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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallIf you’re looking for another Netflix period drama with sex, scandal and class tensions, The Decameron may fit the mood—but it is a plague-era black comedy, not a romance-led replacement for Bridgerton. Its story follows nobles and servants sheltering together at a villa outside Florence in 1348, as the plague and the collapse of social order unsettle their lives.
What is The Decameron about?
Netflix’s The Decameron is a period black comedy set in 1348. As plague spreads through Florence, a group of Italian nobles and servants takes refuge at a lavish villa outside the city. The setup puts people from different ranks into close quarters while the world beyond their shelter grows more dangerous and familiar rules begin to break down.
![Trilogy of Life (The Decameron, The Canterbury Tales, Arabian Nights) (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51OQrbPQKpL._SL160_.jpg)
![Dream [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51O0NLZqOUL._SL160_.jpg)
The series takes partial inspiration from Giovanni Boccaccio’s mid-fourteenth-century story collection The Decameron. In Boccaccio’s frame story, a group shelters from plague and passes the time by telling stories. That connection gives the series a literary point of departure, but it should not be mistaken for a promise of a faithful adaptation.
Why is it being compared with Bridgerton?
The comparison is about the broad appeal of a period setting, upper-class characters, servants, sex and social scandal—not proof that the shows share a genre or plot. Bridgerton is a Regency-era franchise; The Decameron takes place centuries earlier, amid a plague crisis.
#1 Best Overall
| What to compare | The Decameron | Bridgerton |
|---|---|---|
| Period | 1348, during the plague’s spread in Florence | Regency era |
| Social world | Nobles and servants sharing refuge as social order frays | Upper-class society and its social rules |
| Tone and story engine | Black comedy, sexual misbehavior and survival in a group shelter | The comparison source does not detail its narrative engine; it is not evidence that The Decameron has a matching romance focus. |
Actor Jessica Plummer, who plays Filomena, described the show as “Think, like, Love Island, but back in the day,” and called it “A lot of drama, a lot of sex, a lot of, yeah, craziness.” BGR reported those remarks from Netflix’s Tudum site. They convey the ensemble’s unruly energy, but do not establish that the series centers on courtship in the way viewers might expect from a romance drama.
Who made it, and who is in the cast?
Kathleen Jordan is the series creator. The cast named in BGR’s July 2024 report includes Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Zosia Mamet and Tony Hale, alongside Plummer.
Rank #2
![The Decameron (1971) ( Il Decameron ) ( Decamerone ) [ Blu-Ray, Reg.A/B/C Import - Spain ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51BQDokawsL._SL160_.jpg)
- The Decameron (1971) ( Il Decameron ) ( Decamerone )
- The Decameron (1971)
- Il Decameron
- Decamerone
Jordan described the widening divide between the wealthy and the poor as part of the show’s relevance, telling Netflix that “the chasm between the haves and the have-nots grows wider and wider.” BGR quoted her connecting that observation to recent years, including the COVID period. The villa’s nobles-and-servants arrangement puts that class divide at the center of the premise.
When did it arrive on Netflix?
BGR reported on July 14, 2024, that the eight-episode series was due to arrive on July 25, 2024. That was a release announcement at the time, not confirmation of its current availability in any particular country’s Netflix catalog.
Rank #3
![The Decameron / Notes for an African Oresteia (DVD + Blu-ray) [1970]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qX3gMsBVL._SL160_.jpg)
- The Decameron (1971) / Notes Towards an African Orestes (1970) ( Il Decameron / Appunti per un'Orest
- The Decameron (1971) / Notes Towards an African Orestes (1970)
- Il Decameron / Appunti per un'Orestiade africana
- Le Décaméron / Apuntes para una Orestíada africana
What historical context does the story draw on?
The series is set during the plague years of 1347–1351. BGR’s 2024 article repeated an estimate of 25–30 million deaths, but did not identify the estimate’s original publisher. Treat that figure as an attributed report rather than a verified statistic from a named historical authority.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to read more
Readers interested in the literary inspiration can look for a reader-friendly print edition of Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron. The series draws on the collection in part; it is not presented here as a direct or faithful screen adaptation.
Rank #4
BGR’s July 14, 2024 report on The Decameron is the source for the release announcement, cast details and the quotations attributed above.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- The Decameron / Notes Towards an African Orestes ( Il Decameron / Appunti per un'Orestiade africana
- The Decameron / Notes Towards an African Orestes
- Il Decameron / Appunti per un'Orestiade africana
- Le Décaméron / Apuntes para una Orestíada africana
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