“The Decameron,” a fresh limited series, opens in Florence, Italy, in 1348. As bells toll peacefully over the rooftops, a raven lands on a window ledge, peering around inquisitively before being struck by a stone hurled by a young boy who yells, “Food.” The raven splats to the ground, dead, not far from the body of a shoeless man, also dead. “Mom, I got a chicken,” the boy calls out. Cheery music announces a title card: “The Black Plague.”
This darkly funny scene sets the tone for the show, which arrives on Netflix on July 25. Loosely based on Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th-century book of the same name, the show’s eight episodes tell the story of a group of nobles who attempt to escape the plague by taking refuge in a villa, some with their servants.
Setting a dramedy during one of the most devastating periods in human history—estimated to have wiped out up to half of Europe’s population—might not seem like the most obvious choice, especially following the coronavirus pandemic, which also killed millions around the world.
But on “The Decameron” set in Rome in March last year, the cast and crew appeared to be having a lot of fun.
Mark your calendars for 2024 July 25 and get ready to watch “The Decameron” on Netflix.
