particularly with COVID,’ says Jordan, who created hit Netflix series Teenage Bounty Hunters. "I also loved the skeleton of The Decameron stories, this idea of wealthy people who think they can escape a pandemic,’ says Jordan. ‘But I can’t wait for viewers to meet this ridiculous group of characters."
