The Decameron (TV)

 

(2024)
Created by Kathleen Jordan
Starring  Amar Chadga-Patel, Zosia Mamet, Saoirse-Monica Jacktion, Tony Hale, Douggle McMeekin, Tanya Reynolds, Amar Chadha-Patel, Lou Gala, Karan Gil, Leila Farzad
IMDB Entry

There's always room for drama during a pandemic. The Decameron makes good use of that -- and also room for comedy.

The premise is simple. In 1348, a group of nobles and their servants hole up in a country villa to get away from the Black Death ravaging Florence, Italy. Filomena (Jessica Plummer) is there with her servant Misia (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) to meet and marry her betrothed, who she has never met. Tindaro (Douggie McMeekin) is a hypochondriac with delusions of grandeur and is attended by his doctor Dionero (Amar Chadha-Patel). Panfilo (Karan Gil), there to curry favor with the owner of the villa, is with his overly pious wife Neifile (Lou Gala). Filomena (Jessica Plummer) has come to escape Florence after her father died of the plague, attended by Licisca (Tanya Reynolds). And the steward, Sirisco (Tony Hale), tries to keep things running smoothly.

It would take too long to summarize the plot, which is twisty and with the characters' stories intertwined. Misia, for instance, has smuggled her lover into the villa, where she dies of plague. The owner of the villa is also dead, but Sirisco keeps the information secret and Filomena insists that she's married him.  Panfilo is gay, but that doesn't bother Neifile, who has made a vow of chastity. Licisca impersonates Filomena, who she thinks is dead -- until the shows up. And that barely scratches the surface.

There's sex and passion throughout as the characters go through twists and turns in order to live their luxurious lives amid the death.

Saorisa-Monica Jackson made her mark as the lead in Derry Girls,* whereas Tanya Reynolds impressed as Lily, the writer of alien erotica, in Sex Education.  The actors are uniformly excellent throughout.

The show is funny, bawdy, and often quite touching. Worth taking a look.

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*This was the third actress from the show who I spotted in other works, including Louisa Harland (Renegade Nell) and Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton, Big Mood).