Is Average Joe based on true story? Explained

A still from the series (Image via BET+)

Average Joe season 2 has been officially confirmed by BET+, as per a report published by Deadline on June 6, 2024. Season 1 of the dark comedy drama series premiered on BET+ on June 26, 2023.

The synopsis of the series on IMDb reads:

“Joe, a blue-collar plumber, learns his recently deceased father lived a secret life and stole millions of dollars from dangerous people. Now those people think Joe has the money. Joe must race against time to find the truth and the money.”

As per multiple reports, Average Joe is based on the true life story of Robb Cullen, the creator of the show. Though not much information is available on the internet regarding the specific details of Cullen’s life that may have inspired the story, several guesses can be made about the same.

Average Joe is based on a true story

The series is about Joe Washington. He finds out that his recently deceased father worked for the Russian mafia and stole $10 million, plus a car, from them. The show is a thrilling depiction of the search of the mafia for Joe, and Joe’s attempts to get out of the situation alive.

BET published an article on July 25, 2024, claiming that Average Joe was loosely based on Cullen’s life, and that the creator himself acknowledged the inspiration. However, the report also claimed that he would not divulge more details about the same.

The report carries several speculations about how Cullen’s life may have inspired Average Joe. While one possibility, as per the report, is that Cullen’s father actually led a double life, and that Joe’s father is based on him, another possibility is that Cullen’s father was “involved in criminal activity.”

Apart from these speculations, no solid information is available on this subject. However, it is clear that the thrilling series takes its inspiration from real life.

What is Average Joe about?

The series is a thrilling depiction of the criminal underworld, and how one’s involvement in it carries consequences not only for oneself but also one’s family. As the show starts, Joe Washington is just another ordinary person. But his life changes as a grave secret comes to the fore.

It turns out his father worked for the Russian mafia, whom he betrayed by stealing $10 million from them, along with a car. The mafia thinks that Joe knows where these things are at the moment. As a result, they start hunting for him.

In the course of the show, the average man, Joe Washington, finds himself surrounded by extraordinary circumstances, resulting in a self-transformation he could not have foreseen.

Average Joe: Episodes and cast

The 10 episodes of season 1 of the series are named:

Episode number	Episode name
1	Pilot
2	Bachelor in Paradise
3	Donuts & Whiskey?
4	The Above Average School Teacher
5	A Cautionary Tale of Frontier Justice
6	Green and Blue
7	Prisoners
8	Ride Or Die
9	Sounds Like Mail Man
10	You Must Be Joe