If you’re looking for a comedic historical fiction series to watch, The Decameron is now on Netflix. The series includes stars from Outlander and The Flight Attendant and is a lot of fun if you want something that is definitely not made for historical accuracy.
Before you jump into the series, you’ll want to know more about it. While it is somewhat based on a true story, it is just a fun ride through a pandemic of the past. It's completely tongue-in-cheek, though, similar to The Great.
The Decameron follows nobles escaping the Black Death
Set in Italy in 1348, the series follows a group of nobles who head to the countryside in the hope of escaping the Black Death. Yes, the terrible plague that spread across Europe. It is still classed as the deadliest plague in history, and those with money did what they could to avoid it.
In this case, a group of nobles and wealthy people head to the countryside in Italy. The series is a comedic retelling, but it does explore topics of wealth, money, and power struggles. All the while, we follow a group of people who are terrified of the pandemic that threatens to kill them.
The series itself is inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio’s book of the same name. The book takes place over the course of 10 days, which is the reason for the title of it. The novel does follow different viewpoints of those throughout the time, and there is a mixture of fictional and real life people throughout the story. The book is made up of stories that the three men and seven women are telling over the course of the 10-day event—each one has to tell a story a night. Of course, that means stories of the time, whether fiction or ones that they know have happened.
All eight episodes of The Decameron are now available to stream on Netflix.