The Decameron: Netflix orders new soapy period drama series set during the Black Death

The massive success of Netflix’s Bridgerton has reinforced just how hungry audiences are for soapy period dramas. Deadline has reported that the streaming service has given an eight-episode series order to The Decameron, a drama loosely inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio’s collection of short stories of the same name.

The Decameron series comes from Kathleen Jordan (Teenage Bounty Hunters) and Jenji Kohan (Orange is the New Black). The series will be set in 1348, a period in which the Black Death has struck the city of Florence. “A handful of nobles are invited to retreat with their servants to a grand villa in the Italian countryside and wait out the pestilence with a lavish holiday,” reads Deadline’s description. “But as social rules wear thin, what starts as a wine-soaked sex romp in the hills of Tuscany descends into an all out scramble for survival.” The Decameron will examine the “timely themes of class systems, power struggles and survival in a time of pandemic with a touch of levity, brought together by a charming and riotous ensemble of characters.“

Kathleen Jordan, who serves as showrunner of The Decameron series, will also executive produce alongside Jenji Kohan, Blake McCormick and Tara Herrmann. “I’m absolutely thrilled that I get to work with Jenji, Tara, Blake, and Netflix again,” Jordan said. “I can’t wait for people to meet this ridiculous group of characters. I’m sure Giovanni Boccaccio would be… confused?” Jenji Kohan added, “Kathleen Jordan is the real freakin’ deal. I am so excited and grateful that I get to work with her and we get to make this awesome, funny, timely, weird show together for Netflix.” The series is expected to film in Italy with Mike Uppendahl (American Crime Story) directing.